296 ^fEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



ZINC 



Zinc ores are mined in two separate regions or districts: in the 

 vicinity of Edwards, St Lawrence county, on the west side of the 

 Adirondacks, and in the Shawangunk mountain region of Ulster 

 and Sullivan counties. 



The first of these, the Edwards district, began active shipments 

 of blende in 191 5 and has been a continuous producer since then, 

 with an annual output which places it among the leading sources 

 of zinc ore in the eastern part of the country. The output so far 

 has been contributed by a single enterprise, the Northern Ore Co., 

 whose property just outside of Edwards village embraces several 

 ore bodies within a single zone of Precambrian (Grenville) lime- 

 stone. Some 10 or 12 other ore localities are known in the district 

 and the prospects are encouraging that additional undertakings 

 will be established in the near future, as success has already been 

 achieved by the original enterprise. In fact the development of 

 an ore body is now (1918) under way in the vicinity of Talcville, 

 southwest of Edwards by the Dominion Co. of Gouverneur, with 

 such good results that the company looks forward to the inauguration 

 of active mining during the current season and probable production 

 of furnace ore in sufficient quantity to warrant shipment, as the 

 ore contains less pyrite than the average for the district. At Edwards 

 all the mine output is sent to the mill for concentration and separation 

 of the admixed pyrite. 



In the Shawangunk region the old mine near Simimitville, Sullivan 

 county, was reopened in 191 7; a mill was installed on the property 

 and work in the mine carried on for a part of the year. The St 

 Nicholas Zinc Co. is the name of the new enterprise. The mine at 

 Ellen ville, 6 miles northeast of Summit ville, was un watered for the 

 purpose of investigation of the possible ores in reserve, but was not 

 put in operation during the year. This property is equipped with 

 mining and milHng machinery of quite modern type, as it was 

 worked as late as 1903-4 and the equipment is still on the ground. 

 The mine near Guymard, Orange county, on the southwest end of 

 the Shawangunk range was also under inspection. The workings, 

 which are reached by a vertical shaft 360 feet deep, were drained 

 down to a depth of 165 feet, but as no considerable quantity of 

 ore was found to have been left in the upper stopes, contrary to 

 expectations, the plan of reopening the mine was abandoned after 

 incurring a heavy outlay for equipment. The mine is said to have 

 produced about 10,000 tons of smelting ores (lead and zinc) in the 

 period from 1863 to 1870 when operations were discontinued. The 



