Correspondence, Levi Syphus to Sadie B. Clayton

St. George, Utah August 21, 1939 Mrs. W. M. Clayton Santa Ana, California Dear Madam: Your letter on hand and read with much interest. I think you must have enjoyed the trip over Charleston Mountain and the visit to your old camping grounds at Indian Springs. Yes, I had some fun at Indian Springs with the Latimers, although it didn’t seem so funny when Bell was going to blow my head off with the shot gun if I went into the lower field, but the hay was cut just the same. Herewith I am enclosing a letter ftfom the Bureau of Mines, which please return to me upon reading. You will recall last spring that I told you that there was more than one hundred dollars per ton of meerschaum in our ore, which could be saved as a by-product. I based that conclusion upon the- fact that meerschaum was sellipg in this country above £2500 a ton in this country. Upon running the matter down, however, I found that there was not more than 8 or ten tons per annum of meerschaum consumed in the United States. We would get that much out of about 500 tons of ore, or in five days in a plant handling about 100 tons per day. I am now convinced that if produced in large quantities, it would have to sell at one hundred dollars per ton or less, which would have the effect of cutting the per ton value of our ore, in meerschaum, to about two or three dollars per ton, but that will help some. Yes, I have control of processes that will refine our ore but the party owning them, does not wish to disclose details until they have for some time been on file in the patent offic I have the handling of them, and for two or three months, have been demonstrating,a little at a time as my eyes would permit, their values. I am veeling some better now, and I thank within another thtity days or thereabouts, I will be able to make sufficient disclosure upon which to base a proposition for funds with which to install a pilot plant. In fact I expect that about that time to offer a 1/2 interest in the processes for sale. No one, of course, would purchase it, for fear the patent application might fail to be allowed by the patent office, unless they were given security out of which they could, recover their monfey, in the event the patB nt office refused the patents because the process infringed the rights of others who might be ahead with the same iaea, that is before filing for patents on these. The processes are so unique that I fully believe patents will be allowed, and therefore shall propose to secure the purchaser of an interest in the processes'with an eighth interest in the deposits. The processes, in a way, make our deposits valuaole because even if the patents fail, it will smoke out the owner who does have the right to them and no doubt the right to use on a royalty basis. Then, too, I understand Mr. Rupp’s company is practically fully financed, ana will, within a few months at most, commence the construction of a large metal plant at or near Las Vegas. I understand he expects to draw on our deposit for his ore. I mention these matters to you now in order that Willard might know what to talk about if he is able to contact people who have the money. He could at least make tentative suggestions concerning the purchase of a 1/2 interest in the processes. At this time I expect the price for it will check in at about 9 or 10 thousand dollars, with the money invested secured with an eighth interest in the deposit, guaranteeing that patents will issue. Full particulars will be given as soon as the matter is along to that point. It is to be understood that if any one can bring on a worthwhile deal for lease of part of the deposit on a royalty basis, or the sale of all of it at a satisfactory price, this process matter is not intended to stand in the way of such. With best wishes, I am LWS/ib Very truly yours, Levi W. Syphus St. George, Utah August 23, 1939 Mrs. W. M. Clayton Santa Ana, California Dear Madam: Supplementing my letter of 2or 3 days ago, will say that I have verified the claims of the owner of the processes I control, that by means of the latter the dolomite content of our magnesiteore can be brought to the surface of the solution and very easily removalbe from there. The government experts elairn that most of the lime, the silicates, hydrous silica or meerschaum is combine/in the dolomite content of our magnesite ore. Therefore with that out of the way, we will have a splendid product for such purposes as plastic airplane building, etc. I do not want this to get to the public or papers at present. It will take 30 days or a little more to get the matter to where I could demonstrate it quickly, but you may say to Willard there will oe an opportunity for him to make about a $600 commission if he provides a party who puts ap $6,000 to me, and takes as security for it guaranteeing issuance of the patents, a|gg~ an undivided 1/2 interest in 1 lode mining claim at the south end of the deposit, and an undivided 1/16 interest in all of the claims you are interested in. That would be at the rate of. $100,000 for the entire property or nearly thereabouts, a property, which, with the processes, if patents issue for them' skhuld bring not less The $6,000 would be in payment fotrh aan n a unmdiilvliidoend d1o/l4lars. interest in the magnesite process to which I have referred and another one by mqans of which the magnesia content can be separated from the chlorine content of magnesium chloride. In the final closing on such a deal, there would be proper guarantees made whereby the purchaser would be protected in participation in all of the royalties or rentals that was paid for the processes. The foregoing is only tentative , and will.in about 30 days be followed by definite explanatory/statement and proposition wherein I will show that a fine grade of ore or product can be supplied from our claims than they can possibly supply them from the Washington property, notwithstanding their flotation process. What I meant to say was that a grade of product can be supplied from our claims can be supplied equal to the refined product of the Washinton Claims, at three or four dollars per ton cheaper than they can possibly supply it’. This is not intended as an option to Willard, but may be sufficient as a talking point whereby he might be able to line up a party as soon as the deal is open, and I am able to quickly demonstrate the process. The funds would he largely used in working out the details for a plant and the construction of a small pilot plant as a means to demonstrating to large capital, but please do not let this matter get to the publi?, for I desire to know where certain big fellows are at before that happens. Very truly yours, Levi W. Syphus