MORRIS COUNTY. 1 75 



The suitable proportions can only be determined by the actual working of the 

 ores, but in few cases will this be found to exceed forty per cent of mag- 

 netite. 



MORRIS COUNTY. 



IRON ORBS. 



The iron ore deposits found in Morris County lie altogether in the south- 

 eastern portion of the county, immediately adjoining the extensive ore de- 

 posits of Cass and Marion counties, of which they are apparently but an 

 extension. 



In Morris County the ore region comprises a series of hills, having a north 

 and south course, and extends in the form of a narrow strip along the eastern 

 boundary of the county from the north end of the Edward West headright 

 as far south as the J. W. Body headright. The ore margin turns west 

 through this survey to the east side of the David Sorrel headright, and then 

 north again, extending in this direction to the south side of the B. Hamilton 

 headright. It then turns southwest to the southeast corner of the J. B. Lilly 

 headright, from which point the line runs in a southerly direction, following 

 the course of Bruton, or Beaver, Creek to Holley Creek, on the south side of 

 the Leander Kidd headright. On the south side of Holley Creek the trend 

 of the ore is southeasterly along the southern end of the ridge to near the 

 centre of the west side of the Wm, King headright, and thence southwest to 

 the Marion County line, on the Samuel Johnson survey. 



The ores of that portion of this field along the eastern side of the county 

 belong to the nodular concretionary or geode variety, and exist in the form 

 of irregularly shaped nodules of sizes varying from six to ten and twelve 

 inches in diameter. These nodules are usually hollow or found filled with a 

 yellow sand or brown ochreous matter. A few nodules of the glossy black 

 radiated or fibrous variety of ore are also found in this region, but not in 

 anything like sufficient quantities to make them a representative class. A 

 few deposits of conglomerate ores are also found in connection with the 

 creeks of the district, and scattered throughout the whole field there are 

 large quantities of black glossy ferruginous gravel or sand. The pebbles of 

 this gravel vary in size from that of a small pea to pebbles having diameters 

 from half an inch to one inch. These gravels are mostly found in connection 

 and mixed with a dark brown sand. 



The ores found in the western portion of the main ore region of the county, 

 as well as on the King, Cherry, and associated headrights, are chiefly of the 

 concretionary class, in a segregated and botryoidal form, and are usually 

 associated with a highly ferruginated sandstone. These ores lie in the form 

 of large irregularly shaped masses, roughly pitted and mammillated on the 



