August 2012 Page Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page

Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page

The official publication of the Rocky Mountain Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. The RMFMS is a regional member of the American Fed- eration of Mineralogical Societies, Inc. and is issued monthly (except June and July). It is a privilege of membership of the RMFMS and cannot be exchanged by the editor for individual club newsletters from other regional federations. www.rmfms.org

Inside this Issue: NOTES FROM THE PRESIDENT BY DELANE COX Treasurer’s Report 2 ’m back from the American Federation Meeting in Minneapolis. It was not much cooler Agates and Agates 2 Ithere than it is here, either. The meeting facility was at the Hopkins City High School, An Ode to a Rock 4 which is in Minnetonka (don’t ask; I have not figured it out either). Time to Make the Donuts! 4 There was not a great deal of business this year, so the meeting went smoothly and Redstone: Ruby of the Rockies 5 quickly. No By-Laws changes, no change in dues. We do get to change officers: Don Fossil Finds from Morrison Form. 6 Monroe of the Southeastern Federation will become president, and Richard Jaeger of Ashfall Fossil Beds State Park 7 the Rocky Mountain Federation is president-elect. Next year the meeting will be in Jacksonville, Flor- ida, if you want to start planning now. Stinging Insects 8 Taking Your Kitchen Camping 8 I had a chance to visit with some friends from other federations, and made a couple of new . And, Bench Tips by Brad Smith 9 the Agate Show was very nice. The Lake Superior Agates were in abundance but are really pricy. (We did some hunting but came up with no agates.) There were several other varieties of ag- Synthetic or Natural Gemstones 9 ates there also but most were on display and not for sale; there were many dealers selling “Lakers” Vehicle Safety Walk Around 10 agates. Driving Safety Tips 10 The six AFMS competition cases (ONLY SIX !!!) were remarkable. Scoring a 99.6 was Lawrence G. Shows & More 11 Havens of the Littleton Gem & Mineral Club, with an absolutely beautiful display of “Minerals of Rus- 2012 Wildacres Workshops 12 sia.” Congratulations to Mr. Havens, and we hope to see that case at our convention and show next Officers & Committees 13 year. There was also a wonderful case from Dottie Smith of the Oklahoma Mineral & Gem Society. Our Rocky Mountain Federation was nicely represented in the competition cases.

The RMFMS was also well-represented at the meeting and show. In addition to Wayne and me, there was Vice President Debbie Leschner and her husband Ernie (and two granddaughters); Dr. Bob Carlson; Richard and Linda Jaeger, who is the AFMS newsletter competition chair; Jay Bowman, who serves on the AFMS Uniform Rules committee; Ray Oliger, State Director of N. Dakota, who was with his brother; Kay Waterman, our Directory Chair; and Tom Burchard, our Utah State Director. I hear that Mike Nelson, our CO & KS PLAC advisor, was also at the show. Sorry if I missed others, but I’m glad everyone made it to the show.

As of this writing, we still do not have a club hosting the 2013 RMF show and convention. If any club is interested, please call me so we can get organized and not be rushed. We need to get started for next year soon to allow plenty of planning time, and time to get contests done and meetings planned. Please have your club consider hosting. It really is not a great deal of work, and there is help from the RMF to assist in the planning. If you have any questions about volunteering, planning, or any aspect of the RMFMS convention, don’t hesitate to call me at 479-254-0894.

Hope you are keeping cool, literally, and having a great summer.

KLICKS & KLACKS FROM THE EDITOR ... BY BETTY CAIN

ave you selected at least one of your best newsletters for the Publications Contest? How many club author arti- Hcles have you printed this year that could be winners in the contest? This contest is not only bragging rights for the club editors but celebrates the wonderful club members who take the time to write for their newsletters. RMFMS has always had very good participation from our clubs and would like to continue that honor. Our RMFMS winners become our entries in the AFMS Publications Contest that is chaired by Linda Jaeger of the Tulsa Rock & Mineral Club. She’s not biased about RMFMS but does belong to the greatest regional society of AFMS!! I’m truly convinced that our RMFMS editors set a very high standard for the AFMS Contest. I’ll pass along the winners from the Minneapolis show when I receive the notice. Until then, start rounding up your entries for our 2013 contest. Speaking of winners, do you have nominees in your club for the ACROY and Jr. ACROY awards? We can’t publish ‘em if you don’t write ‘em. Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 2 Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 2

from western Kansas, the class visited many interesting geo- Publications TREASURER’S REPORT BY GENE MAGGARD logical localities including some of the iron mines and taconite concentrators in northern Minnesota. The “high point” of the Editor: class was probably the week we spent taking a close look at he end of the fiscal year rapidly approaches. The club annual report, dues and the old Precambrian rocks exposed in the Boundary Waters Betty Cain Canoe Area. And did I mention sunsets, bears, campfires, and 2702 E. Pikes Peak Ave. Toptional liability insurance form will be going out in October. The most difficult and time consuming part of getting the forms back is running down new treasurers smallmouth bass? At any rate, on the way back to Kansas we Colo. Springs, CO 80909 that came to office after their clubs current report came in. If you are getting this newsletter, are stopped and searched for agates along the north shore of 719-634-8205 you still a current officer? I am especially interested in treasurers, because it is the treasurer Lake Superior. And, we usually had some success (Fig. 4). [email protected] mailing list that I use for sending out the form. If you are reading this and are no longer a current The original source of the ag- treasurer for you club, could you or the new treasurer please send me the new treasurer’s name, ates is from the basalts (several Circulation Manager: address, email and telephone number? different layers) located in the Midcontinent Rift System (MRS). Fig. 2 Bill Cain I hope that you are having a great summer and finding lots of nice rocks. For some of us, catch- This geological rift (think about ing lots of nice fish is also a great pastime. Peggy and I have been to the Black Hills in South (see above) the great East African Rift Zone) Dakota twice this year for rock hunting and fishing. The fishing was great, but we did not find any begin to form in the Precambrian (Proterozoic Era) perhaps 1.1 Ga splitting the stable part of the North 719-322-6089 of the elusive Fairburns. Perhaps sometime we will meet at a choice fishing or rock hunting American “continent” or plate (referred to by geologists as the craton). The Rift is nearly 1400 miles [email protected] “honey hole.” long extending from northeast Kansas to Lake Superior with an eastern arm curving around and head- ing toward Ohio (Fig. 5). Hugh amounts of lava erupted along faults while adjacent rivers from the up- Subscriptions: Happy Hunting, lands dumped thousands of feet of sediments (later sedimentary sandstones and conglomerates) into Gene Maggard, Treasurer the low lands of the Rift. For some reason, the rift “stopped splitting” (a failed rift in geological jargon), Gene Maggard and the continent healed. Most of the rocks in the rift are buried below the surface of the earth and are 8318 SE Highway 77 only known from geophysical studies and drill holes. Leon, KS 67076 For example, the Midcontinent Geophysical Anomaly Fig. 3 (MGA) in Kansas delineates the rift since the con- 316-742-3746 AGATES AND AGATES: centration of magnetite in the Rift rocks creates a magnetic “high” that is picked up by geophysical [email protected] HOW DR. MIKE NELSON 2012 AFMS S instrumentation. However, rocks of the Rift become gates, agates and agates; more agates than I have seen in my entire life---all exposed around Lake Superior, and the amygda- Rates—$3.50 a year for A spread out on tables and cases at the American Federation of Minera- loidal agates erode from the basalts. Since the Rift the Rocky Mountain Federa- logical Societies annual show and meeting (Fig. 1). This gala event was [email protected], rocks include substantial amounts of iron, the agates hosted by the Minnesota Mineral Club (Twin Cities area) and held in Minne- www.csmsgeologypost.b have some sort of a red or orange color---oxidized iron. Most likely the agates tion News only. $7.75 a Fig 4 year for both the Rocky tonka, Minnesota. The club sponsored a number of formal seminars on logspot.com formed post-deposition of the basalt and are the result of percolating silica-rich agates (paid admission) plus several free presentations concerning the hon- groundwater filling the many vugs or vesicles in the basalt. Mountain Federation News ored gemstone. Because of previous scheduling conflicts, I was only able to attend the Saturday The second most popular agates at the show were the Fairburn Agates from neighboring South Dakota--spectacular specimens in all and the RMFMS Directory. events but was overwhelmed by the expertise of the presenters, as well as by the sheer number aspects (Fig. 6). Generally Fairburns are found on the plains in states surrounding the Black Hills, with most discoveries in South Da- of agates displayed in formal exhibits, and “for sale” by the dealers (Fig. 2). Directory only—$5.00. kota. The original source was the Paleozoic Minnelusa Formation in the Black Hills—generally termed Teepee Canyon Agates at their source. However, these agates will be featured in a later article! Order from Supplies Chair, It was easy to observe that the major emphasis The AFMS meeting and the show were a great success, and the Minnesota Mineral Club is to be congratulated for their hard work Kim Blanton of the show (exhibits and dynamic membership. 728 E. Sandy Dunes Dr. and dealers) was on the Sandy, UT 84094 famous Lake Superior REFERENCES CITED Agates (the “Lakers”). 801-604-1263 Pabian, R., 2006, Agates: Treasures of the Earth: Firefly Books, Natu- That fact is understand- ral History Museum, LondoFig. 5. Sketch map of the 1.1 Ga Midcontinent [email protected] able since Minnesota is Rift System. Older Precambrian rocks surround the Rift. Map courtesy of the major home of most Michigan State University. Deadline Laker discoveries---in Bulletin submissions deadline shoreline gravels of is the second week of the Lake Superior and adja- month prior to publication cent sand/gravel pits (Fig. 3). date; i.e., the deadline for the September bulletin is However, later glacial Fig. 1 action (Pleistocene) the third week of August. moved specimens into Unless otherwise marked, adjacent Wisconsin, materials from this publica- Michigan, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and there are reports of a Laker or two from Fig. 6. A case of Kansas. In addition, Pabian (2006) noted Lake Superior-type agates have been found in deposits tion may be reprinted by magnificent Fair- of the Mississippi River as far south as Louisiana. Essentially any “gravel pit” in the glaciated burn Agates. members, giving credit to region, or along the River, has the possibility of producing a Laker. the author and the Rocky As I understand it, the Laker name comes, not from Lake Superior, but from the Lake Superior Mountain Federation News. Till, a covering of glacial debris. Fig. 5. Sketch map of the 1.1 Ga Midcontinent Rift System. Older I have not had tremendous success in finding Lakers but do have a few in my collection. “Way Precambrian rocks surround the Rift. Map courtesy of Michigan back” in the 1970’s, I taught a combination canoeing/geology field course in Minnesota. Traveling State University. Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 3 Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 3

