GEOLOGICAL REPORT. 73 



ZINC. 



Sulphuret of Zinc is very abundant in nearly all the mines 

 in South-western Missouri, particularly in those mines in New 

 ton and Jasper, in the Mountain Limestone. The Carbonate 

 and the Silicate occur in the same localities, though in much 

 smaller quantities. The ores of Zinc are also found in greater 

 or less abundance in all the counties on the South-western 

 Branch ; but the distance from market, and the difficulties in 

 smelting the most abundant of these ores, the Sulphuret, have 

 prevented the miners from appreciating its real value. 



It often occurs in such large masses as to impede very ma 

 terially the progress of mining operations. For this reason, 

 Black Jack is no favorite with the miners of the South-west. 

 Many thousand tons have been cast aside with the rubbish as so 

 much worthless matter ; but the completion of the South-western 

 Branch will so lessen the cost of transportation, as to give a 

 market value to this ore, and convert into valuable merchan 

 dise the vast quantities of it, which could be so easily obtained 

 in Jasper, Newton, and other counties of the South-west. 



COAL. 



There are but few localities of this valuable mineral west 

 of St. Louis county ; and those which do occur, are but unim 

 portant outliers, very limited in extent and of ordinary quality. 

 The beds in St. Louis county are extensive and very valuable. 

 At its western terminus, this road again approaches the great 

 western coal field, whose south-eastern boundary passes down 

 through Vernon and Barton counties, into the territory west 

 of Jasper, and thence south-west into Arkansas. 



The western terminus, therefore, of this road, like the eastern, 

 is near very extensive and valuable coal beds, over which the 

 road must pass, if continued westward, beyond our State. Coal 

 must ever be abundant and cheap on a road whose extremities 

 are so near two inexhaustible coal fields. 



