358 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1886. 



(2) SOAP-STONES OF THE VARIOUS STATES AND TERRITORIES. 



Arkansas. — Specimens of a fine, compact, brecciated steatite have 

 been received at the museum from some 12 miles north of Benton, 

 Salina County. The stfpply is stated to be abundant* 



District of Columbia. — A small bed of soap-stone of apparently fair 

 quality occurs at Indian Hill, about 2 miles northwest of the city of 

 Washington, It has not as yet been sufficiently quarried to demon- 

 strate its value. Other beds of limited extent occur near Tennally town, 

 not far from the District line, and on the Woodley Lane road. The 

 beds are interstratified with the micaceous and hornblendic schists of 

 the vicinity, and have a northeasterly and southwesterly strike. 



Massachusetts. — Quarries of soap-stone have been worked from time 

 to time in Lynnfield and North Dana, in this State. The Lynnfield 

 stone occurs in connection with serpentine. It is soft enough to be 

 readily cut with an ordinary hand-saw when first quarried, but hardens 

 on exposure. When quarried, which it has not been since 18S0, it was 

 used chiefly for stove-backs, sills, and steps. At North Dana the soap- 

 stone quarries were opened as early as 1846, and have at times been 

 quite extensively worked. 



Neic Hampshire. — An extensive bed of fine quality soap-stone was dis- 

 covered in 1794 at Francestown, in this State, and was worked as early 

 as 1802. Up to 18G7 some 2,020 tons had been quarried and sold. In 

 this latter year some 3,700 stoves were manufactured by one company 

 alone. The business has been conducted upon a large scale e\ r er since. 

 The bed has been followed some 400 feet, and the present opening is 

 some 40 feet wide, 80 feet long, and 80 feet deep. Other beds consti- 

 tuting a part of the same formation occur in Weare, Warner, Canter- 

 bury, and Eichmond, all of which have been operated to a greater or 

 less extent. Five beds of soap-stone also occur in the town of Orford, 

 and an important quarry was opened as early as 1855 in Haverhill. It 

 has not, however, been worked continuously.t 



New York. — Soap-stone or talc occurs in abundance in Fowler and Ed- 

 wards, Saint Lawrence County, in this State. It is said to be of good 

 quality, remarkably tough, and very refractory in fire.f 



North Carolina. — Soap-stone of fine quality occurs in several locali- 

 ties in the southwestern part of this State, the museum collection show- 

 ing specimens from 7 miles northeast of Murpby, Cherokee County; 

 from 4J miles from Greenborough, Guilford County ; from Alamance 

 County ; from Nantehala River, Cherokee County; and from Deep River, 

 Moore County. Of these the Nantehala stone is a pure, nearly white, 

 compact talc, said to be fully equal to the best French chalk. It has 

 been much used as a white earth. The Deep River u soap-stone" is a 



*Agr. Min. & Timber Resources of Ark., 1884. 

 t Geology of New Hampshire, Vol. in, p. 86-88. 

 X Geology of New York, 1838, p. 206. 



