38 



THE STALKY \S CREEK AXD 



show an average thickness of something Hke seven feet. The outcrop himps scattered 

 on Brushy Mountain and on Pond Mountain show the persistence of the bed but give 

 no clue to its tliickness. 



COLE ORE BED. 



Tlie Cole Ore Bed has been opened apparently at two places in the region, both 

 on the Thomas tract, and very insufficiently at both, at least for present observation 

 (186(3). The oldest opening on the bed, the Cole Ore Bank, on Rocky Branch, near 

 the head of the hollow, was made about the year 1820, and afterwards its ore Avas 

 used at jSTichols' Forge; but the bank was abandoned some sixteen or eighteen years 

 later, and there is no longer even any hole there, and it must have been but a small 

 hole at any time. It is no longer known whether the solid bed was opened or only 

 the loose lum])S at the outcrop. Judging by a few small lumps of ore that still lie 

 about the old opening the ore (brown hematite) was very rich. 



At the other opening on the bed, the Pine Spur Ore Bank, on the eastern side of 

 Pine Spur, near the northwest corner of the Thomas tract, a small hole now all fallen 

 in was once dug, and lumps of the ore Avere found, Irutnot the solid bed. To judge by 

 the little left exposed there the ore is a good deal mixed Avith angular bits of compact 

 brown sandstone. It is barely possible that, in consequence of a sinking AvestAA^ard 

 (as Avell as eastAvard) of the Pond Mountain saddle from a high point near the middle 

 of the Thomas tract, the ore of the Pine spur bank may belong to the Thomas Ore 

 Bed. 



Bits of the Cole ore are also found on the hillsides about a quarter of a mile east 

 of Pine Spur opening; and on the bridle path already mentioned near the top of 

 Pond Mountain, on both sides of the summit ; on the northern side only a fcAV small 

 bits, but on the southern side (Avhere the water gullies have exposed it better) the 

 blocks are abundant and the quality of some of them pretty good, although another 

 portion of them are merely brown sandstone sprinkled with the ore. It Avould be 

 easy and AA^ell Avorth Avhile to make an opening here that Avould thoroughly test the 

 value of the bed at this point ; a self-draining drift or open cut could be made north- 

 Avestward so as to lay bare the Avhole thickness of the bed. The blocks here are 

 washed for some little distance down the mountain along the path. Outcrop lumps 

 apparently from this bed are found also even so far aAvay as on the road across Brushy 

 Mountain, near the soutliAvestern corner of the Henderlite tracts three miles and a 

 quarter east of the Cole ore bank. 



The outcrop of the bed Avithin the region seems to run for four miles and a-half 

 on the south side of the Brushy Mountain saddle and for nine miles and a quarter on 

 the north side, making fourteen miles and a quarter in all for the Brushy Mountain 



