186 Journal of the Mitchell Society \_March 



Francis Property. — This property, wliicli is between the 

 Henninger and the Ballou-Pinej Creek properties, has been 

 developed to some extent by means of open cuts and tunnels, but 

 at the time of my visit no ore could be observed in place. This 

 ore w^as observed in place by Mr. H. B. C. Nitze of the jSTorth 

 Carolina Geological Survey when he made an investigation of 

 the Ashe County iron ores. 



Red Hill Property. — The Red Hill property is near the 

 northeast extension of the Poison Branch ore belt. The Red 

 Hill rises about 170 feet above the level of the creek, and a 

 trench over 200 feet in length has been made from one side of 

 the hill to the other near its summit. While it did not expose 

 a vein of solid magnetite ore, it did show a decomposed schistose 

 rock, which carried almost throughout its entire extent masses 

 and i^articles of magnetite scattered through it. There have 

 been many openings made at various points on the hill which 

 encountered magnetic iron ore. In some of the cuts more or less 

 pyrite was observed, which will have a tendency to increase the 

 sulphur content of the ore. 



HELTON CREEK BELT 



Kirhy Mine. — This mine is located on the upper waters of 

 Helton iCreek, about one-half mile north of Sturgill postoffice 

 and one-fourth of a mile from Helton Creek. The ore body on 

 this property was exposed by a series of cuts made by the 

 Pennsylvania Steel Company in 1902. One cut about 55 feet 

 above a small branch showed ore exposed for a distance of 17 

 feet. Another cut 25 feet still higher on the hill showed 

 a similar exposure of ore. This ore was in a gangue of epidote 

 and hornblende. On the opposite side of the branch a long open 

 cut was made by Mr. Sturgill in 1892. The mineral interest 

 is owned by Mr. J. L. White and Sheriff Sturgill. Analysis of 

 the ore is given in XVI of the Table of Analyses. The iron 

 content of 43.10 per cent can easily be increased by hand cobb- 

 ing. 



There is given in the table below analyses of the ores from 

 the various properties mentioned above. 



