BLUESTONB A^D OTHER SANDSTONES 45 



bedded and very apt to " slack '' or disintegrate on exposure. 

 Near Fawns a ledge IJ miles long has been opened, but is now 

 abandoned. 



On the eastern face, of the mountains, from the Mountain 

 house to Woodstock, and in the Kaaterskill and Plaaterskill 

 cloves quarries are being worked. This stone is known as the 

 mountain stone and differs from the stone quarried lower down 

 in the vertical scale, in color, texture and appearance. The 

 color is very variable, the grain is almost invariably coarse, and 

 few reeds are present. There is less danger from " slacking " 

 or disintegration on exposure, and it is a stronger stone than 

 the fine grained, reedy stone of Quarryville and other similar 

 districts. There is a distinct preference, however, for the 

 typical bluestone; so the mountain stone does not stand high 

 with the buyers. 



Quarries have been opened on at least eight different 

 levels on the eastern side of the mountain. On the southern side 

 only one quarry is in active operation. The beds of stone vary 

 in thickness from 4 feet to 12 feet. The amount of top, or over- 

 burden, depends on the length of time the quarry has been 

 worked. As the beds are worked out into the mountain, the top 

 increases. When the quarries are first opened, the stone 

 is lighter and sold for flag. As the bed is worked deeper into 

 the side of the mountain, the stone becomes heavier, and rock 

 and edge stone are the chief products. The large sized stones 

 are rock, such as platforms etc.; edge stone is 20 inch curb, sills 

 and jointers. 



The top is of rock and slate of a very decided reddish color. 

 This red in places runs into the bed, and a red stone is some- 

 times quarried, but is looked on with disfavor by the buyers. 

 The beds are of a rather light blue color, which has a greenish 

 tinge when dressed, or after being exposed to the weather. 

 This greenish tinge is typical of the stone from this mountain 

 and of the mountain to the south. 



The joints run nearly north and south and east and west. The 

 joints running north and south are known as side seams, while 



