MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK 165 



mineral is found in rusty gneiss, made up largely of pyroxene, 

 showing a greenish color in fresh fracture. The rock appears to be 

 of contact nature, formed by the alteration of limestone in the vicinity 

 of some igneous intrusion, but neither limestone nor intrusive rock 

 is exposed in the immediate vicinity. The ledge can be traced 

 for several hundred feet, but the molybdenite seems to be restricted 

 to a small area, and the richer ore is in limited amount. The 

 molybdenite occurs in disseminated flakes, mostly from one-eighth 

 to one-fourth of an inch in diameter, and is present in some samples 

 to the extent of 2 or 3 per cent or more. A little exploration, 

 consisting of a shallow pit within the rich zone, has been performed. 

 If any considerable body of ore like that in the ledge could be found 

 in the vicinity, it would undoubtedly be of commercial importance. 

 Another locality for molybdenite was reported by Mr Stuyvesant 

 Fish to have been found recently in the northern part of Cortland 

 township, about 3 miles from Peekskill. This occurrence is in limestone 

 and probably thus represents a similar contact development to the 

 first. No doubt the effective agency in the metamorphism and 

 mineralization of the limestone has been granite which is widely 

 represented in this part of the Highlands. 



NATURAL GAS 



Natural gas is a commercial product in several of the central 

 and western counties of New York. The stocks of this valuable 

 fuel are not large as compared with those that have been discovered 

 in other parts of the Appalachian field to which the New York 

 district belongs but they are usually easily accessible for develop- 

 ment and close to industrial centers which absorb the output at 

 remunerative prices. There is a potential market within the gas 

 region for many times the present production, so that every incentive 

 exists for guarding against waste in production and for pushing 

 exploratory work into all territory that might add to the flow. 

 The search for gas outside of the established districts has been 

 quite actively carried on in the last few years, but so far it has not 

 led to any notable new finds. 



Historical. The production of natural gas is not a new industry 

 in this State. Gas wells for the supply of light to households were 

 in use in Chautauqua county in the first half of the 19th century. 

 There is a record of the drilling of shallow wells in Fredonia, where 

 gas seepages attracted the attention of the pioneer settlers, as early 

 as 182 1. The same community is still supplied by wells located 

 in the vicinity — many of the inhabitants owning private wells for 



