N. H. Darton On The Minerals of Paterson, New Jersey (1882)

In 1883, Nelson Horatio Darton, an 18 year old man from Brooklyn, New York, published a lengthy piece in the Scientific American Supplement about the minerals of several of the more interesting mineral sites around New York City. Born in 1865, Darton apprenticed in his grandfather's pharmacy at the age of 13 and developed a sound understanding of practical chemistry. In 1886 he would join the United States Geological Survey, where he remained until his death in 1948.

One of the principal sites described in Darton’s paper were the famous traprock quarries of Paterson in Passaic County, New Jersey, the source of enormous quantities of zeolites and associated species for more than 100 years. Oddly, Darton gives Paterson short shrift, failing to describe many of the minerals from the area that were well known to collectors even in his day.

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Darton, Nelson Horatio
The Mineralogical Localities In And Around New York City, And The Minerals Occurring Therein
Scientific American Supplement Vol. XIV No. 344
New York, August 5, 1882

Our next locality is Paterson, N. J., or rather in a trip first to West Paterson by the D.L. & W. Railroad, Boonton branch, then back to Paterson proper, which is but a short distance, and then home by the Erie road, or, if an excursion ticket has been bought, on the D.L. & W, back from West Paterson. Garret Rock holds the minerals of Paterson, and although they are few in number, are very unique. The first is phrenite[Prehnite]. This beautiful mineral occurs in geodes, or veins of them, near the surface of the basalt, which is the characteristic formation here, and lies on the red sandstone.

These veins are but two or three feet from the surface, and the ones from which the fine specimens are to be and have been obtained are exposed by the railroad cutting about a thousand feet north of the station at West Paterson, and on the west side of the rails. Near or below the beds is a small pile of debris, prominent by being the only one in the vicinity near the rails. In this loose rock and the veins which are by this description readily found and identified, they are about three inches in thickness, and in some places widen out into pockets even a foot in diameter They look like seams of a dark earth, with blotches of white or green matter where they are weathered, but are fresher in appearance inside. The rock, in the immediate vicinity of the veins, is soft, and may be readily broken out with the hammer of, if possible, a pick bar, and thus some of these geode cavities broken into, and much finer specimens obtained than in the vein proper. Considerable occurs scattered about in the before-mentioned pile of loose rock and debris, and if one does not prize it sufficiently to cut into the rock, taking the chances of lucky find, plenty may be obtained thus; but as it has been pretty thoroughly picked over where loose, it is much more satisfactory to obtain the fine specimens in place in the rock. When the bed for the railroad was being cut here, many fine specimens were obtained by those in the vicinity, and the natives of the place have it in abundance, and it may be obtained from many of them for a trifle, if one is not inclined to work it out. The mineral itself occurs in masses in the vein of a white, greenish white, or more or less dark green color. Sometimes yellowish crystals of it occur plentifully in short thick prisms, but the common form is that of round coralloid bunches, having a radiated structure within. Sometimes it is in masses made up of a structure resembling the leaves of a book slightly opened, and in nearly every shape and size. Crystals of the various forms may be well secured, and also the different colors from the deep green to the blue white, always remembering that true, perfect crystals are of more value than masses or attempted forms. The specific gravity is 2.8 to 2.9, hardness nearly 7 before the blowpipe; it readily fuses after intumescing; it dissolves in hot acid without gelatinizing, leaving a flaky residue.

Prehnite from Paterson, New Jersey

Datholite[Datolite] — This mineral is very abundant as inferior specimens, and frequently very fine ones may be obtained. They occur all around Garret Rock at the juncture of the basalt and red sandstone, in pockets, and as heavy druses. They are most abundant near the rock cuttings between West Paterson and Paterson, and may be cut out by patient labor. This is a long known and somewhat noted locality for datholite, and no difficulty need be experienced in obtaining plenty of fair specimens. Near them is the red sandstone, lying under the basalt, and baked to a scoriaceous cinder. Upon this is a layer of datholite in the form of a crystalline plate, and over or above this, either in the basalt or hanging down into cavities in the sandstone, are the crystals or geodes of datholite. Old spots are generally exhausted, and consequently every new comer has to hunt up new pockets, but as this is readily done, I will not expend further comment on the matter. The datholite, as in other localities, consists of groups of small colorless crystals. Hardness, about 5; specific gravity, 3. Before the blowpipe it intumesces and melts to a glassy globule coloring the flame green, and forms a jelly when boiled with the acids.

Datolite from Paterson, New Jersey

Pectolite — This mineral is also quite abundant in places, the greater part occurring with or near the phrenite before mentioned, in small masses generally more or less weathered, but in very fair specimens, which are about an inch in thickness. It is readily recognized by its peculiar appearance, which, I may again repeat, is in fibrous masses, these fibers being set together in radiated forms, and are quite tough and flexible, of a white color, and readily fused to a globule before the blowpipe.

Pectolite from Paterson, New Jersey

Feldspar — This mineral occurs strewn over the hill from place to place, and is peculiarly characterized by its lively flesh red color, quite different from the dull yellowish gray of that from Staten Island or Bergen Hill. Fine crystals of it are rather rare, but beautiful specimens of broken groups may be obtained in loose debris around the hill and in its center. I have not been able to locate the vein or veins from which it has come, but persistent search will probably reveal it, or it may be stumbled upon by accident. Some of the residents of the vicinity have some fine specimens, and it is possible that they can direct to a plentiful locality. However, some specimens are well worth a thorough search, and possess considerable value as mineralogical specimens. The specific gravity of the mineral is 2.6, and it has a hardness of 6 before the blowpipe. It is with difficulty fused to a globule, more or less transparent. It occurs undoubtedly in veins in the basalt and near the surface of the outcrop As this locality has never before been mentioned as affording this species, it is fresh to the amateur and other mineralogists, and there need be no difficulty in obtaining some fine specimens. Its brilliant color distinguishes it from other minerals of the locality. It is possible that some of the other zeolites as mentioned under Bergen Hill occur here, but I have not been able to find them. The reason may be that the rock is but little cut into, and consequently no new unaltered veins are exposed.