from western Kansas, the class visited many interesting geo- Publications TREASURER’S REPORT BY GENE MAGGARD logical localities including some of the iron mines and taconite concentrators in northern Minnesota. The “high point” of the Editor: class was probably the week we spent taking a close look at he end of the fiscal year rapidly approaches. The club annual report, dues and the old Precambrian rocks exposed in the Boundary Waters Betty Cain Canoe Area. And did I mention sunsets, bears, campfires, and 2702 E. Pikes Peak Ave. Toptional liability insurance form will be going out in October. The most difficult and time consuming part of getting the forms back is running down new treasurers smallmouth bass? At any rate, on the way back to Kansas we Colo. Springs, CO 80909 that came to office after their clubs current report came in. If you are getting this newsletter, are stopped and searched for agates along the north shore of 719-634-8205 you still a current officer? I am especially interested in treasurers, because it is the treasurer Lake Superior. And, we usually had some success (Fig. 4). [email protected] mailing list that I use for sending out the form. If you are reading this and are no longer a current The original source of the ag- treasurer for you club, could you or the new treasurer please send me the new treasurer’s name, ates is from the basalts (several Circulation Manager: address, email and telephone number? different layers) located in the Midcontinent Rift System (MRS). Fig. 2 Bill Cain I hope that you are having a great summer and finding lots of nice rocks. For some of us, catch- This geological rift (think about ing lots of nice fish is also a great pastime. Peggy and I have been to the Black Hills in South (see above) the great East African Rift Zone) Dakota twice this year for rock hunting and fishing. The fishing was great, but we did not find any begin to form in the Precambrian (Proterozoic Era) perhaps 1.1 Ga splitting the stable part of the North 719-322-6089 of the elusive Fairburns. Perhaps sometime we will meet at a choice fishing or rock hunting American “continent” or plate (referred to by geologists as the craton). The Rift is nearly 1400 miles [email protected] “honey hole.” long extending from northeast Kansas to Lake Superior with an eastern arm curving around and head- ing toward Ohio (Fig. 5). Hugh amounts of lava erupted along faults while adjacent rivers from the up- Subscriptions: Happy Hunting, lands dumped thousands of feet of sediments (later sedimentary sandstones and conglomerates) into Gene Maggard, Treasurer the low lands of the Rift. For some reason, the rift “stopped splitting” (a failed rift in geological jargon), Gene Maggard and the continent healed. Most of the rocks in the rift are buried below the surface of the earth and are 8318 SE Highway 77 only known from geophysical studies and drill holes. Leon, KS 67076 For example, the Midcontinent Geophysical Anomaly Fig. 3 (MGA) in Kansas delineates the rift since the con- 316-742-3746 AGATES AND AGATES: centration of magnetite in the Rift rocks creates a magnetic “high” that is picked up by geophysical [email protected] HOW DR. MIKE NELSON 2012 AFMS S instrumentation. However, rocks of the Rift become gates, agates and agates; more agates than I have seen in my entire life---all exposed around Lake Superior, and the amygda- Rates—$3.50 a year for A spread out on tables and cases at the American Federation of Minera- loidal agates erode from the basalts. Since the Rift the Rocky Mountain Federa- logical Societies annual show and meeting (Fig. 1). This gala event was [email protected], rocks include substantial amounts of iron, the agates hosted by the Minnesota Mineral Club (Twin Cities area) and held in Minne- www.csmsgeologypost.b have some sort of a red or orange color---oxidized iron. Most likely the agates tion News only. $7.75 a Fig 4 year for both the Rocky tonka, Minnesota. The club sponsored a number of formal seminars on logspot.com formed post-deposition of the basalt and are the result of percolating silica-rich agates (paid admission) plus several free presentations concerning the hon- groundwater filling the many vugs or vesicles in the basalt. Mountain Federation News ored gemstone. Because of previous scheduling conflicts, I was only able to attend the Saturday The second most popular agates at the show were the Fairburn Agates from neighboring South Dakota--spectacular specimens in all and the RMFMS Directory. events but was overwhelmed by the expertise of the presenters, as well as by the sheer number aspects (Fig. 6). Generally Fairburns are found on the plains in states surrounding the Black Hills, with most discoveries in South Da- of agates displayed in formal exhibits, and “for sale” by the dealers (Fig. 2). Directory only—$5.00. kota. The original source was the Paleozoic Minnelusa Formation in the Black Hills—generally termed Teepee Canyon Agates at their source. However, these agates will be featured in a later article! Order from Supplies Chair, It was easy to observe that the major emphasis The AFMS meeting and the show were a great success, and the Minnesota Mineral Club is to be congratulated for their hard work Kim Blanton of the show (exhibits and dynamic membership. 728 E. Sandy Dunes Dr. and dealers) was on the Sandy, UT 84094 famous Lake Superior REFERENCES CITED Agates (the “Lakers”). 801-604-1263 Pabian, R., 2006, Agates: Treasures of the Earth: Firefly Books, Natu- That fact is understand- ral History Museum, LondoFig. 5. Sketch map of the 1.1 Ga Midcontinent [email protected] able since Minnesota is Rift System. Older Precambrian rocks surround the Rift. Map courtesy of the major home of most Michigan State University. Deadline Laker discoveries---in Bulletin submissions deadline shoreline gravels of is the second week of the Lake Superior and adja- month prior to publication cent sand/gravel pits (Fig. 3). date; i.e., the deadline for the September bulletin is However, later glacial Fig. 1 action (Pleistocene) the third week of August. moved specimens into Unless otherwise marked, adjacent Wisconsin, materials from this publica- Michigan, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and there are reports of a Laker or two from Fig. 6. A case of Kansas. In addition, Pabian (2006) noted Lake Superior-type agates have been found in deposits tion may be reprinted by magnificent Fair- of the Mississippi River as far south as Louisiana. Essentially any “gravel pit” in the glaciated burn Agates. members, giving credit to region, or along the River, has the possibility of producing a Laker. the author and the Rocky As I understand it, the Laker name comes, not from Lake Superior, but from the Lake Superior Mountain Federation News. Till, a covering of glacial debris. Fig. 5. Sketch map of the 1.1 Ga Midcontinent Rift System. Older I have not had tremendous success in finding Lakers but do have a few in my collection. “Way Precambrian rocks surround the Rift. Map courtesy of Michigan back” in the 1970’s, I taught a combination canoeing/geology field course in Minnesota. Traveling State University. Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 4 Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 4

AN ODE TO A ROCK BY KURT LAHMERS REDSTONE—“RUBY OF THE ROCKIES” BY BETH SIMMONS, DGMG COLORADO SPRINGS MINERALOGICAL SOCIETY PEBBLE PUPS/JUNIOR MEMBER PROGRAM nce upon a time, a wealthy prince built a castle called “Cleveholm” along the banks From a presidential mountain face, Oof a beautiful shining stream called the Crystal River that flows serenely through a Photos: to the far reaches of outer space; valley bounded by massive red cliffs with spectacular snow-covered peaks looming The sparkling Crystal River lays boundless, amazing discoveries, nearby. The wealthy prince owned the local coal mine and held controlling interest in the Redstone coke ovens as rocks yield their secrets in all countries. Colorado Fuel & Iron Company, along with his friends, the incredibly rich Rockefellers. Redstone Inn “Cleveholm Manor” Some rocks can reach massive sizes, Twelve miles to the south up Coal Creek in Coal Basin was the mine. The wealthy prince while others fit through needle eyes; had secured interest in the coal layer in 1881 for $500 with his partner, J.A. Kebler. How- some are shiny, and others are not. ever, Colorado wasn’t ready for west-slope coal quite yet. The huge smelters at Leadville and Aspen hadn’t But all are remarkable, when put to thought started up. But when they came on line, the prince was ready. He opened the coal mine for business and The sandstone arches in the Utah sun started shipping coal by wagon down the river to the Roaring Fork and up to Aspen. is a rock landscape that can’t be outdone. Soon along came a railroad, the Crystal River Railroad. And then came the coke ovens. A line of them ex- The relentless, ever-changing weather tended half a mile along the river to bake the coal to send to the smelters and foundry in Pueblo. Mining coal brings rain, snow and ice altogether. and baking coke is a filthy dirty business. The wealthy prince felt that his workers should be able to go home The granite peaks through Colorado to the comfort of a clean house. So he started a new mining tradition—providing his workers with uniforms Create a large elongated shadow show and a shower and locker room so they could clean up before going home after their shift. While they slowly erode, silently away— but is unnoticeable in our daily fray Where were their homes? Coal mining companies built “company towns” to house their workers and families. Usually they were bleak with simple structures, similar to those in Leyden. Or perhaps they Through craters and volcanic plains were monotonous rows of box-car houses with battened walls, painted a dreary mineral red.” along the orbit where the moon reigns, The wealthy prince spared no expense on his company town—Redstone. are fields of extraterrestrial moon stone that every geologists would love to own As an experiment in "enlightened paternalism," the wealthy prince constructed 84 “Craftsman” (Sears) Swiss-style cottages, all different in design, each painted a different color, Rocks are seemingly everywhere; all with indoor plumbing and electricity. In addition the wealthy prince built a 40-room inn, also over here and surely over there, with indoor plumbing and electricity.for his coal miners and cokers. He developed a nearby hot From mountaintops to the forest floor— Drawing by the author spring into a modern bathing facility. The prince also developed the much larger Glenwood In outer space, and right outside the door. Spring facility. For 50 cents a month, miners and cokers could “hang out” in a club house with a well-stocked bar and library, or go to the theatre. Ladies’ night at the club was Wednesday, with whist and euchre parties, billiards, pool, instrumental music for entertainment. Unlike most mines which employed immigrants— Italians, Huns, Austrians— all posters or lists of rules were printed in three languages. The children of the community attended the company school with its library “TIMEIME TO MAKE THE DONUTS” DELANE COX, RMFMS PRESIDENT of over 250 books, taught by Mrs. Wright and Miss Freeman. This Rocky Mountain Camelot (Editor’s Note—this was a Dunkin Donuts commercial tagline many years ago.) boasted a town farm and community gardens, complete with cows each owned by the individual families. New York architects designed the 42-room castle, “Cleveholm Manor,” for Princess Alma Hello, RMFMS Contest and Display Competition chairs: Regina (“Lady Bountiful”) who reigned over the village and estate grounds, the “perfect picture of color, harmonious with its surroundings, and opulent in appearance. The castle took Although we do not have a place to hold the 2013 Show and convention yet, I want you to know that I am working on five years from 1897-1901 to complete. Out buildings included an oak-paneled stable, ser- securing the location and hope to have a place within a month....if possible. vants’ quarters, game-keeper’s lodge, a carriage house, and greenhouse. However, even without a firm date, there is a need to start work on contests and display entries just in case Hand-tooled green leather covered the library walls; Green silk brocade decorated the our Host Club has a show before June, 2013!!! music room. Dining room walls were ruby velvet, with solid mahogany woodwork. Gold leaf covered the ceilings of many rooms. The huge fireplace was constructed of hand-cut I would like to encourage each of you to write an article for the RMF newsletter giving all of the vital infor- stone. mation about your contest and encouraging our members to enter. There was a great competition case at the AFMS this weekend from a person in Littleton, Colorado. I think he needs to be encouraged to Guests at the castle included the Rockefellers and J.P Morgans, who came to the moun- tains to hunt game or bask in the comfortable summer sunshine. have that case at our show, too. The article needs to have information about your contest such as what it is, why it is, what all will be judged, and WHY member or a club should enter. What about the hotel? The famed Redstone Inn, along with the castle and gamekeeper’s lodge, are all on the National Register of Historic Places. The Inn is a modern resort, By starting now, you have time to get your contest rules together and be ready to conduct your contest right after the first open year-round. Its tudor-style architecture with its clock tower undoubtedly influenced of the year. Display cases, too, need some lead time to put together good entries even though your deadline is the day the architecture used at Vail. before the show opens. Last year caught me, and possibly some of you, by surprise that the convention was so early. Thanks to those who did participation, but the level was not nearly as good as we have had in the past. Who was the wealthy prince? John Cleveland Osgood, great nephew of the founder of the city of Cleveland, energy entrepreneur and extravagant spender. So, let's get our acts together and see about having good contests with lots of entries this next year. If you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to contact me and let's discuss them. The coke ovens and mining operation only lasted four years; the hotel was originally open for seven years. Osgood died at “Cleveholm” in 1926, but only visited occasionally between 1903, when he split with CF & I, and his death. Perhaps Osgood’s wives didn’t really enjoy life in the fairy tale town that he had created in the Colorado Rockies. REFERENCES: Foote, Alvin, 1950, The Fabulous Valley, A&T Company, NY, 39 pages http://redstoneinn.thegilmorecollection.com Happy Labor Day—Sept 3, 2012 Wikipedia, “Redstone, Colorado” Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 5 Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 5

