THE MINING AND OUARRV INDUSTRY I908 4I 



valuable for medicinal paqxises; Saratoga Springs, Ballston 

 Springs, Richfield Springs and Lebanon Springs are among the 

 more noted localities for such waters. Numerous other springs 

 are more particularly adapted for table use, containing only suffi- 

 cient mineral matter perhaps to give them a pleasantly saline taste. 

 Both kinds of waters arc generally carbonated and sold in small 

 bottles. 



Of late there, has developed an important business in the sale 

 of spring waters which can hardly be classed as mineral in the 

 common acceptance of the word, but which are extensively con- 

 sumed for office and family use in the larger towns and cities. 

 Their employment depends upon their freedom from harmful im- 

 purities, in which feature they are generally superior to the local 

 supplies. In so far as such waters are an article of commerce they 

 may well be included in a canvass of the mineral water industry. 

 They are distributed usually in large bottles or carboys in noncar- 

 bonated condition. 



Character of mineral waters. Among the spring waters that 

 contain mineral ingredients in appreciable quantity those character- 

 ized by the presence of alkalis and alkaline earths are the most 

 abundant in this State. The dissolved bases may exist in associa- 

 tion with chlorin and carbon dioxid, as is the case with the springs 

 of Saratoga county, or they may be associated chiefly with sulfuric 

 acid as illustrated by the Sharon and Clifton springs. 



The mineral waters of Saratoga Springs and Ballston are found 

 along fractured zones in Lower Siluric strata, the reservoirs occur- 

 ring usually in the Trenton limestone. They are accompanied by 

 free carbon dioxid, which together with chlorin, sodium, potassium, 

 calcium and magnesium, exists also in dissolved condition. The 

 amount of solid constituents in the different waters varies from 

 less than lOO to over 500 grains per gallon. Large quantities of 

 table aiid medicinal, waters are bottled at the springs for shipment 

 to all parts of the country. The carbon dioxid which issues from 

 the wells at Saratoga is likewise an important article of commerce. 

 The waters at Richfield Springs contain the elements of the 

 alkali and alkaline earth groups together with sulfuric acid and 

 smaller amounts of chlorin, carbon dioxid and sulfureted hydrogen. 

 They are employed for medicinal baths as well as for drinkmg 

 purposes. The springs issue along the contact of Siluric limestone 

 and Devonic shales. Sharon Springs is situated to the cast of 

 Richfield Springs and near the contact of the Lower and Tpper 



