1. BUFFALO TOWN8IIIP. F 8 . 153 



and loss incurred by men who either through ignorance or 

 through obstinacy persist in thus exploring " the bowels of 

 the earth" for treasures that do not exist. None are so 

 groundlessly hopeful as those who are in quest of " min- 

 eral,' ' be it coal or ore. The treasure is always a few yards 

 beyond them. The seam or vein is always going to thicken. 

 The quality will improve as they go farther or deeper. Men 

 who in all other respects are rational seem to lose their rea- 

 son when they set out on the search for ore. Few of them 

 will take advice. They know there is something in the hill. 

 If not, ''What is it good for?" say they. There is some- 

 thing in every hill. Millions of tons of sandstone or shale or 

 limestone, but not necessarily ore or coal. From a miner's 

 point of view many hills and mountains, many whole 

 ranges, are good for nothing. In spite of his contident as- 

 sertion, the geologist can often tell him before he begins to 

 dig that he will find nothing to repay his labor. But he 

 will seldom listen. He goes on and adds another to the al- 

 ready long list of foolish undertakings and failures that 

 may be found in the history of almost every county and 

 township in Pennsylvania. Had the money thus sunk been 

 wisely expended we might now possess a good topographical 

 and geological map of the whole State. Money enough has 

 been spent in several townships in Perry county to pay for 

 complete surveys. 



The Coals of Buffalo township. 



Some years ago a drift was run into the end of Berry 

 mountain, in the face of the gap, by some jjersons from 

 Baltimore in the hope of finding coal. The drift was car- 

 ried about 300 feet into the hill and at its farther end the 

 coal seam is said to be three feet thick. Two openings 

 were made, one a little higher and a little farther north than 

 the other. How far the northern level was carried I could 

 not learn. Some of the sandstone forming the roof has 

 fallen and more is loose. Entrance is therefore hazardous. 



A section at the mouth of the tunnel reads as follows 

 (See Page Plate VIII, page 92, Fig. 2) : 



