52 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



The Faxon Property 



The title to the adjoining property to the south and southwest is 

 held in fee by William H. Faxon of Chestertown. 1 The land 

 embraces about 1300 acres. In addition is included the mineral 

 rights on lot 229, known as the Wheeler lot, which contains about 

 100 acres. The nature of the ground and location of the different 

 lots can be learned by glancing at the accompanying topographic and 

 geological map, which is based upon an enlargement of an old 

 forestry map. 



The early workings are located about a mile southwest of the 

 mill of the American Graphite Company and consist of a short 

 drift driven into the face of a cliff exposed in a natural ravine (just 

 northeast of the diabase dike, which is shown on the map) N 75 ° E 

 (magnetic) for 50 feet, then turning a right angle to N 15 W for 

 45 feet more. The ore and associated rocks here strike N 50 E and 

 dip 20 to the southeast. 2 The roof of the drift is siliceous lime- 

 stone, which has been at this point overthrust from the southeast, 

 the line of faulting being nearly parallel to the bedding planes. This 

 is of minor importance. This fault has been pointed out by Bastin, 

 who says : 3 " There is evidence of shearing movement in the bed 

 overlying the ore, lenses of quartz schist surrounded by crystalline 

 limestone having been broken in several instances and the fragments 

 dragged apart, though still preserving their angular outlines. There 

 is also some crumpling in the more quartzose layers." 



"Two distinct beds are found here separated by a band of garnet- 

 iferous gneiss (the Hague gneiss). In drill hole 2 . . . a 

 similar relation holds, the upper bed measuring about 4 feet and the 

 lower 18 feet with 26 feet of the garnetiferous gneiss between them. 

 The two beds appear to merge " [or the upper bed is missing] " a 

 little farther northeast, for in no. 3 hole ... a single seam 

 over 20 feet thick was encountered and this continues with local 

 variations as to thickness to the northeast limits of the property, 

 except in the places where the series is invaded by a gabbro intru- 

 sion" 4 [and displaced by faulting]. 



Mr Newland directed the writer's attention, in the field, to the 

 unusual, perhaps unique behavior of the diabase dike that is indicated 

 in the southwest corner of the map. Just north of the new state 



x The Faxon property has been sold to a Long Island party. It is understood 

 that the property will be worked by the American Graphite Company. 



2 Bastin, E. S., Mineral Resources, U. S. G. S., 1908, 2:724. 



3 Loc. cit. p. 725. 



4 Newland, D. H., N. Y. State Mus. Bui. 142, p. 37~38, 19™. 



