HARRISON COUNTY. 205 



pebbles varying from one-third to three-fourths of an inch in diameter. 

 It is hard and brittle, but does not appear to be capable of withstanding 

 the weather. 



Coal No. 7a is thoroughly characteristic in its variations. In Freeport, 

 Washington, Franklin, Stock, and Monroe townships it can be easily 

 traced, but it rarely hecomes of economic importance. In Freeport it is 

 not worked, but may be seen near the village of Freeport about one foot 

 thick, and capped by heavy black slate. In Washington township it is 

 occasionally worked in a small way for domestic uSe. Mr. W. Welch, in 

 section 7, has i't four feet thick, of good quality, and easily worked. In 

 the same neighborhood Mr. John Kirby finds it three feet. At Tippe- 

 canoe it lies about forty-five feet above Coal No. 7, and the interval is 

 occupied mainly by a massive, olive-colored sandstone. 



In Franklin township, about three miles west from Deersville, Messrs. 

 McMillen & Bro. have opened this coal. The following section was ob- 

 tained on their hill : 



Tr. IN. 



1. Concealed 30 



2. Crinoidal limestone 6 



3. Sandetone, with shale 90 



4. Shale, with iron ore 14 



5. CoalNo.7(S 5 6 



6. Fire-clay 1 



7. Sandstone, flaggy 50 



8. Concealed 30 



Coal No. 7 should certainly be[;found here, at the base of the sandstone 

 No. 7. 



In McMillen's bank horsebacks prove very annoying, and the thick- 

 ness of the coal varies from three and one-half to six feet. The coal is 

 hard and very handsome, but contains much pyrites, distributed in thin 

 seams from one-eighth to three-fourths of an inch in thickness, which 

 occur at small distances apart from the top to the bottom of the bed. It 

 burns well and makes a strong fire, but is said to be exceedingly de- 

 structive of stove linings. 



This is the only opening in Franklin township where the coal is of 

 any value, and is the only source of supply for a considerable section of 

 country. Attempts to discover the bed at other points have been appar- 

 ently unsuccessful, and the prevalent opinion is that the deposit is local, 

 confined only to the western side of McMillen's hill. The difiiculty lies 

 in the sudden variation in thickness, which is so considerable that the 

 bed is not recognized. On the east side of the McMillen hill the coal was 

 found only eighteen inches thick at the cropping, and showed no increase, 



