WAYNE COUNTY. 87 



From the foregoing sections and remarks it will be seen that there is 

 but little diversity in the character of the rocks exposed in this county. 

 They probably represent a total thickness of one hundred and seventy- 

 five to two hundred feet or more, comprising mainly sandstones and 

 shales, most of which decompose readily on exposure, and are therefore 

 seldom found in bold outcrops. 



Economical Geology. 



Building Stone. — Sandstone of a fair quality for .building purposes is 

 tolerably abundant, and quarries have been opened in nearly every 

 township in the county. Three miles a little south of west from Fair- 

 field, an excellent sandstone is quarried on a small branch tributary to 

 Skillet Fork. The rock is in smooth even layers, and resembles the 

 sandstone of Hoag's quarry, near Xenia. Along the Little Wabash a 

 heavy bedded sandstone is found throughout its course in the south- 

 eastern part of this county, which, from the bold cliffs it forms at many 

 points along the bluffs of the stream will no doubt afford a large amount 

 of durable building material. Six miles south-east of Fairfield a good 

 flag sandstone is quarried in large slabs six inches thick. Three and a 

 half miles north of Jefferson, on sec. 30, T. 1 N., E. 6 E., a grayish 

 sandstone of good quality is quarried in large slabs from a foot to 

 eighteen inches in thickness. A similar stone is also quarried by Mr. 

 Phillips, on sec. 16, T. 1 N., E. 7. E. These are some of the most 

 valuable quarries opened at the present time, but others equally good 

 may be opened at various places in the county as the wants of the 

 people may require. The limestone over the eighteen inch coal seam 

 has been quarried at almost every point where it outcrops, but the bed 

 is thin, and the supply to be obtained from it, without too great expense 

 in stripping, is rather limited. 



Coal. — The only coal in the county that promises to be of any value 

 for practical mining, is the eighteen inch seam north and northeast 

 of Fairfield. This might be worked in a limited way, either by stripping 

 or by an inclined tunnel near its outcrop, but the seam is too thin to 

 furnish an adequate supply for the general market. The main coals of 

 the lower measures may be reached in' the southern portion of the 

 county at depths varying from three to five hundred feet, and in the 

 northern portion from five to eight hundred. 



Iron ore. — Bands of iron ore of good quality occur at several places 

 in the shales of this county, and have been noted in the sections already 

 given. They seem to be in sufficient quantity at several localities to 

 eventually become of some economical value. In Great Britain, bands 

 of six to eight inches in thickness are said to be worked successfully, 