AN ODE TO A ROCK BY KURT LAHMERS REDSTONE—“RUBY OF THE ROCKIES” BY BETH SIMMONS, DGMG COLORADO SPRINGS MINERALOGICAL SOCIETY PEBBLE PUPS/JUNIOR MEMBER PROGRAM nce upon a time, a wealthy prince built a castle called “Cleveholm” along the banks From a presidential mountain face, Oof a beautiful shining stream called the Crystal River that flows serenely through a Photos: to the far reaches of outer space; valley bounded by massive red cliffs with spectacular snow-covered peaks looming The sparkling Crystal River lays boundless, amazing discoveries, nearby. The wealthy prince owned the local coal mine and held controlling interest in the Redstone coke ovens as rocks yield their secrets in all countries. Colorado Fuel & Iron Company, along with his friends, the incredibly rich Rockefellers. Redstone Inn “Cleveholm Manor” Some rocks can reach massive sizes, Twelve miles to the south up Coal Creek in Coal Basin was the mine. The wealthy prince while others fit through needle eyes; had secured interest in the coal layer in 1881 for $500 with his partner, J.A. Kebler. How- some are shiny, and others are not. ever, Colorado wasn’t ready for west-slope coal quite yet. The huge smelters at Leadville and Aspen hadn’t But all are remarkable, when put to thought started up. But when they came on line, the prince was ready. He opened the coal mine for business and The sandstone arches in the Utah sun started shipping coal by wagon down the river to the Roaring Fork and up to Aspen. is a rock landscape that can’t be outdone. Soon along came a railroad, the Crystal River Railroad. And then came the coke ovens. A line of them ex- The relentless, ever-changing weather tended half a mile along the river to bake the coal to send to the smelters and foundry in Pueblo. Mining coal brings rain, snow and ice altogether. and baking coke is a filthy dirty business. The wealthy prince felt that his workers should be able to go home The granite peaks through Colorado to the comfort of a clean house. So he started a new mining tradition—providing his workers with uniforms Create a large elongated shadow show and a shower and locker room so they could clean up before going home after their shift. While they slowly erode, silently away— but is unnoticeable in our daily fray Where were their homes? Coal mining companies built “company towns” to house their workers and families. Usually they were bleak with simple structures, similar to those in Leyden. Or perhaps they Through craters and volcanic plains were monotonous rows of box-car houses with battened walls, painted a dreary mineral red.” along the orbit where the moon reigns, The wealthy prince spared no expense on his company town—Redstone. are fields of extraterrestrial moon stone that every geologists would love to own As an experiment in "enlightened paternalism," the wealthy prince constructed 84 “Craftsman” (Sears) Swiss-style cottages, all different in design, each painted a different color, Rocks are seemingly everywhere; all with indoor plumbing and electricity. In addition the wealthy prince built a 40-room inn, also over here and surely over there, with indoor plumbing and electricity.for his coal miners and cokers. He developed a nearby hot From mountaintops to the forest floor— Drawing by the author spring into a modern bathing facility. The prince also developed the much larger Glenwood In outer space, and right outside the door. Spring facility. For 50 cents a month, miners and cokers could “hang out” in a club house with a well-stocked bar and library, or go to the theatre. Ladies’ night at the club was Wednesday, with whist and euchre parties, billiards, pool, instrumental music for entertainment. Unlike most mines which employed immigrants— Italians, Huns, Austrians— all posters or lists of rules were printed in three languages. The children of the community attended the company school with its library “TIMEIME TO MAKE THE DONUTS” DELANE COX, RMFMS PRESIDENT of over 250 books, taught by Mrs. Wright and Miss Freeman. This Rocky Mountain Camelot (Editor’s Note—this was a Dunkin Donuts commercial tagline many years ago.) boasted a town farm and community gardens, complete with cows each owned by the individual families. New York architects designed the 42-room castle, “Cleveholm Manor,” for Princess Alma Hello, RMFMS Contest and Display Competition chairs: Regina (“Lady Bountiful”) who reigned over the village and estate grounds, the “perfect picture of color, harmonious with its surroundings, and opulent in appearance. The castle took Although we do not have a place to hold the 2013 Show and convention yet, I want you to know that I am working on five years from 1897-1901 to complete. Out buildings included an oak-paneled stable, ser- securing the location and hope to have a place within a month....if possible. vants’ quarters, game-keeper’s lodge, a carriage house, and greenhouse. However, even without a firm date, there is a need to start work on contests and display entries just in case Hand-tooled green leather covered the library walls; Green silk brocade decorated the our Host Club has a show before June, 2013!!! music room. Dining room walls were ruby velvet, with solid mahogany woodwork. Gold leaf covered the ceilings of many rooms. The huge fireplace was constructed of hand-cut I would like to encourage each of you to write an article for the RMF newsletter giving all of the vital infor- stone. mation about your contest and encouraging our members to enter. There was a great competition case at the AFMS this weekend from a person in Littleton, Colorado. I think he needs to be encouraged to Guests at the castle included the Rockefellers and J.P Morgans, who came to the moun- tains to hunt game or bask in the comfortable summer sunshine. have that case at our show, too. The article needs to have information about your contest such as what it is, why it is, what all will be judged, and WHY member or a club should enter. What about the hotel? The famed Redstone Inn, along with the castle and gamekeeper’s lodge, are all on the National Register of Historic Places. The Inn is a modern resort, By starting now, you have time to get your contest rules together and be ready to conduct your contest right after the first open year-round. Its tudor-style architecture with its clock tower undoubtedly influenced of the year. Display cases, too, need some lead time to put together good entries even though your deadline is the day the architecture used at Vail. before the show opens. Last year caught me, and possibly some of you, by surprise that the convention was so early. Thanks to those who did participation, but the level was not nearly as good as we have had in the past. Who was the wealthy prince? John Cleveland Osgood, great nephew of the founder of the city of Cleveland, energy entrepreneur and extravagant spender. So, let's get our acts together and see about having good contests with lots of entries this next year. If you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to contact me and let's discuss them. The coke ovens and mining operation only lasted four years; the hotel was originally open for seven years. Osgood died at “Cleveholm” in 1926, but only visited occasionally between 1903, when he split with CF & I, and his death. Perhaps Osgood’s wives didn’t really enjoy life in the fairy tale town that he had created in the Colorado Rockies. REFERENCES: Foote, Alvin, 1950, The Fabulous Valley, A&T Company, NY, 39 pages http://redstoneinn.thegilmorecollection.com Happy Labor Day—Sept 3, 2012 Wikipedia, “Redstone, Colorado” Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 6 Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 6

