Jerry Spangler age 7 of Indianapolis,

What is soapstone?

You can tell how this stoney mineral got its name just by holding it in your hand. It feels like a piece of smooth, slippery soap. Soapstone also . seems to have reminded some people of the smooth touch of a tallow candle. For it is also called steartiteo which comes from a Greed word for tallow fat,‑

Soapstone is a variety of tale stone. It is made mostly of talc with some chlorite and sometimes a little manganite, Talc is the softest of all stones and any stone with a high percentage of talc is bound to be softish, Soapstone is soft with a smooth, satiny surface, It may be greyish green or muddy brown. It is a very, plentiful mineral and large slabs of it are quarried from the earth. Soapstone has found a place in modern industry„ It is used in electrical' equipment, especially in telephone switchboards, Because of that smooth surfaces dirt and grease tend to slither off it and soapstone is also used as sink linings.  It is an outstanding stone for making wood burning stoves.