GYPSUM DEPOSITS OF NEW YORK 43 



8 feet thick. The g^'psum appears to be of remarkably good qual- 

 ity for the region and resembles the Genesee and Erie connty rock. 

 ^The purest, whitest layer occupies about 2 feet in fhe middle of 

 the face. The new shaft, now worked, is a two-compartment shaft, 

 one compartment being occupied by the stairway and the other by 

 the bucket. Mining is carried on by two men in the mine, the 

 rock being simply gophered out with little system and wheeled or 

 carried to the shaft. Here it is loaded on a scoop or square bucket 

 and hoisted to the surface b}^ a cable and derrick operated by a 

 small donkey engine. The bucket is swung around to the wagon 

 and dumped or, in case the ^^■agon is full, it must be dumped on a 

 reserve pile and later loaded by hand on the wagon. Two men 

 operate the engine and hoist. 



The purity of this rock warrants a larger equipment and a 

 more systematic, scientific mining and handling of the product. It 

 is said that they mine a'll that can be handled in the mill. Further 

 expil'oration ought to reveal similar deposits on nearby properties, 

 and with better equipment and a mill location more easily acces- 

 sible to the mine, it seems possible that the area south and west 

 of the mine could be developed. If a way could be opened up to 

 transport the rock down the slope to the north and west, either 

 by gravity, railroad or areal tramway, and a mill be located along 

 the railroad at a convenient point, an important economy could be 

 effected. 



The rock is now hauled by wagons over the road more than a 

 mile to the mill. The mill is equipped with one 15-ton kettle, one 

 Butterworth & Lowe nipper and cracker, a buhrstone mill for 

 grinding the g)-psum, and a Brougliton mixer. Power is furnished 

 by a steam engine. Originally water power Avas used and later that 

 was sup])lemented by a gas engine. Calcining is carried on at 38° 

 and to calcine a kettle takes about four hours. 



Lycoming Calcining Co. The mines of this company are 

 located west of the Garbutt mill on the south bank of Allen's creek. 

 Previous to 1900 the bed at this point was worked by means of 

 a vertical shaft on the top of the bank, but when the property 

 was acquired in 1900 by the present company a tunnel was driven 

 into the side of the creek bank about one half way up and after 

 drifting some distance through '* ashes '' or shaly decomposed mate- 

 rial, the firm '* vein " was disclosed. Tlie bed is now worked by 

 three tunnels, the two nearest the trestle being connected, while 

 the ^ewer third tunnel will be connected with the others in six 

 months' time. The bed of gypsum varies from 6 to 7 feet in 