animals deeper and finally birds and turtles. The latter were al- ASHFALL FFOSSIL BBEDS SSTATE ways at the very bottom of the ash bed, in a layer containing nu- HISTORICAL PARK, NEBRASKA merous footprints of rhinos and other hoofed animals. It seemed HISTORICAL PARK, NEBRASKA evident that the small creatures died first, then the middle-sized BY ALETHA HOOGETERP, MARCH 22, 2009 ones, and finally the rhinos. The animals definitely did not die all at shfall State Park, located six miles north of US Highway 20 once; they were not (with the possible exception of the birds and A between Royal and Orchard, Nebraska in northern Antelope turtles) buried alive. The larger animals clearly died more slowly, County, gives tourists a taste of animal life 12 million years ago over a period of a few days to a few weeks. Proof that they were when Nebraska was covered with subtropical grasses and jungle not instantaneously killed and buried can be seen on many skele- patches. tons, especially those of horses and camels, which often show bite marks The park is situated on 360 acres of rugged attributed to large scavengers that rangeland in the scenic Verdigre Creek val- must have had access to the car- ley. Ashfall State Park offers a fascinating casses before they were completely and educational experience for the whole buried. family, a chance to step back in time and see what Nebraska wildlife was like long Every fossil mammal so far discov- before modern man ventured onto the Great ered at the site has abnormal patches Plains. Visitors can watch the ongoing ex- of highly porous superficial bone on cavation of the site where the original 2,000 various parts of its skeleton, espe- he subject matter of this short essay is a rare, agatized snail fossil from the Jurassic Period that was found in the Morrison For- square foot "Rhino Barn" has been ex- cially on the lower jaw and the shafts Tmation, and a dinosaur bone of an unknown species, also from the Morrison. Both specimens are from Colorado. The Morrison panded with the new 17,500 square foot of the major limb bones and ribs. Formation is a sequence of sedimentary rocks that contains many Late Jurassic fossils. Iconic dinosaurs such as Allosaurus fragilis, "Hubbard Rhino Barn" addition for the exca- Veterinarians have reported very Diplodocus longus, and Brachiosaurus altithorax have been found in this layer of Jurassic sediment. vation and protection of many more buried similar growths on animals that have fossils. Skeletons are uncovered and displayed exactly where they died of lung failure. The aquatic gastropod (Figure 1) is about 165 million years old, and is assigned to the Valvatidae, a taxonomic family of small, fresh are found. Visitors get a close up view when paleontologists water gastropods known as the valve snails. These have an Operculum ("The gastropoda"). The operculum is like a trapdoor at- All the Ashfall skeletons are buried in a layer of pure volcanic ash. brush away the volcanic ash from the skulls of native American Volcanic ash consists of tiny shards of glass from broken glass tached to the upper surface of the foot and closes the opening of the shell when the soft parts of the snail are retracted inside. The rhinos and the delicate side hooves of tiny ancestral horses. snail is assigned to the species Valvata scabrida ("Humboldt State University," 2002). This snail lived in a Jurassic freshwater pond or bubbles. The glass bubbles form and then break apart during pow- lake. During the excavation of the 550 foot long trench for the founda- erful volcanic eruptions. The ash particles are small enough to tions of the new Hubbard Rhino Barn, 200 plaster field jackets, have been breathed deeply into the lungs of animals when vol- The dinosaur bone (Figure 2) is from an unknown species, and yields Table 1: The dimensions of the fossils plus an additional 700 fragments were recovered from the periph- canic ash blanketed northern Nebraska 12 million years ago. Inha- clue as to where the dinosaur died. The dimensions of the gastropod ery of the new Hubbard Excavation Barn in 2008. The fossils rep- lation of large amounts of volcanic ash almost certainly caused the fossil and dinosaur bone are shown in Table 1. Fossil Length Width Height resent at least 20 species of animals that lived near the ancient deaths of the Ashfall victims. Ashfall waterhole nearly 12 million years ago including rhinos, As shown in Figure 1, the gastropod shells are replaced by agate, in a Valvata scabrida 43.18 mm 22.86 mm 45.72 mm Most of the animals which lived here survived the actual ash fall elephants, 3-toed horses, camels, oreodonts, giant tortoise and process known as agatization, which also occurs in other types of fos- Dinosaur Bone ~ 145 mm ~ 43 mm ~ 40 mm from a volcano in southwest Idaho which spread a blanket of ash pond turtles. sils. Agate is a beautiful material that is often used in jewelry. over a very large area, but as they continued to graze on the ash The first indication that a fossil bed of major significance might lie covered grasses, their lungs began to fill up with the abrasive pow- The dinosaur bone has not been identified or dated, as of the writing of this paper, but it appears to be a fragment of a large bone, and buried on Melvin Colson's farm came to light during the summer of der. Soon their lungs became severely damaged and they began it is attached to an extremely fine-grained 1971 when Mike Voorhies, emeritus curator of vertebrate paleon- to die. Undisturbed except by the occasional scavenging meat- sandstone, which may give clues about how the bone was preserved. The dinosaur bone is shown in Figure 2. Agate has formed tology University of Nebraska State Museum, noticed the skull of a eater, the skeletons of these animals are preserved in their death within the Haversian canals and can be seen at either end of the fossil bone. Haversian canals are the tiny, interconnecting, longitudi- baby rhinoceros eroding from the wall of a ravine at the edge of a positions, complete with evidence of their last meals in their nal channels in bone tissue through which blood vessels, nerve fibers, and lymphatic vessels pass. cornfield on Mr. Colson's property. mouths and stomachs and their last steps preserved in the sandstone below. Overall, these are two magnificent fossils and fascinating finds that help us reconstruct ancient What made the find so unusual was that the skull and lower jaws If you've never been to Ashfall, this educational park is well worth worlds that have long since passed into deep time. were in perfect articulation and that the fossil was completely em- bedded in soft, distinctly layered volcanic ash. Not only did this experiencing. And if you've been there before, go and check out References Cited: first rhino turn out to be intact but other equally good skeletons the new expanded Hubbard Rhino Barn. You'll be glad you did. The gastropoda (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/taxa/inverts/mollusca/ seemed to be extending back into the hill, covered by the twenty For more information check out their website: http:// gastropoda.php feet of ash and sandstone. Because of the unusual nature of the www.ashfall.unl.edu. site, special care had to References: Humboldt State University Natural History Museum: Jurassic Period. (2002, October 15). be taken in exploring it. A Retrieved from http://www.humboldt.edu/natmus/Case_indexes/Case_jpgs/Jurassic.web/ 2009 University Of Nebraska State Museum/Royal, Nebraska/ series of test excavations [email protected] / Rick Otto, Superintendent/A Cooperative were done in 1977 fol- Project of the University of Nebraska State Museum & Ne- lowed by more extensive braska Game Fish and Parks Commission excavations in 1978 and 1979. The results ex- Mike Voorhies, emeritus curator of vertebrate paleontology Univer- ceeded even their most sity of Nebraska State Museum /· Museum Notes No. 81, Feb. optimistic expectations. 1992, http://ashfall.unl.edu/life_death.html Not only did they find "Ashfall State Park", Posted: Thursday, November 27, 2008 / dozens of rhinoceros and Figure 1: Photomicrograph of a Valvata scabrida. Copyright 2009 siouxcityjournal.com Gastropods are characterized by the possession of a horse skeletons, they single (often coiled) shell. Photo © 2012 by S. Veatch also found the remains of "Groundbreaking set for Hubbard Rhino Barn", By the Lincoln camels, birds, turtles and small saber-tooth deer. It became clear Journal Star, Wednesday, June 4, 2008, http://journalstar.com/ that a major disaster, claiming hundreds of victims, had occurred articles/2008/06/05/news/nebraska/ doc484713 Figure 2: The unidentified dinosaur bone. Photo © 2012 by S. Veatch at the site. From Rock Dust 6/12 via The Rock Collector 6/12 via Stratagems, 7/12 Early on it became apparent that there was a definite arrangement (Thanks, Dennis Chapman, Editor) of the skeletons in the ash bed with larger animals first, smaller Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 7 Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 7

animals deeper and finally birds and turtles. The latter were al- ASHFALL FFOSSIL BBEDS SSTATE ways at the very bottom of the ash bed, in a layer containing nu- HISTORICAL PARK, NEBRASKA merous footprints of rhinos and other hoofed animals. It seemed HISTORICAL PARK, NEBRASKA evident that the small creatures died first, then the middle-sized BY ALETHA HOOGETERP, MARCH 22, 2009 ones, and finally the rhinos. The animals definitely did not die all at shfall State Park, located six miles north of US Highway 20 once; they were not (with the possible exception of the birds and A between Royal and Orchard, Nebraska in northern Antelope turtles) buried alive. The larger animals clearly died more slowly, County, gives tourists a taste of animal life 12 million years ago over a period of a few days to a few weeks. Proof that they were when Nebraska was covered with subtropical grasses and jungle not instantaneously killed and buried can be seen on many skele- patches. tons, especially those of horses and camels, which often show bite marks The park is situated on 360 acres of rugged attributed to large scavengers that rangeland in the scenic Verdigre Creek val- must have had access to the car- ley. Ashfall State Park offers a fascinating casses before they were completely and educational experience for the whole buried. family, a chance to step back in time and see what Nebraska wildlife was like long Every fossil mammal so far discov- before modern man ventured onto the Great ered at the site has abnormal patches Plains. Visitors can watch the ongoing ex- of highly porous superficial bone on cavation of the site where the original 2,000 various parts of its skeleton, espe- he subject matter of this short essay is a rare, agatized snail fossil from the Jurassic Period that was found in the Morrison For- square foot "Rhino Barn" has been ex- cially on the lower jaw and the shafts Tmation, and a dinosaur bone of an unknown species, also from the Morrison. Both specimens are from Colorado. The Morrison panded with the new 17,500 square foot of the major limb bones and ribs. Formation is a sequence of sedimentary rocks that contains many Late Jurassic fossils. Iconic dinosaurs such as Allosaurus fragilis, "Hubbard Rhino Barn" addition for the exca- Veterinarians have reported very Diplodocus longus, and Brachiosaurus altithorax have been found in this layer of Jurassic sediment. vation and protection of many more buried similar growths on animals that have fossils. Skeletons are uncovered and displayed exactly where they died of lung failure. The aquatic gastropod (Figure 1) is about 165 million years old, and is assigned to the Valvatidae, a taxonomic family of small, fresh are found. Visitors get a close up view when paleontologists water gastropods known as the valve snails. These have an Operculum ("The gastropoda"). The operculum is like a trapdoor at- All the Ashfall skeletons are buried in a layer of pure volcanic ash. brush away the volcanic ash from the skulls of native American Volcanic ash consists of tiny shards of glass from broken glass tached to the upper surface of the foot and closes the opening of the shell when the soft parts of the snail are retracted inside. The rhinos and the delicate side hooves of tiny ancestral horses. snail is assigned to the species Valvata scabrida ("Humboldt State University," 2002). This snail lived in a Jurassic freshwater pond or bubbles. The glass bubbles form and then break apart during pow- lake. During the excavation of the 550 foot long trench for the founda- erful volcanic eruptions. The ash particles are small enough to tions of the new Hubbard Rhino Barn, 200 plaster field jackets, have been breathed deeply into the lungs of animals when vol- The dinosaur bone (Figure 2) is from an unknown species, and yields Table 1: The dimensions of the fossils plus an additional 700 fragments were recovered from the periph- canic ash blanketed northern Nebraska 12 million years ago. Inha- clue as to where the dinosaur died. The dimensions of the gastropod ery of the new Hubbard Excavation Barn in 2008. The fossils rep- lation of large amounts of volcanic ash almost certainly caused the fossil and dinosaur bone are shown in Table 1. Fossil Length Width Height resent at least 20 species of animals that lived near the ancient deaths of the Ashfall victims. Ashfall waterhole nearly 12 million years ago including rhinos, As shown in Figure 1, the gastropod shells are replaced by agate, in a Valvata scabrida 43.18 mm 22.86 mm 45.72 mm Most of the animals which lived here survived the actual ash fall elephants, 3-toed horses, camels, oreodonts, giant tortoise and process known as agatization, which also occurs in other types of fos- Dinosaur Bone ~ 145 mm ~ 43 mm ~ 40 mm from a volcano in southwest Idaho which spread a blanket of ash pond turtles. sils. Agate is a beautiful material that is often used in jewelry. over a very large area, but as they continued to graze on the ash The first indication that a fossil bed of major significance might lie covered grasses, their lungs began to fill up with the abrasive pow- The dinosaur bone has not been identified or dated, as of the writing of this paper, but it appears to be a fragment of a large bone, and buried on Melvin Colson's farm came to light during the summer of der. Soon their lungs became severely damaged and they began it is attached to an extremely fine-grained 1971 when Mike Voorhies, emeritus curator of vertebrate paleon- to die. Undisturbed except by the occasional scavenging meat- sandstone, which may give clues about how the bone was preserved. The dinosaur bone is shown in Figure 2. Agate has formed tology University of Nebraska State Museum, noticed the skull of a eater, the skeletons of these animals are preserved in their death within the Haversian canals and can be seen at either end of the fossil bone. Haversian canals are the tiny, interconnecting, longitudi- baby rhinoceros eroding from the wall of a ravine at the edge of a positions, complete with evidence of their last meals in their nal channels in bone tissue through which blood vessels, nerve fibers, and lymphatic vessels pass. cornfield on Mr. Colson's property. mouths and stomachs and their last steps preserved in the sandstone below. Overall, these are two magnificent fossils and fascinating finds that help us reconstruct ancient What made the find so unusual was that the skull and lower jaws If you've never been to Ashfall, this educational park is well worth worlds that have long since passed into deep time. were in perfect articulation and that the fossil was completely em- bedded in soft, distinctly layered volcanic ash. Not only did this experiencing. And if you've been there before, go and check out References Cited: first rhino turn out to be intact but other equally good skeletons the new expanded Hubbard Rhino Barn. You'll be glad you did. The gastropoda (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/taxa/inverts/mollusca/ seemed to be extending back into the hill, covered by the twenty For more information check out their website: http:// gastropoda.php feet of ash and sandstone. Because of the unusual nature of the www.ashfall.unl.edu. site, special care had to References: Humboldt State University Natural History Museum: Jurassic Period. (2002, October 15). be taken in exploring it. A Retrieved from http://www.humboldt.edu/natmus/Case_indexes/Case_jpgs/Jurassic.web/ 2009 University Of Nebraska State Museum/Royal, Nebraska/ series of test excavations [email protected] / Rick Otto, Superintendent/A Cooperative were done in 1977 fol- Project of the University of Nebraska State Museum & Ne- lowed by more extensive braska Game Fish and Parks Commission excavations in 1978 and 1979. The results ex- Mike Voorhies, emeritus curator of vertebrate paleontology Univer- ceeded even their most sity of Nebraska State Museum /· Museum Notes No. 81, Feb. optimistic expectations. 1992, http://ashfall.unl.edu/life_death.html Not only did they find "Ashfall State Park", Posted: Thursday, November 27, 2008 / dozens of rhinoceros and Figure 1: Photomicrograph of a Valvata scabrida. Copyright 2009 siouxcityjournal.com Gastropods are characterized by the possession of a horse skeletons, they single (often coiled) shell. Photo © 2012 by S. Veatch also found the remains of "Groundbreaking set for Hubbard Rhino Barn", By the Lincoln camels, birds, turtles and small saber-tooth deer. It became clear Journal Star, Wednesday, June 4, 2008, http://journalstar.com/ that a major disaster, claiming hundreds of victims, had occurred articles/2008/06/05/news/nebraska/ doc484713 Figure 2: The unidentified dinosaur bone. Photo © 2012 by S. Veatch at the site. From Rock Dust 6/12 via The Rock Collector 6/12 via Stratagems, 7/12 Early on it became apparent that there was a definite arrangement (Thanks, Dennis Chapman, Editor) of the skeletons in the ash bed with larger animals first, smaller Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 8 Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 8

