﻿132 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  tity 
  of 
  ore 
  had 
  been 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  locality 
  and 
  transported 
  to 
  

   Canton 
  for 
  reduction. 
  

  

  Systematic 
  mining 
  was 
  not 
  started 
  until 
  the 
  extension 
  of 
  the 
  

   railroad 
  into 
  the 
  region 
  in 
  1889. 
  A 
  mill 
  was 
  then 
  erected 
  on 
  the 
  

   property 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  concentrating 
  the 
  ore 
  into 
  a 
  commercial 
  

   material, 
  and 
  was 
  run 
  until 
  1893 
  when, 
  owing 
  to 
  a 
  depression 
  in 
  

   the 
  iron 
  trade, 
  the 
  operations 
  became 
  unprofitable. 
  Mining 
  was 
  

   again 
  resumed 
  in 
  1900, 
  but 
  only 
  for 
  a 
  short 
  period. 
  

  

  The 
  total 
  production 
  subsequent 
  to 
  1889 
  has 
  been 
  estimated 
  at 
  

   370,000 
  tons 
  crude 
  ore, 
  or 
  150,000 
  tons 
  mill 
  concentrates 
  of 
  above 
  

   60 
  per 
  cent 
  iron. 
  The 
  mines 
  were 
  developed 
  and 
  worked 
  by 
  the 
  

   Magnetic 
  Iron 
  Ore 
  Co., 
  who 
  have 
  recently 
  been 
  succeeded 
  by 
  the 
  

   Benson 
  Mines 
  Co. 
  Mining 
  operations 
  were 
  resumed 
  in 
  the 
  fall 
  of 
  

   1907. 
  

  

  Geology 
  and 
  occurrence 
  of 
  ore. 
  In 
  their 
  general 
  nature^ 
  the 
  

   deposits 
  are 
  much 
  like 
  those 
  at 
  Lyon 
  Mountain. 
  They 
  consist 
  of 
  

   bands 
  of 
  gneiss 
  charged 
  with 
  magnetite 
  which 
  is 
  mainly 
  dissemi- 
  

   nated 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  evenly 
  through 
  the 
  rock 
  mass. 
  The 
  bands 
  are 
  

   directed 
  by 
  the 
  prevailing 
  foliation 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  conform 
  to 
  it 
  in 
  strike 
  

   and 
  also 
  probably 
  in 
  dip. 
  A 
  series 
  of 
  these 
  parallel 
  and 
  coalescing 
  

   bands 
  constitutes 
  the 
  ore 
  belt 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  mines 
  have 
  been 
  

   opened. 
  

  

  The 
  country 
  gneiss 
  has 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  a 
  metamorphosed 
  

   sediment 
  and 
  the 
  writer 
  feels 
  little 
  hesitation 
  in 
  placing 
  it 
  in 
  the 
  

   Grenville 
  formation, 
  though 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  any 
  limestone 
  restricts 
  

   the 
  evidence 
  bearing 
  upon 
  its 
  origin 
  to 
  lithologic 
  considerations. 
  

   Observed 
  in 
  the 
  field 
  it 
  exhibits 
  no 
  constancy 
  of 
  character 
  from 
  

   place 
  to 
  place. 
  It 
  is 
  variously 
  a 
  hornblende, 
  biotite 
  or 
  pyroxene 
  

   gneiss 
  and 
  again 
  may 
  be 
  destitute 
  of 
  dark 
  minerals 
  except 
  mag- 
  

   netite. 
  The 
  different 
  types 
  occur 
  as 
  interpositions 
  rapidly 
  chang- 
  

   ing 
  from 
  one 
  to 
  another 
  across 
  the 
  dip. 
  The 
  foliation, 
  which 
  is 
  not 
  

   particularly 
  well 
  developed, 
  seems 
  to 
  follow 
  consistently 
  the 
  

   division 
  planes 
  between 
  them. 
  Pyritic 
  impregnations 
  lend 
  a 
  rusty 
  

   stain 
  to 
  the 
  surface 
  in 
  places. 
  In 
  the 
  composition 
  of 
  the 
  gneiss, 
  

   feldspar, 
  quartz 
  and 
  the 
  ferromagnesian 
  minerals 
  above 
  men- 
  

   tioned 
  partake 
  most 
  largely. 
  The 
  feldspar 
  is 
  orthoclase 
  with 
  sub- 
  

   ordinate 
  oligoclase 
  and 
  microcline. 
  Scapolite, 
  sillimanite, 
  zircon, 
  

   apatite 
  and 
  garnet 
  are 
  among 
  the 
  less 
  common 
  constituents. 
  

  

  The 
  principal 
  ore 
  belt 
  lies 
  near 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  a 
  ridge 
  which 
  rises 
  

   north 
  of 
  the 
  railroad. 
  The 
  ridge 
  has 
  a 
  northeasterly 
  trend 
  with 
  a 
  

   gradual 
  slope 
  in 
  the 
  lower 
  part, 
  where 
  it 
  falls 
  away 
  toward 
  the 
  

   river. 
  At 
  the 
  locality 
  of 
  the 
  open 
  pits 
  by 
  the 
  mill, 
  the 
  surface 
  

  

  