1899] Mineral Resources of the Ottawa District 41 



lines have progressed in the western portion of the province, the 

 best results have been obtained from formations much higher 

 in the scale. Thus the large flows of gas in the western part of 

 the province have resulted from the piercing of the Clinton or 

 Medina, the latter only of which is represented in the Ottawa 

 basin, while the Trenton formation which was pierced nearer 

 Lake Ontario has as yet produced much less satisfactory results. 

 Hunt, while claiming that the petroleum of Canada occurs at 

 two horizons, viz., the Trenton and the Corniferous of the 

 Devonian, shows that the great flows of oil in the Petrolia dis- 

 trict proceed from the latter, though it is supposed that in some 

 of the oil fields the true source of the material may be some of 

 the lower formations. In Gaspe, where also there are well 

 marked indications of oil, these seem to be more closely con- 

 nected with certain beds of the upper Silurian rocks, interme- 

 diate between the Trenton and the Devonian. 



Of building stones, such as sandstones, limestone, granites, 

 marbles, &c., there is a great variety, and some of the deposits 

 already opened up are of great value. The production of these 

 things depend upon the law of supply and demand, and as the 

 latter is constantly increasing as the country is developed, the 

 enquiries for new quarry locations will also increase. At the 

 Chicago exhibition one of the largest dealers in granite did not 

 seem to know that we had a supply of such material in Canada, 

 and when told that there was an unlimited quantity at readily 

 accessible points, declared that he would investigate these at the 

 earliest opportunity. In fact many of these coarser materials 

 O-ily require to be brought prominently into notice to start a 

 demand, as in the case of the felspars which have only become 

 known as a commercial product within the last three )'ears. 

 Now felspar, which is used in the manufacture of pottery, is 

 being looked for everywhere in the old rocks ; and though the 

 heavy freight rates to the United States are a great drawback 

 to its export, except where these deposits are near a line of 

 railway, yet they might easily be utilized here where the raw 

 material is cheap and plenty. If the manufacturers can afford 



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