MORE TIPS AVAILABLE FROM BRAD SMITH AT 2¢ OF ADVICE ON STINGING INSECTS FROM A DEAR OKIE FRIEND BENCH TIPSIPS BY BRAD SMITH GROUPS.YAHOO.COM/GROUP/BENCHTIPS RAISING A CABOCHON hen a cabochon sits too low in a bezel, the bezel hides a lot of the stone. Solution is to either sand down the bezel height or his information is something to remember as summer wears on. It might be wise to carry a penny in your pocket while working in boost up the stone. Question is what do you use to elevate your cab? I was taught to use fine sawdust but now think that the yard or hunting rocks in the wild...... BEE STINGS! W T there is a better solution, especially for use in rings. I reason that rings will frequently get wet, which would cause the sawdust to swell A couple of weeks ago, I was stung by both a bee and hornet while working in the garden. in size and push the stone against the bezel. Then when the sawdust dries out, the stone would be a little loose. In any case, I now My arm swelled up, so I went to the doctor. The clinic gave me cream and an antihistamine. The next day the prefer pieces of plastic sheet to boost up my stones. Pieces are readily available from product packaging or from old credit cards. I swelling was getting progressively worse, so I went to my regular doctor. The arm was infected and needed an antibi- just cut a piece to loosely fit the bezel and drop in the stone (with some dental floss) to check its height. otic. The doctor told me - "The next time you get stung, put a penny on the bite for 15 minutes". CUTTING A BOLT That night my niece was stung by two bees. I looked at the sting, and it had already started to swell. So, I taped a penny henever you have to cut a threaded bolt shorter, it's al-ways difficult to get the nut to thread back onto it. And the smaller the to her arm for 15 minutes. The next morning, there was no sign of a sting. We decided that she just wasn't allergic to the bolt, the more difficult this is. The problem is easily solved by screwing a nut onto the bolt before cutting it. sting. W Soon, I was gardening outside. I got stung again, twice by a hornet on my left hand. I thought, here I go again to So here's how to do it. Screw a nut onto the bolt, grip the bolt by the piece to be sawed off, saw the bolt to the de-sired the doctor for another antibiotic. length, taper the end with sandpaper or file, and unscrew the nut from the bolt. Unscrewing the nut over the freshly cut end of the bolt straightens out any damage to the threads. Gripping the bolt by the piece to be sawed off localizes any crushing I promptly got my money out and taped two pennies to my bites, then sat and sulked for 15 minutes. The pennies took the string damage to the piece you're throwing away. out of the bite immediately. In the mean time, the hornets were attacking, and my friend was stung on the thumb. Again the penny. The next morning I could SMOOTHING EARWIRES only see the spot where the hornet had stung me. No redness; no swelling. My friend's sting was the same; couldn't even tell where ext time you make your own earwires, the hardest part for me is to sand and polish the end that's inserted into the ear. Any she had been stung. (I suppose this would also work on wasps and yellow jackets!) Nsharp edge there is no fun. I've tried using sanding sticks, cup burs, and silicone polishing wheels. I've tried buffing on a Zam She got stung again a few days later upon her back---cutting the grass! And the penny worked once again. wheel, and I've tried spinning the wire in the Foredom to polish the tip. While all of these techniques do eventually work, none are very easy, and none are as fast as I'd like. Wanted to share this marvelous information in case you experience the same problem. We need to keep a stock of pennies on hand. The doctor said that the copper in the penny counteracts the bite. It definitely works! Then it occurred to me - I could melt the wire smooth. One quick touch in the flame of the propane/oxygen Little Torch does the trick - not enough to form a bead on the wire but just enough to round off the tip. It's best to practice the maneu- Please remember and pass this information on to your friends, children, grandchildren. ver a couple times on some scrap wire before trying it on completed earrings. Fig. 6

SYNTHETIC OR NATURAL GEMSTONES—SOME DEFINITIONS TAKING YOUR KITCHEN CAMPING Don Monroe, SFMS Safety Committee, Lodestar, 7/12 ynthetic gemstones have the same properties as natural gems, but they are created in a laboratory. Lab gems are becoming more any of us like to do serious camping when we are on a rockhounding expedition. In many cases this camping involves living the Scommon and more popular throughout the jewelry industry. It's important to educate yourself about synthetic gemstones so that Mway we did when we were Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts and truly camped. Ann and I really enjoy this life style, but there are cau- you understand what you are buying when you purchase jewelry. tions that we must observe. What Are Natural Gemstones? Natural gemstones are delivered to us courtesy of nature, with no interference from humans. By the Cleanliness is mandatory. This means you must wash your hands often using soap which we may not have time they appear in our jewelry they've been cut or polished, but they've not been treated or altered in other ways. done religiously in the scouts. Other things we need to remember include the following: What Are Genuine Gemstones? A genuine gemstones is the real thing, but isn't natural  Use multiple cutting boards (two or more) and, if necessary, get some of the disposable cutting boards. anymore if it was treated in some way to enhance its appearance. A large percentage of  Always turn your pot lids upside down so that you do not pick up dirt or germs from your work area. gemstones are treated to enhance their appearance. The enhancements allow jewelry  Keep your knives clean. A close examination of the junction between the knife blade and knife handle manufacturers to improve the look of stones that consumers wouldn't otherwise purchase. will often show you some nasty stuff. Treated gemstones are genuine, but they are no longer considered natural. If naturally  When preparing any kind of drink, wash your oranges, limes and lemons. You really don’t know who "perfect" stones were the only ones available, most of us couldn't afford them. has handled the produce. What Are Synthetic Gemstones? Synthetic and Simulant are terminology used by the  Do you go places that have picnic tables? All of them are not clean, and you are wise to use some sort of USBM for laboratory grown gemstones. Others in the gemstone industry may use different cover. Disposable covers are inexpensive and can prevent a problem. Paper plates, paper napkins, and plastic forks, knives, and terms to refer to laboratory grown gemstones. Laboratory grown "synthetic" gemstones spoons can often be a wise investment. have essentially the same appearance and optical, physical, and chemical properties as the natural material that they represent.  Be aware of your refrigeration needs. Fish and other seafood can cause a variety of digestive problems. We prefer to cook meat Laboratory grown "Simulant" gemstones have an appearance similar to that of a natural gemstone but have different optical, physical, before we leave home or freeze all meat before departing. Buying small quantities of food and being aware of and chemical properties. Additionally, certain colors of "synthetic" sapphire and spinel, used to represent other gemstones, would be the dates on food can be important. It is common to find dates on bottled water. classed as "Simulants." Colored and colorless varieties of cubic zirconia are the major "Simulants" produced. Lab Created, Lab  Do you sometimes wind up eating food prepared by other folks? This is not usually a problem, but items Grown, and Synthetic are synonymous terms. To use any of these terms, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the served a picnic are really an unknown factor. Dishes that contain eggs may not do well on a hot day. gemstone must be identical to the natural in every way. Composition, Hardness, and Optically.  If you are a true woodsman and like to pick unusual things growing in the woods, you really need to be aware There are a lot of sellers on the internet, who try and denote a difference in these terms, but according to the FTC they are identical of what you are planning to eat. I have first-hand knowledge of situations where consuming such items as mush- terms. The FTC is very clear on the use of the term Lab or Laboratory Created. The stone must be identical to the natural in every rooms, watercress, wild onions & garlic, and other greens can result in a really unpleasant gastric disturbance.Fig. 7 way. Here's the quote from the FTC guidelines for gemstone sales for your reference. "(c) It is unfair or deceptive to use the word "laboratory-grown," "laboratory-created," "[manufacturer name]-created," or "synthetic" with the name of any natural stone to describe The purpose of this article is certainly not to dissuade anyone from camping and living off the land, but we do want any industry product unless such industry product has essentially the same optical, physical, and chemical properties as the stone all of our friends to stay well. named." From Stony Statements 9/08, via The Rock Collector 10/08, via Shawnee Slate, 5/12 (Thanks, Llewellyn Alspach, Editor) Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 9 Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 9

