LOGAN COUNTY. 487 



proposed to open a quarry in it. Doubtlees it will yield fine blocks of 

 beautiful stone, but as soon as fairly opened the quarry will fail from 

 exhaustion. 



The Oriskany sandstone should be dropped from the Logan county scale. 



Below the Corniferous lies the great sheet of Helderberg or water-lime, 

 the lowest formation yet seen in the county. It has been worked on 

 General A; S. Piatt's land on the Mackachack, and at North wood, Hunts- 

 ville, Richland, and Belle Centre. At the latter point is Anderson's 

 quarry, probably the best and largest in the county. Much of the stone 

 in this quarry is in thin and smooth courses, and makes excellent flag- 

 ging. The yield of stone is stated at about 1,000 perches annually, worth 

 6I.35 per perch in Belle Centre. Some of it is shipped on the Sandusky 

 Railroad, but local demand consumes the greater part of it and all of the 

 lime burned. 



At the depth of fifteen feet a course is reached tliat is of so little value 

 that it is avoided. As there is only two feet of ''stripping," it is easier 

 to extend the work sideways than downward. 



he conformation of the surface of Logan county indicates that under 

 Miami, Pleasant, and Bloomfield townships perhaps the Helderberg stone 

 has been scoured oflF, and that, were the masses of drift penetrated, the 

 first fixed rock found would be the Niagara. But the highest point where 

 the Niagara has been worked is Tremont, in Clarke county, and the loca- 

 tion of that formation on the Logan county map is a matter of pure con- 

 jecture. 



MATERIAL EESOUECES. 



The chief source of wealth in Logan county must ever be its agriculture, 

 for which the valleys of Miami and Mad River are especially adapted, 

 while even the hilliest townships are by no means barren. 



The rocks yield building stone in sufiicient quantities for all local 

 demands, although peculiar circumstances and a freak of fashion at pres- 

 ent bring stone from distant counties for the more important structures, 

 and they can supply lime for building or farming purposes in such quan- 

 tities and at such prices as to defy competition from abroad. 



The islands of Huron shale are, perhaps, capable of supplying hydraulic 

 lime, though at present entirely unused. 



Beds of clay exist in every township, suitable for brick, tile, and coarser 

 pottery, and are now worked to some extent. At East Liberty, Lewis- 

 town, Rushsylvania, and other points are good tile works, fully equal to 

 the local demand. 



Underlying the marsh, at the head of Rush Creek Lake, is an immense 

 deposit of white shell marl, that would be of great value to the poorer 



