24 
[Assembly 
ores of this district. The ore is of great purit^^, and is made up 
of rounded or angular grains of various sizes, which cohere very 
feebly. On account of this peculiarity in its structure, it can be 
easily brought to the requisite state of mechanical division, a cir- 
cumstance which appears greatly to facilitate its subsequent reduc- 
tion to the metallic state. This ore resembles that from the Ar- 
nold bed more closely than any with which I am acquainted. 
Clinton county is peculiarly rich in localities of magnetic iron. 
Among these, the most extraordinary is that which is known by 
the name of the Arnold bed; the ore from which has long enjoyed " 
a high reputation, which analysis shows to be well deserved. In- 
deed, I think it may be safely asserted, that it is one of the purest 
and best ores that is now known in any part of the \vorld. 
The Arnold Ore Bed is situated in a mountain of gneiss, about 
three miles north-west of Clintonville. It has been traced nearly 
three quarters of a mile, in a direction varying but little from 
north and south, and it appears to be parallel with the strata of the 
rock in which it is found. A shaft had been sunk to the depth of 
250 feet; but owing, as I was informed, to the imprudent manner 
in which the mining operations were conducted, it was completely 
destroyed by the falling in of the upper strata of rock. Since 
this occurrence, ore has been obtained from other parts of the same 
deposite. The average width of the principal bed is about five 
feet; but it sometimes extends to twelve or fourteen feet, and 
again at others scarcely exceeds eighteen inches. It is crossed at 
various places by a sort of ferruginous slate, called horse by the 
miners, and which often embarrasses their operations. 
The ore from this bed is of a bluish color, and is commonly 
knowm by the name of blue ore. It is made up of granular parti- 
cles, loosely united, and is free from foreign admixture, except a 
minute portion of quartz. When reduced to powder, it is attrac- 
ted by the magnet, but none of the masses which I subjected to 
trial possessed magnetic polarity. Its specific gravity is 4.977. 
Analysis of the blue ore from the Arnold bed. 
Protoxide of iron, 27,00 
Peroxide of iron, 71.50 
Quartz (mechanically mixed,) 1 .50 
, 100.00 
Proportion of pure iron, 70.42 in 100 of ore. 