SYNTHETIC OR NATURAL GEMSTONES—SOME DEFINITIONS TAKING YOUR KITCHEN CAMPING Don Monroe, SFMS Safety Committee, Lodestar, 7/12 ynthetic gemstones have the same properties as natural gems, but they are created in a laboratory. Lab gems are becoming more any of us like to do serious camping when we are on a rockhounding expedition. In many cases this camping involves living the Scommon and more popular throughout the jewelry industry. It's important to educate yourself about synthetic gemstones so that Mway we did when we were Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts and truly camped. Ann and I really enjoy this life style, but there are cau- you understand what you are buying when you purchase jewelry. tions that we must observe. What Are Natural Gemstones? Natural gemstones are delivered to us courtesy of nature, with no interference from humans. By the Cleanliness is mandatory. This means you must wash your hands often using soap which we may not have time they appear in our jewelry they've been cut or polished, but they've not been treated or altered in other ways. done religiously in the scouts. Other things we need to remember include the following: What Are Genuine Gemstones? A genuine gemstones is the real thing, but isn't natural  Use multiple cutting boards (two or more) and, if necessary, get some of the disposable cutting boards. anymore if it was treated in some way to enhance its appearance. A large percentage of  Always turn your pot lids upside down so that you do not pick up dirt or germs from your work area. gemstones are treated to enhance their appearance. The enhancements allow jewelry  Keep your knives clean. A close examination of the junction between the knife blade and knife handle manufacturers to improve the look of stones that consumers wouldn't otherwise purchase. will often show you some nasty stuff. Treated gemstones are genuine, but they are no longer considered natural. If naturally  When preparing any kind of drink, wash your oranges, limes and lemons. You really don’t know who "perfect" stones were the only ones available, most of us couldn't afford them. has handled the produce. What Are Synthetic Gemstones? Synthetic and Simulant are terminology used by the  Do you go places that have picnic tables? All of them are not clean, and you are wise to use some sort of USBM for laboratory grown gemstones. Others in the gemstone industry may use different cover. Disposable covers are inexpensive and can prevent a problem. Paper plates, paper napkins, and plastic forks, knives, and terms to refer to laboratory grown gemstones. Laboratory grown "synthetic" gemstones spoons can often be a wise investment. have essentially the same appearance and optical, physical, and chemical properties as the natural material that they represent.  Be aware of your refrigeration needs. Fish and other seafood can cause a variety of digestive problems. We prefer to cook meat Laboratory grown "Simulant" gemstones have an appearance similar to that of a natural gemstone but have different optical, physical, before we leave home or freeze all meat before departing. Buying small quantities of food and being aware of and chemical properties. Additionally, certain colors of "synthetic" sapphire and spinel, used to represent other gemstones, would be the dates on food can be important. It is common to find dates on bottled water. classed as "Simulants." Colored and colorless varieties of cubic zirconia are the major "Simulants" produced. Lab Created, Lab  Do you sometimes wind up eating food prepared by other folks? This is not usually a problem, but items Grown, and Synthetic are synonymous terms. To use any of these terms, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the served a picnic are really an unknown factor. Dishes that contain eggs may not do well on a hot day. gemstone must be identical to the natural in every way. Composition, Hardness, and Optically.  If you are a true woodsman and like to pick unusual things growing in the woods, you really need to be aware There are a lot of sellers on the internet, who try and denote a difference in these terms, but according to the FTC they are identical of what you are planning to eat. I have first-hand knowledge of situations where consuming such items as mush- terms. The FTC is very clear on the use of the term Lab or Laboratory Created. The stone must be identical to the natural in every rooms, watercress, wild onions & garlic, and other greens can result in a really unpleasant gastric disturbance.Fig. 7 way. Here's the quote from the FTC guidelines for gemstone sales for your reference. "(c) It is unfair or deceptive to use the word "laboratory-grown," "laboratory-created," "[manufacturer name]-created," or "synthetic" with the name of any natural stone to describe The purpose of this article is certainly not to dissuade anyone from camping and living off the land, but we do want any industry product unless such industry product has essentially the same optical, physical, and chemical properties as the stone all of our friends to stay well. named." From Stony Statements 9/08, via The Rock Collector 10/08, via Shawnee Slate, 5/12 (Thanks, Llewellyn Alspach, Editor) Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 10 Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 10

you will – is to give yourself a safety cushion. There are two safety cushions that make sense. The first involves time. Give yourself WHY DO THE CIRCLEIRCLE OF SAFETY WALK AROUND VEHICLES? extra time to get where you need to go – to allow for unexpectedly heavy traffic, changing weather conditions or other incidents along GARY WARREN, CACHE GEOLOGICAL & ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY the road. The second involves distance. Leave a cushion of about ¼-mile between you and the vehicles ahead. Make sure you have a way out in case you need to make a quick maneuver. nterprise Products requires all drivers to do a Circle of Safety Walk (360 Walk Around EInspection: Safety Policy 1.10.2.3) of their vehicle prior to operating the vehicle. Below is Be prepared with water, food and other essentials. You may not expect to get stranded, but the possibility is one good reason this walk should be conducted. there. It’s better to be prepared by bringing along plenty of water for you and your passengers, along with non- perishable food and snacks, blankets, road emergency medical kit and other essentials. Remember that unex- In the picture shown, one can see this young child in the wheel well of the truck. A crew work- pected warm or cool weather this summer can necessitate appropriate precautions. ing for a utility company found this child while conducting a CIRCLE OF SAFETY of the com- First, remember that big rigs have blind spots. If you can’t see the truck driver in pany truck that the crew members were driving. It is hard to imagine what would have hap- Be safe around big trucks. his or her mirrors, then the truck driver can’t see you either. Second, don’t cut in front of big trucks. Large pened if the employee had jumped in the truck and driven off without doing a walk around trucks are heavier and take longer to make a complete stop, so it’s important to avoid cutting quickly in front inspection. Please share this eye opening, bone chilling photo and experience with your co- of them. Keep this in mind. A fully-loaded tractor trailer takes the length of a football field and both end workers and family members. zones to come to a complete stop when traveling at highway speeds. This same work crew has also reported children climbing into the back of company vehicles. Keep in mind children will be out of school on summer break soon so keep a watch out for them. Follow Enterprise Products policy of walking around your vehicle prior to operating it. Hope- fully you will never experience this situation, but if you do, you just saved a child’s life! To have your RMFMS member club sponsored event listed here, October 13-14, 2012 Grand Junction, CO email [email protected]. You may include other info Grand Junction Gem & Mineral Club, Two Rivers Convention Work safe … work smart … work hard. about your show if you wish but will only be printed as space Center; contact Wayne McMaken, 970-255-8374, permits. [email protected] All RMFMS clubs are also encouraged to register their October 13-14, 2012 Moab, UT event listings on the RMFMS web site at: Shows Moab Points & Pebbles Club show, Old Spanish Trail www.rmfms.org. Email your submissions to the Web- and Arena, 3641 S. Hwy 191, Moab; contact Jerry Hansen, ORE RIVING AFETY IPS (ESPECIALLY FOR HOLIDAY WEEKEND TRIPS) master at [email protected]. MORE DRIVING SAFETY TIPS ( ) More (435) 259-3393, [email protected] August 3-5, 2012 Prescott, AZ Inspect before you go. Make sure you inspect your car thoroughly before you head out on that road trip – even if you’re only going October 13-14, 2012 Sierra Vista, AZ th along a route you have traveled many times before or it’s less than 50 miles. Remember to check the brake system, filters and fluids, Prescott Gem Mineral Club’s 9 Annual Show and Huachuca Mineral & Gem Club, contact Maudie Bailey, hoses and belts, tires for proper air pressure and tread, condition of windshield wiper blades, and the gas cap (to make sure it fits Sale, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, 3700 Willow 520-378-6291, [email protected] Creek Rd; contact: Judy Sullins, www.prescottgemmin- tightly, isn’t damaged or missing). Just using some simple maintenance as a precaution can help avert a potentially dangerous situa- October 13-14, 2012 Topeka, KS tion somewhere down the road. eral.org. Topeka Gem & Mineral Society, Kansas Expocenter AG Hall, August 17-18, 2012 Lake George, CO Plan out your trip. Don’t be that indecisive driver who makes the last-minute swerve to take an exit. Not only could you jeopardize 17th & Topeka Blvd; contact Mike cote, 785-220-3272, Lake George Gem & Mineral Club, US 24 next to Post Office; your safety and that of everyone in your car, but you could be contributing to a major traffic tie-up or worse. Know exactly where [email protected] you’re going by taking a few minutes to plan out your trip in advance. If you will need to stop for gas, map it out and check. contact Dan Alfrey, 719-440-6234 [email protected] October 20, 2012 Riley, KS August 17-18, 2012 Tahlequah, OK Buckle Up. Make sure everyone in the car buckles up. It’s not just the driver and front seat passenger who need to buckle up. Be- North Central Kansas Rock & Gem Club Swap Meet, 9:30a— Tahlequah 2012 Rock & Mineral Show & Sale, 9a-6p, 300 W fore you depart on your road trip, check to ensure that everyone in your car has their seat belt securely fastened. Remember that 4:30p; contact Martin Weber at 785-763-4316 or safety belts save lives. 1st St, Tahlequah, OK; contact Sara (918) 284-5770 or [email protected] Maxine (918) 456-8198. Be careful backing up. If you find yourself impatient, in a hurry, or just plain on automatic pilot, be careful of the tendency to forget to November 10-11, 2012 Lake Havasu City, AZ check the rearview and side mirrors before you back up. Maybe you did a quick visual sweep and then got distracted, checking your September 1-3, 2012 Silver City, NM (May change to February 2013) Lake Havasu City Gem & map or making a last-minute phone call before you set out. In those few seconds, another vehicle or a pedestrian could be in your Grant Co. Rolling Stones Gem & Mineral Society; contact Mineral Soceity, Lake Havasu Aquatic Center blind spot or directly behind you. In fact, experts say that one in four preventable collisions involve backing up. As a precaution, do a Marcia Andre, 575-534-0006, [email protected] walk-around your car before you get in. (Editor’s Note: Even backing out of a parking space November 17-18, 2012 Littleton, CO September 14-16, 2012 Enid, OK can cause damage. I was ‘rear ended’ by such a driver last week. Just what I didn’t need – Littleton Gem & Mineral Club; contact Keith Sheel, 303-750- Enid Gem & Mineral Society, Oakwood Mall, Enid; contact painful whiplash!!) 0763, [email protected] Billy Wood, 580-234-5344, [email protected] Stay alert and pay attention. Driving requires all your concentration. When you’re distracted November 17-18, 2012 Payson, AZ September 24-30, 2012 Idabel, OK by talking on a cell phone or texting, applying makeup, eating, fiddling with the radio or CDs, Payson Rimstones Rock Club, Mazatzal Casino, Payson, AZ; you’re diverting your attention from driving. That’s a dangerous habit that could get you in trou- McCurtain Gem & Mineral Club show, Museum of the Red contact Margaret Jones, 928-476-3513, magieaberry@ ble and is a leading cause of crashes. Even looking away for two seconds doubles your River, Idabel; contact Cephis Hall, (580) 494-6612 chance of an accident. Let others know you’re going to be unavailable while driving. Turn off gmail.com September 28-30, 2012 Tooele, UT cell phones and PDAs. In addition, if you’re driving a long distance, have someone spell you for November 24-25, 2012 Wickenburg, AZ 400 N. 400 West St., Toole, UT; contact Craig McKee, (435) a bit or get out and stretch your legs at a rest stop or restaurant. Do not continue to travel if Wickenburg Gem & Mineral Society, Wickenburg Community 884-6059. you’re sleepy or tired. City, contact Beth Myerson, 928-68-0380, [email protected] September 28-29, 2012 Bismarck, ND Take it slow – you’ll get there safer. Resist the temptation to make up time by going faster than the posted speed limit – even if it December 2-4, 2012 El Paso, TX Central Dakota Gem & Mineral Society; contact Susan Ger- seems like everyone else is speeding. Drivers who speed faster than surrounding traffic triple their chances of getting into a crash. El Paso Mineral & Gem Society, El Maida Shrine, 6331 Ala- You don’t have to poke along at 10 miles under the limit. That can contribute to impatient drivers around you taking chances to pass. enz, 701-400-7440, [email protected] bama St; contact Jarry Bruntz. September 30-October 1, 2012 Roswell, NM Obey traffic laws. Stop signs, yield signs, construction or work zones, and traffic signals – they’re there for a reason: to help ensure December 7-9, 2012 Boulder, CO everyone’s safety. But for this to work, drivers need to obey them. Don’t think you can get away with ignoring them. That split- Charparral Rockhounds show, Convention & Civic Center, Flatirons Mineral Club, Boulder County Fairgrounds, main second before a crash is too late to avert what could have been prevented. 10th & Main, Roswell; contact Jeri House, (575) 622-3688, exhibits hall, Longmont, CO; contact Ray Gilbert, 303-774- [email protected] Maintain a safety cushion. One way to help ensure you arrive at your destination safely – or at least to increase the likelihood that 8468, [email protected] Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 11 Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 11

