346 GEOLOGY OF THE SECOND DISTRICT. 



well as the limestone ; and it appeared tliat the principal rock beneatii is a serpentine, or a 

 mixture of serpentine and primary limestone. 



I relate the history of this vein, for the purpose of illustrating tiic condition and stale of 

 many others in this section of country. In this instance the exploration was carried out to its 

 fullest extent, and every effort made to discover the ore in some other position ; but these 

 efforts were fruitless, except so far as tiie results go to teach caution in the expenditure of 

 money when an ore is associated as in the instance detailed. A similar error lias been com- 

 mitted by a mining company established at Troy, Vermont. In this case, the ore is the 

 magnetic oxide, forming a very distinct vein, or long mass in the serpentines of the Green 

 mountain range, which is somewhat different from that of Northern New- York. The vein 

 appears in the face of a serpentine cliff, and extends twenty or twenty-five rods in a north and 

 south direction. At the southern extremity, it appears to divide into two veins, with a diver- 

 gence to the right and left of the axis of tlie main vein. Each of these prolongations run 

 out, or become thinner, and finally disappear, not only in the direction of the strike, but also 

 downward ; for the mass becomes wedge-form, and merely sinks a few feet into the serpen- 

 tine, being as it were pinched out. At the central part of the vein, where it is thickest, it is 

 opened. At the surface, it is ten feet wide ; but in working downwards ten or fifteen feet, 

 its width has considerably diminished ; and inasmuch as the general indications go to show 

 its disappearance and entire thinning out, I liave very little doubt, after knowing the facts in 

 regard to the ores of St. Lawrence, that the whole mass will be entirely removed, and the 

 large and expensive establishment left witiiout a certain source to supply their furnace witli 

 ore. 



Witiiout venturing to generalize on an msufficient number of facts, I will barely remark, 

 that all and every fact which has been observed in the northern district, goes to show that 

 mining in serpentine, and even in primary limestone, is attended with risk. Tiie risk consists, 

 not in mining or using the ore as far as it can be obtained, but in tlie expenditure of capital in 

 buildings and in furnaces, under the expectation of running them when the ore is uncertain 

 in amount, or depending upon a mass or vein which is connected with one of these rocks. 



1 have deemed it proper to digress, in order to give me an opportunity of speaking upon 

 this subject ; knowing very well that the progress of the iron business requires to be founded 

 upon a sufficient basis. 



Tate and Polley veins of Specular ore. 



These veins are contiguous to each other, but do not appear to be connected. Both are 

 situated upon the side of a ridge running northeast ; one upon the east, and the other upon 

 the west side. The rock is gneiss, dipping to the northwest. The ore of the Tate resembles 

 that of the Parish vein, being of a bright red color and earthy in its texture. The Polley 

 vein has much of the same ciiaracter, but contains much quartz : it is a leaner ore. These 

 veins are both embraced in gneiss, and arc wholly unconnected witli the potsdam sandstone. 

 In this particular, it is important to observe, that neither of these veins is connected with 



