The Adirondack Region — Magnetic Iron Ores. 35 



ings in the county. Watson, in his history of Essex county, says that 

 ore was taken out of it about 1800 and used in forges. 



KEENE MINE, Keene, Essex County. — Magnetic iron ore has 

 been mined on two adjoining lots, one mile south-west of the village 

 of Keene. The first opening was made on the "Wood lot in 1847. 

 The Hale mine was opened in 1880. Both have lain idle since 1880. 

 The notable features of these mines are : the occurrence of the ore in 

 a crystalline limestone, and the presence of some calcite and epidote 

 with the magnetite. The ores were concentrated and used in 

 Weston's foro-e at Wilmington. 



PILFERSHIRE MINE, Moriah, Essex County.— This mine is 

 one and a half miles south-east of Mineville and east of the L. C. & 

 M. R. R. It has been idle for about fifteen years. G. Rowley 

 Sherman, of Port Henry, is the owner. 



CHEEVER MINE, Moriah, Essex County. — This famous mine is 

 near the shore of the lake, tw r o miles north of Port Henry. It has 

 been opened for nearly seventy years, but systematically worked since 

 1853.* It is owned by the Cheever Ore Bed Company and leased 

 by the New York Mining and Developing Company, O. S. Presbrey, 

 manager. The old workings have been abandoned, and the mining 

 has been limited to two slopes, a few rods south-east of the old out- 

 crop and mine. The relation of these bodies of ore to that of the old 

 mine has not been fully ascertained, but from descriptions given of 

 them, they appear to be smaller shoots of ore. The ore is rich, 

 friable and shot-like, so that much of it is fine. The mine is operated 

 by power carried from the engine-house west of the main road. The 

 plant consists of two Corliss engines, each of 105-horse-power, with 

 air compressors attached, pumps, etc. The ore is carted by teams to 

 the furnaces at Port Henry. The total production of this mine from 

 its first opening to the present time is estimated to be 800,000 tons. 



G-OFF'S MINE, Moriah, Essex County. — This mine is north of 

 the Cheever Ore bed and three miles from Port Henry. It has been 

 idle for several years. 



SPLITROCK MINE, Westport, Essex County.— Splitrock ridge 

 gives name to the openings for iron ore in its southern face, on the 



* The great outcrop of magnetite attracted attention necessarily at an early date, 

 and the first lease is reported to have been given in 1820. 



