MUSKINGUM county; 245 



a number of loads have been hauled to Frazeysburg. It is found at 

 many localities along Waukatomaka Creek, and is doubtless persistent 

 along the whole course of that stream above the point where the Con- 

 glomerate first shows itself. It is somewhat interesting to observe that 

 this horizon is an ore-bearing one in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. 



Just below the Conglomerate is found a bed of calcareous ore yielding 

 eighteen per cent, of iron. Though too poor to be worked alone, it has 

 proved useful as a flux. Underlying it is a bed of nodular ore in sand- 

 stone, the nodules containing casts of the shells which served as nuclei. 



Though the amount of available ore here is considerable, the induce- 

 ments to mine, as matters now stand, are very slight. The laborer re- 

 ceives one dollar and tweiitj-&Ye cents for mining, and the teamster the 

 same amount for hauling. The price per ton, delivered on the car, is 

 only three dollars, which leaves only fifty cents gross profit to the ship- 

 per. This margin is too small, considering the uncertainties here. The 

 ease with which lumps of flint can be made to resemble ore is a contin- 

 ual temptation to the miner, especially when the flint cuts out much of 

 the ore. Even under any circumstances it is difiicult to sort out the ore 

 perfectly, so that the shipper is at the mercy of a dishonest consignee. 

 The business has not been a good one. There is no reason, however, 

 why this ore should not be a source of great profit to the community. 

 The furnace to work it should be erected at Frazeysburg. The ore can 

 be mined at seventy-five cents a ton, and should be mined for less. The 

 price of hauling is excessive, and the ore, delivered at Frazeysburg 

 should not cost more than one dollar and seventy-five cents. Situated 

 on a railroad and the canal, the furnace could be easily supplied with 

 richer ores, and good coke, at low rates, could be obtained by the canal 

 from some one of the numerous openings into Coal No. 6 along the Mus- 

 kingum River. Under such circumstances a furnace at Frazeysburg 

 could not fail to be successful. 



Some years ago a number of gentlemen residing in Toledo, and repre- 

 sented here by Mr. L. W. Doane, bored 764 feet in search of oil. Their 

 property lies in section 8, about two and one-half miles north-west from 

 Frazeysburg, and is divided by Waukatomaka Creek. The boring was 

 begun eighteen feet below the top of the Conglomerate and on the bank 

 of the creek. The record has been lost, but Mr. Doane gives the follow- 

 ing section : 



FT. 



1. Gravel 63 



2. Conglomerate 59 



3. Blue core 8 



4. Sandstone and shale (about two-thirds sandstone) 523 



