Io8 KANSAS UNIVERSITV QUARTERLV. 



surface of tlie same, so that they make excellent flai^ging stone. In 

 section 13, township 30 north, 20 east, on the land of A. G. Robi- 

 nett, extensive quarries are opened, from which large amounts of 

 flagging are taken to neighboring towns — Parsons, Osage Mission, 

 and other places. Otl.er quarries are opened near this, but are not 

 so extensively operated. 



At this point the N.-osho river brushes against a precipitous bluft 

 on its west bank at wliich place a splendid section may be observetl, 

 as follows: 



Surface soil and gravel, 5 feet. 



Limestone, 8 " 



\'ellow to red sandstone 8 



Bluish sandstone 45 " 



It is the latter that furnishes the best flagging stone. To the north- 

 east the same formation includes the famous Fort Scott llag stones 

 which are shipped so extensively over the state. At each place the 

 flag stones are cpiite shal\ , so that they lack a great deal of being pure 

 sandstone. At other places they become more pure: tlie layers 

 become thicker and would furnish good dimension stone. Mr. 

 Josiah Kimmel has opened such a quarry in section 2;^ of the same 

 township. 



.Mthougli sandstone seems to be so abundant, yet it should be 

 clearly stated that the predominant part of the system is shale, so 

 that it is properly called a shale formation. Within live miles of the 

 excellent flag stone at the Robinctt place the whole vertical distance 

 of the formation is shale. This system will be called jjrovisionally 

 the Laneville shales, with a probability that the name will ultimately 

 be changed to that of some point more centrally located. The 

 flagging stone on the Neosho river may be called the Robinctt flags 

 while of course those at l-ort Scott will retain the name of the city 

 near which they occur. 



Immediately overlying the Lancvile shales one finds an important 

 limestone system which is only a few feet thick along its southeastern 

 limits where it is found capping the highest hill tops, but which 

 increases in thickness to the northwest until it reaches a u)aximum of 

 60 feet between Shaw and Austin. The difference in thickness is 

 largely due to the planing off of the upper surface by weathering, 

 producing a wedge-shaped mass. It may be called the Eric limestone, 

 on account of its great abundance in the neighborhood of that thrifty 

 little town. To the southwest it covers the high ground between the 

 Neosho and Verdigris rivers to an unknown distance southward, but 

 probably across the south line of the state. It is probably the upper 

 limestone system around Independence, that covering the hill tops, 



