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  NEW 
  TOEK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  ing 
  in 
  width, 
  through 
  Otsego, 
  Madison 
  and 
  Onondaga 
  counties, 
  

   foirming 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Susquehanna 
  and 
  Chemango 
  water- 
  

   sheds; 
  thence 
  west, 
  across 
  Cayuga, 
  iSeneca, 
  Ontario, 
  Livingston, 
  

   Genesee 
  and 
  Erie 
  oounties 
  to 
  Lake 
  Erie. 
  In 
  this 
  distance 
  there 
  

   is 
  some 
  variation 
  in 
  compoisition 
  and 
  texture. 
  In 
  the 
  western 
  

   and 
  central 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  state 
  there 
  is 
  an 
  immense 
  development 
  

   of 
  shales 
  and 
  the 
  few 
  quarries 
  in 
  the 
  sandstone 
  referable 
  to 
  this 
  

   group 
  are 
  unimportant. 
  In 
  the 
  Helderberg 
  region 
  in 
  the 
  Hud- 
  

   soin 
  valley 
  and 
  thence, 
  southwest, 
  to 
  the 
  Delaware 
  river, 
  the 
  sand- 
  

   stones 
  predoiminate, 
  and 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  are 
  more 
  sandy 
  than 
  at 
  

   the 
  west. 
  

  

  Bluestone 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  a 
  great 
  developmemt 
  of 
  the 
  bluish-gray, 
  hard, 
  compact 
  

   and 
  even-bedded 
  stone, 
  which 
  is 
  known 
  as 
  ^ 
  Hudson 
  river 
  blue- 
  

   stone.' 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  a 
  variety 
  of 
  sandstone, 
  which, 
  by 
  reasion 
  of 
  its 
  even 
  

   texture 
  can 
  be 
  cut 
  or 
  sawed 
  into 
  any 
  desired 
  form 
  and 
  is 
  itliere- 
  

   f'Ore 
  peculiarly 
  available 
  for 
  house 
  trimmings 
  of 
  various 
  kinds. 
  

   The 
  sandstone 
  is 
  usually 
  interbedded 
  with 
  shale 
  and 
  in 
  general, 
  

   the 
  layers 
  in 
  the 
  quarries 
  vary 
  from 
  an 
  inch 
  to 
  several 
  feet 
  in 
  

   thickness; 
  the 
  thinner 
  of 
  these 
  are 
  used 
  for 
  flagstones 
  and 
  the 
  

   thicker 
  are 
  cut 
  into 
  dimension 
  stones 
  for 
  building 
  purpoises. 
  

  

  The 
  geological 
  horizon 
  of 
  the 
  commercial 
  bluestone 
  is 
  very 
  near 
  

   the 
  dividing 
  line 
  between 
  the 
  Hamilton 
  and 
  Portage 
  groups. 
  It 
  

   is, 
  however, 
  not 
  usually 
  possible 
  to 
  determine 
  in 
  which 
  of 
  these 
  

   groups 
  a 
  given 
  quarry 
  belongs, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  great 
  scarcity 
  of 
  

   fossils. 
  

  

  The 
  bluestone 
  industry 
  is 
  chiefly 
  located 
  in 
  Ulster 
  county 
  and 
  

   the 
  quarries 
  are 
  almost 
  innumerable 
  but 
  the 
  business 
  is 
  con- 
  

   trolled 
  by 
  a 
  few 
  large 
  dealers 
  who 
  are 
  loeated 
  at 
  points 
  favorably 
  

   situated 
  for 
  shipment 
  and 
  who, 
  to 
  a 
  considerable 
  extent, 
  buy 
  

   stone 
  from 
  the 
  men 
  who 
  quarry 
  it. 
  Bluestone 
  is 
  also 
  produced 
  

   in 
  the 
  counties 
  of 
  Albany, 
  Greene, 
  Sullivan, 
  Delaware 
  and 
  Chen- 
  

   ango 
  in 
  Eastern 
  New 
  York 
  and 
  in 
  Cattaraugus 
  and 
  Wyoming 
  

   counties 
  in 
  Western 
  New 
  York. 
  

  

  