you will – is to give yourself a safety cushion. There are two safety cushions that make sense. The first involves time. Give yourself WHY DO THE CIRCLEIRCLE OF SAFETY WALK AROUND VEHICLES? extra time to get where you need to go – to allow for unexpectedly heavy traffic, changing weather conditions or other incidents along GARY WARREN, CACHE GEOLOGICAL & ARCHEOLOGICAL SOCIETY the road. The second involves distance. Leave a cushion of about ¼-mile between you and the vehicles ahead. Make sure you have a way out in case you need to make a quick maneuver. nterprise Products requires all drivers to do a Circle of Safety Walk (360 Walk Around EInspection: Safety Policy 1.10.2.3) of their vehicle prior to operating the vehicle. Below is Be prepared with water, food and other essentials. You may not expect to get stranded, but the possibility is one good reason this walk should be conducted. there. It’s better to be prepared by bringing along plenty of water for you and your passengers, along with non- perishable food and snacks, blankets, road emergency medical kit and other essentials. Remember that unex- In the picture shown, one can see this young child in the wheel well of the truck. A crew work- pected warm or cool weather this summer can necessitate appropriate precautions. ing for a utility company found this child while conducting a CIRCLE OF SAFETY of the com- First, remember that big rigs have blind spots. If you can’t see the truck driver in pany truck that the crew members were driving. It is hard to imagine what would have hap- Be safe around big trucks. his or her mirrors, then the truck driver can’t see you either. Second, don’t cut in front of big trucks. Large pened if the employee had jumped in the truck and driven off without doing a walk around trucks are heavier and take longer to make a complete stop, so it’s important to avoid cutting quickly in front inspection. Please share this eye opening, bone chilling photo and experience with your co- of them. Keep this in mind. A fully-loaded tractor trailer takes the length of a football field and both end workers and family members. zones to come to a complete stop when traveling at highway speeds. This same work crew has also reported children climbing into the back of company vehicles. Keep in mind children will be out of school on summer break soon so keep a watch out for them. Follow Enterprise Products policy of walking around your vehicle prior to operating it. Hope- fully you will never experience this situation, but if you do, you just saved a child’s life! To have your RMFMS member club sponsored event listed here, October 13-14, 2012 Grand Junction, CO email [email protected]. You may include other info Grand Junction Gem & Mineral Club, Two Rivers Convention Work safe … work smart … work hard. about your show if you wish but will only be printed as space Center; contact Wayne McMaken, 970-255-8374, permits. [email protected] All RMFMS clubs are also encouraged to register their October 13-14, 2012 Moab, UT event listings on the RMFMS web site at: Shows Moab Points & Pebbles Club show, Old Spanish Trail www.rmfms.org. Email your submissions to the Web- and Arena, 3641 S. Hwy 191, Moab; contact Jerry Hansen, ORE RIVING AFETY IPS (ESPECIALLY FOR HOLIDAY WEEKEND TRIPS) master at [email protected]. MORE DRIVING SAFETY TIPS ( ) More (435) 259-3393, [email protected] August 3-5, 2012 Prescott, AZ Inspect before you go. Make sure you inspect your car thoroughly before you head out on that road trip – even if you’re only going October 13-14, 2012 Sierra Vista, AZ th along a route you have traveled many times before or it’s less than 50 miles. Remember to check the brake system, filters and fluids, Prescott Gem Mineral Club’s 9 Annual Show and Huachuca Mineral & Gem Club, contact Maudie Bailey, hoses and belts, tires for proper air pressure and tread, condition of windshield wiper blades, and the gas cap (to make sure it fits Sale, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, 3700 Willow 520-378-6291, [email protected] Creek Rd; contact: Judy Sullins, www.prescottgemmin- tightly, isn’t damaged or missing). Just using some simple maintenance as a precaution can help avert a potentially dangerous situa- October 13-14, 2012 Topeka, KS tion somewhere down the road. eral.org. Topeka Gem & Mineral Society, Kansas Expocenter AG Hall, August 17-18, 2012 Lake George, CO Plan out your trip. Don’t be that indecisive driver who makes the last-minute swerve to take an exit. Not only could you jeopardize 17th & Topeka Blvd; contact Mike cote, 785-220-3272, Lake George Gem & Mineral Club, US 24 next to Post Office; your safety and that of everyone in your car, but you could be contributing to a major traffic tie-up or worse. Know exactly where [email protected] you’re going by taking a few minutes to plan out your trip in advance. If you will need to stop for gas, map it out and check. contact Dan Alfrey, 719-440-6234 [email protected] October 20, 2012 Riley, KS August 17-18, 2012 Tahlequah, OK Buckle Up. Make sure everyone in the car buckles up. It’s not just the driver and front seat passenger who need to buckle up. Be- North Central Kansas Rock & Gem Club Swap Meet, 9:30a— Tahlequah 2012 Rock & Mineral Show & Sale, 9a-6p, 300 W fore you depart on your road trip, check to ensure that everyone in your car has their seat belt securely fastened. Remember that 4:30p; contact Martin Weber at 785-763-4316 or safety belts save lives. 1st St, Tahlequah, OK; contact Sara (918) 284-5770 or [email protected] Maxine (918) 456-8198. Be careful backing up. If you find yourself impatient, in a hurry, or just plain on automatic pilot, be careful of the tendency to forget to November 10-11, 2012 Lake Havasu City, AZ check the rearview and side mirrors before you back up. Maybe you did a quick visual sweep and then got distracted, checking your September 1-3, 2012 Silver City, NM (May change to February 2013) Lake Havasu City Gem & map or making a last-minute phone call before you set out. In those few seconds, another vehicle or a pedestrian could be in your Grant Co. Rolling Stones Gem & Mineral Society; contact Mineral Soceity, Lake Havasu Aquatic Center blind spot or directly behind you. In fact, experts say that one in four preventable collisions involve backing up. As a precaution, do a Marcia Andre, 575-534-0006, [email protected] walk-around your car before you get in. (Editor’s Note: Even backing out of a parking space November 17-18, 2012 Littleton, CO September 14-16, 2012 Enid, OK can cause damage. I was ‘rear ended’ by such a driver last week. Just what I didn’t need – Littleton Gem & Mineral Club; contact Keith Sheel, 303-750- Enid Gem & Mineral Society, Oakwood Mall, Enid; contact painful whiplash!!) 0763, [email protected] Billy Wood, 580-234-5344, [email protected] Stay alert and pay attention. Driving requires all your concentration. When you’re distracted November 17-18, 2012 Payson, AZ September 24-30, 2012 Idabel, OK by talking on a cell phone or texting, applying makeup, eating, fiddling with the radio or CDs, Payson Rimstones Rock Club, Mazatzal Casino, Payson, AZ; you’re diverting your attention from driving. That’s a dangerous habit that could get you in trou- McCurtain Gem & Mineral Club show, Museum of the Red contact Margaret Jones, 928-476-3513, magieaberry@ ble and is a leading cause of crashes. Even looking away for two seconds doubles your River, Idabel; contact Cephis Hall, (580) 494-6612 chance of an accident. Let others know you’re going to be unavailable while driving. Turn off gmail.com September 28-30, 2012 Tooele, UT cell phones and PDAs. In addition, if you’re driving a long distance, have someone spell you for November 24-25, 2012 Wickenburg, AZ 400 N. 400 West St., Toole, UT; contact Craig McKee, (435) a bit or get out and stretch your legs at a rest stop or restaurant. Do not continue to travel if Wickenburg Gem & Mineral Society, Wickenburg Community 884-6059. you’re sleepy or tired. City, contact Beth Myerson, 928-68-0380, [email protected] September 28-29, 2012 Bismarck, ND Take it slow – you’ll get there safer. Resist the temptation to make up time by going faster than the posted speed limit – even if it December 2-4, 2012 El Paso, TX Central Dakota Gem & Mineral Society; contact Susan Ger- seems like everyone else is speeding. Drivers who speed faster than surrounding traffic triple their chances of getting into a crash. El Paso Mineral & Gem Society, El Maida Shrine, 6331 Ala- You don’t have to poke along at 10 miles under the limit. That can contribute to impatient drivers around you taking chances to pass. enz, 701-400-7440, [email protected] bama St; contact Jarry Bruntz. September 30-October 1, 2012 Roswell, NM Obey traffic laws. Stop signs, yield signs, construction or work zones, and traffic signals – they’re there for a reason: to help ensure December 7-9, 2012 Boulder, CO everyone’s safety. But for this to work, drivers need to obey them. Don’t think you can get away with ignoring them. That split- Charparral Rockhounds show, Convention & Civic Center, Flatirons Mineral Club, Boulder County Fairgrounds, main second before a crash is too late to avert what could have been prevented. 10th & Main, Roswell; contact Jeri House, (575) 622-3688, exhibits hall, Longmont, CO; contact Ray Gilbert, 303-774- [email protected] Maintain a safety cushion. One way to help ensure you arrive at your destination safely – or at least to increase the likelihood that 8468, [email protected] Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 12 Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 12

