Ries — Geology of Orange County. 



467 



argillaceous or contains a great admixture of fine sand it makes only a fair 

 load, but a top-dressing of five or six inches of moderately fine gravel, evenly 

 laid, generally produces good results. In Tuxedo township very excellent 

 roads are maintained by using sand and gravel, but this is partly because a few- 

 men are constantly employed going over the roads and repairing any break 

 that appeal's. This method costs the township $40 per mile per year, and 

 there are 2,400 miles of road to be repaired. 



Slate. About two-thirds of Orange county is underlaid by slate, and the 

 roads within this area are usually good where there is not a deep covering of 

 drift. A layer of siliceous slate produces a smooth, hard road, which in dry 

 weather makes comparatively little dust. This material is extensively used in 

 the Neversink valley northeast of Port Jervis, and the roads in that region are 

 among the best in the county. 



A gritty shale or slate causes less mud than an argillaceous one. The red 

 Longwood shales northeast of Highland Mills make an excellent road-metal 

 and are extensively used around Central Valley, Highland Mills and Woodbury 

 Falls. Several large quarries have been opened in this rock on the south- 

 western slope of Pine hill. 



Around Port Jervis the Marcellus and Hamilton shales are also used 

 w ith satisfactory results. 



Sandstone. The Shawangunk grit makes one of the best road materials 

 in the county. Its chief use, however, is for railroad ballast, and there is a 

 large quarry in this rock one mile west of Otisville. This quarry is on the 

 property of 11. Roberts, of Otisville, but it is leased at an annual rental by 

 the New York, Lake Erie & Western railroad which operates it with a 

 force of one hundred men for about five months every year, with a 

 daily output during that period of about 275 tons a day. The bore-holes 

 have to be made with hand drills on account of the numerous irregular 

 cracks which traverse the rock. The stone is broken in a Blake 'crusher at 

 the quarry. 



Granite. The stripping and trimmings from the granite quarries at 

 Mounts Adam and Eve are used to some extent for making macadam roads 

 in Goshen. 



Limestone. The Calciferous limestone is quarried southwest of New- 

 burgh for macadam roads. It is somewdiat siliceous and makes a good 

 paving material after being crushed and screened at the quarry which 

 belongs to the Miller Brothers. The stone sells for $1.00 per ton, and the 

 quarry is operated about two months every year. 



