22 ECONOMIC GEOLOGY. 
THE GRAFTON Company. 
One of the curiosities of mining in New Hampshire has been illus- 
trated by the history of the Grafton Gold Mining Company, organized 
near the beginning of the year 1869. The property is near the west 
corner of Lyman. It was first known as the Davis & Thayer, and after- 
wards as the Wiggin & Davis property. I visited it September 14, 1868, 
and May 10, 1869. It lies in the Huronian rocks east of Gardner’s 
mountain, the material being dolomitic and somewhat slaty. At the sur- 
face three veins, each about a foot in width, showed themselves, with 
narrow slaty partings, which became smaller at 25 feet, and are said to 
have entirely disappeared at the depth of 76 feet,—the bottom of the 
shaft,—and to be 8 feet wide. The veins incline south-easterly 55° at 
the surface, and 10° less at the depth of 25 feet, the lowest point at which 
Ihave seen it. The vein is of limpid quartz, with many crystals of quartz, 
dolomite or ankerite, iron pyrites, and galena, besides some free gold, the 
latter most abundant in the upper vein. An immense number of segre- 
gated quartz veins ramify through the dolomitic mass that is brought to 
the surface. 
From several statements shown me by officers of the company, it ap- 
pears that the earlier assays gave over $7 of gold to the ton of rock; and 
at the depth of 76 feet, out of a mass weighing 50 pounds, Dr. Torrey, of 
New York, obtained gold at the rate of $62.17 to the ton, and of silver, 
$1.33. An examination of the pyrites showed no gold present. About 
forty per cent. of the gangue was shown to be of quartz, and the balance 
chiefly dolomitic. A careful examination of a similar sample by T. C. 
Raymond, of Cambridgeport, Mass., gave the following result: Silica, 
30.3; protoxide of iron, 6.27; lime, 20.6; magnesia, 11.17; carbonic acid, 
32.11;—total, 100.44. This composition led the company to believe that 
the pulverized rock might be used advantageously as a fertilizer after the 
extraction of the gold; and some experiments were instituted to show 
its value. 
The proprietors drove a thriving business in selling this pulverized 
siliceous dolomite for a fertilizer. Even those reputed agricultural writ- 
ers of eminence became interested, and saw great benefits to the soil in 
the application of this powder. No doubt some benefit came, from the 