2012 WILDACRES WORKSHOP CLASS SCHEDULE RMFMS Officers, Executive Committee, and Committee Chairpersons 2012/2013 Go to http://www.amfed.org/sfms/_pdf/Lodestar_july2012.pdf for the registration form. OFFICERS Oklahoma/Arkansas Public Relations Robert L Carlson N Dakota Virgil Richards Vacant See Convention Advisory Rodney Hickle 26815 51st St 1631 28th Ave SW President Publication/Editor Name Badges Workshop Staff DeLane Cox Broken Arrow, OK 74014 Richard Jaeger Central, ND 58530 918.640.9592 Betty Cain 701.794.3342 Wildacres Director, Julia Larson SESSION THREE - WILDACRES 8152 Spanker Ridge Dr. See Nominations th [email protected] Address on page 2 204 37 Ave North, #250 MONDAY, September 10 - 16, 2012 Bentonville, AR 72712 Parliamentarian Oklahoma/Arkansas 479.254.0894 S Dakota/Nebraska Safety Bill Lyon St. Petersburg, FL 33704 Beading 4 Holidays Barbara Green Gene Maggard [email protected] Sony Hemscher Vacant See Treasurer 112 N. Hillcrest St 727-522-1254 Ada, OK 74820 Cabochons Pat Davis Vice President PO Box 376 Webmaster Permanent Address Email: [email protected] Jennifer Biddle 580.332.8666 Debbie Leschner Piedmont, SD 57769 Robert Carlson See Program Library [email protected] Chain, Beg. Marilou Hillen- HC60 Box 512 605.431.2755 See NM/TX State Director William Holland Directors, Denise & Carl Talbott Quemado, NM 87829 Webmaster Contest Doris Perkins brand [email protected] Program Contest 405 SE Ave G I 575.773.4119 Brian Paterson 216 Spring View Drive Jennifer Biddle Idabel, OK 74745 Faceting Steve Hillenbrand [email protected] Utah 203 Saddle Mountain Rd Murphy, NC 28906 See Program Library Tom Burchard Colorado Springs, CO 80919 580.286.3133 828-494-7213 Fused Glass, Beginning Rich Dillon Secretary 875 E. 4500 S. 719.359.6238 Ribbons [email protected] Email: [email protected] Peggy Maggard S. Ogden, UT 84403 [email protected] Vacant S Dakota 8418 SE Hwy 77 801.479.4286 Jan Baumeister Mineral ID Scott Forward Scholarship Leon, KS 67064 [email protected] SPECIAL COMMITTEES 19702 E Hwy 18 Sp 56 Wildacres Registrars, David and Leslie Wayment 316.742.3746 Sandy Cannedy Welton, AZ 85356 Silver, Filigree Shannon Stafford Wyoming 15071 County Rd 1170 8802 N US Hwy 1 Suite 10 [email protected] 928.785-3238 Jim McGarvey Boundaries Binger, Okla. 73009-5006 [email protected] Sebastian, FL 32958 Stone Setting Don Roberts Treasurer PO Box 116 Robert L Carson 405.656.9019 Phone 772-532-6432 Gene Maggard Kinnear, WY 82516 See NM/TX State Director [email protected] Utah See Peggy Maggard 307.856.6188 Jim Alexander 772-539-2409 Wire for Beaders Leslie Wayment Credentials Supplies Historian [email protected] Vacant 360 5th St Email: [email protected] Kim Blanton Ogden, UT 84404 728 E. Sand Dunes Dr. Cinda Kunkler Directory 801.399.0785 STANDING COMMITTEES Sandy, UT 84094 210 NE35th St Kay Waterman [email protected] William Holland Registrar, Joe & Addy De Pietro Topeka, KS 66617 1334 N. McFarland Place 801-604-1263 P.O. Box 928, 785.286.1790 Circulation Claremore, OK 74017 [email protected] Wyoming Frostproof, FL 33843 SESSION FOUR - WILLIAM HOLLAND [email protected] Bill Cain 918.521.4386 Jim McGarvey Trophies See WY State Director Cell 863-241-9559 SUNDAY, October 7-12, 2012 Address on page 2 [email protected] Robert L. Carlson PAST PRESIDENTS Convention Advisory AFMS Club Rockhound of See NM/TX State Director [email protected] Beading, Barbara Green UNIFORM RULES Robert L Carlson the Year Award (ACROY) Seed See NM/TX State Director PUBLIC LAND ADVISORY COMMITTEE Bill Smith Bill Cain Education Chairman , Kathy Morris Beading Becky Patellis PO. Box 311 Finance Address on page 2 Arizona Lee Whitebay, Chair 551 Grayce Lane Hardtner, KS 67057 Robert Haines, Chair All American Club Bill Jaeger 4669 N Prentice Rd Hiawassee, GA 30546 Cabochons Jerry Mason 620.296.4652 104 S. Brookside St. Dan Alfrey 3441 E Astro St Ponca City, OK 74604 706-896-3256 [email protected] Wichita, KS 67218 PO Box 4164 Hereford, AZ 85615 Casting Joe DePietro 580.765.2074 252-571-5050 Stan Nowak 316.683.9021 Woodland Park, CO 80866 520.803.6590 [email protected] 2805 Sage Dr Wayne Cox 719.440.6234 [email protected] Email:[email protected] Channeling Don & Ann Monroe B. Jay Bowman Enid, OK 73701 8152 Spanker Ridge Dr. [email protected] Harry Kilb 191 Bowman Rd 580.234.3126 Bentonville, AR 72712 Fluorescent Technical 3411 Tomahawk Dr Ponca City, OK 74601 [email protected] Faceting Bill Roberts 479.254.0894 Pete Modreski Lake Havasu City, AZ 86406 580.761.5966 The intermediate and advanced classes listed with an asterisk (*) require some prior [email protected] 3555 Mill St 928.855.1630 [email protected] experience by the student. Experience in a class provided by your local club, Work- Lampworking Cindy Reed Wheat Ridge, CO 0033 [email protected] Roger Burkhalter shop class or self study may be enough. STATE DIRECTORS Lapidary Tech Mike Snively 303.425.9549 Colorado See Fossil Technical [email protected] Mineral ID Scott Forward 8495 W. Starr Circle Tim Austin Robert Carlson Arizona Littleton, CO 80128 Fossil Technical 2918 Plymouth Rd See NM/TX State Director 720.981.0752 Grand Junction, CO 81503 Opals Sarah Lee Boyce & Carl Talbott Vacant Roger Burkhalter Jack Thompson SESSION TWO - WILDACRES [email protected] 970.263.7404 16560 E. Maguire Rd 1830 Mesita Ct. MONDAY, August 20 - 26, 2012 Colorado [email protected] Polymer Clay Carolyn Stearns Beth Simmons Mineralogical Tech Noble, OK 73068 Colo. Springs, CO 80906 Cabochons Anita Westlake 1420 S. Reed Jim Hurlbut 405.899.4260 Mike Nelson 719.636.2978 Silver I Mac Thornton Lakewood, CO 80232 2240 S Adams [email protected] 645 Popes Valley Dr Updated 6/11/12 Digital Photography Ron Gibs 302.986.9693 Denver, CO 80210 Insurance Colo. Springs, CO 80919 719.522.1608 Silver Filigree Paige Warrick & Shannon Stafford [email protected] 303.757.0283 Arlene Burkhalter [email protected] [email protected] Metalsmithing – Adv.* Jeff Sheer Kansas 1267 Kingbird Lane Choctaw, OK 73020 Kansas Lyle Koerper Nominations Judy Beck, Chair 405.732.0808 Mike Nelson Polymer Clay Carolyn Stearns 1644 Valleyview Court [email protected] Wichita, KS 67212 3021 E Country Club Rd 645 Popes Valley Dr Saline, KS 67401 316.722.7115 International Relations Colo. Springs, CO 80919 Ofcrs & State Directors 785.823.7069 Raku Beads Jim Cullen [email protected] Mike Nelson 719.522.1608 are elected by the Dele- [email protected] [email protected] New Mexico/Texas 645 Popes Valley Dr gates. Scrimshaw Bill Wetzel Richard Jaeger Colo. Springs, CO 80919 Nebraska Robert L. Carlson 3515 E 88th St 1585 Los Pueblos 719.522.1608 Leroy Meininger Silver I Annette Gibney Tulsa, OK 74137-2602 [email protected] 50029 Sunflower Road Executive Committee Los Alamos, NM 87544 918.481.0249 505.662.5534 Junior Program Mitchell, NE 69357 consists of Officers, [email protected] 308.623.2661 Wire – Beg. Rowan Rose illegitimusnoncarborun- Diane C Weir State Directors, and 2 [email protected] Stan Nowak 2300 S Union Ave [email protected] immediate Past Presi- See Past Presidents Roswell, NM 88203 N Mexico/Texas North Dakota dents Ray Oliger Program Library 575.622.5679 Yonis Lone Eagle 516 N 20th St Jennifer Biddle [email protected] PO Box 1975 Bismarck, ND 58501 1620 Kingsway St Long-Range Planning Bloomfield, NM 87413 701.223.4986 Sapulpa, OK 74016 Judy Beck, Chair 505.860.2455 Committees are [email protected] 918.361.1957 See Nominations rockymountainrockhounds@ appointed by the Presi- [email protected] yahoo.com Richard Jaeger dent. See Nominations Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 13 Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 13

Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 14 Rocky Mountain Federation News—August 2012 Page 14

August 2012 August

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