SKETCH OF FLINT RIDGE, LICKING COUNTY, OHIO. 861 



across ; others have a diameter of not less than 80 feet. As with them 

 all, the depth is difficul t to determine. A pole 18 feet in length has been 

 thrust out of sight perpendicularly in one without encountering any- 

 thing more solid than the muck and trash which shows at the surface ; 

 but this is scarcely a fair test of the depth, for should there be a crevice 

 in the limestone beneath, as there well may be, for the stone has fre- 

 quent joints, the slow drainage would gradually enlarge it, and the 

 trash could thus sink to a greater depth. Besides, the ground is undu- 

 lating from here to the cross-roads, and a rise of 10 or 13 feet would 

 scarcely be noticed by any one in walking that distance along a winding 



path. 



There can be no doubt that a greater thickness of soil lies over this 

 particular place than over others. That the holes on this spur (which 

 lies mostly on the land of J. G. Loughman) were much deeper originally 

 than at any other point excavated is plain from the higher banks of 

 dirt and broken rock piled around them. The spur is directly east of 

 the one running south from Miller's, and the fragments lying scattered 

 around on the two points show that the stone is of the same general 

 character in both ; in fact, the ravine between them, up which extends 

 the cross-road, has been eroded from the middle of a local deposit that 

 is of richer color, more compact texture, and better adapted to the 

 needs of those using flint implements than is any other part of the 

 whole ridge. It is at these places that the most beautifully colored 

 pieces are found, and there is no doubt that if some of these deepest 

 pits were cleaned out a more comprehensive idea could be gained of 

 the original method of excavating, and a better assortment be secured 

 than at any or all other places on the ridge, both as to color and 



variety. 



Going still south and east from here, and crossing a deep depression 

 drained both to the east and the west, we come to an isolated area, 

 from which spurs extend to the north, east, and west. The first spur 

 reached, that trending north, is on the farm of W. Iden. In a cleared 

 field, about 1 mile from the cross-roads, are five or- six large pits ; a 

 short distance east of these between 1 and 2 acres of small, shallow 

 ones are found. In spite of their number, it does not appear that much 

 flint has been taken from them. No others are found until the Bowman 

 farm is reached, nearly a mile southeast from Iden's. Here is a spur 

 extending east, on which are 2 acres of pits of a size to compare with 

 those north of the blacksmith shop, that is, from 15 to 30 feet across. 

 There are two spurs reaching from here— one toward the southwest, on 

 which no pits exist ; the other southeast, extending about a mile, and 

 terminating on the farm of J.-Kreager. Here is about an acre that has 

 been dug over, and from the fragments scattered around it would seem 

 that both black and white flint exist on this point, Before reaching 

 Kreager's a spur goes off in a southern direction on Drumm's farm, 

 but it was never worked, 



