THE MINING AND QUARRY INDUSTRY 



963 



Devonic sandstones. The Hamilton, Portage, Chemung and 

 Catskill formations of the Upper Devonic, comprise alternating 

 beds of sandstones and shales that are developed in great strength 

 throughout the central and southern parts of the State. 1 Their 

 northern limit is approximately defined by a line beginning near 

 the Hudson river, a few miles below Albany, and extending north 

 of west in a broad curve to a short distance south of Syracuse and 

 thence almost directly westward to Lake Erie. On the east they 

 follow the Hudson valley from Albany county to near Kingston, 

 in Ulster county, where they bend to the southwest and continue 

 in this direction till they enter Pennsylvania. The sandstone 

 from these formations is popularly known as bluestone, a name 

 first applied to the Ulster county stone on account of its color. 

 Though the original significance can no longer be claimed for the 

 name as used commercially, the more or less persistent characters 

 of Devonic sandstones and their employment for common pur- 

 poses warrant the adoption of some such collective term. 



Quarries have been opened at various localities within the above 

 defined area. The region which has undergone most active opera- 

 tions, however, is that on the southeast which is more favorably 

 situated in relation to markets and convenience of transport. The 

 greater number of quarries have been opened on the eastern slopes 

 of the Catskills, in the outlying ridges between the latter and the 

 Hudson river and in the hills bordering the Delaware river. This 

 district includes parts of Albany, Greene, Ulster, Sullivan, Delaware 

 and Broome counties. As a rule the industry is carried on by small 

 operators who sell their product to dealers located in the neighbor- 

 ing towns along the Hudson river and the Erie and Ontario & 

 Western railroads. Among the chief shipping points are Catskill, 

 Greene co.; Saugerties and Kingston, Ulster co.; Walton, Hancock, 

 Lordville, Hale Eddy and Fishs Eddy, Delaware co. ; Rockland, 

 Livingston Manor and Long Eddy, Sullivan co.; and Deposit, 

 Broome co. 



In addition to this region there are many localities in the central 

 and western counties of the State which produce bluestone. A 

 large output is made around Oxford and Norwich, Chenango co. 

 and Rock Glen, Wyoming co. Among other places, quarries have 

 been opened at Ithaca, Trumansburg, Kings Ferry, Portageville, 

 Amity and Scio. 



In its prevailing type, bluestone is even bedded, compact, fine 

 grained and dark blue or bluish gray in color. It splits easily along 



*The sandstones of this region have been treated very fully in Museum Bulletin 61, by Harold 

 T. Dickinson. 



