126 
( Assembly 
It was stated that the annual amount of sales a few years ago, was 
nearly twenty times as much, and this falling off in the business of quar- 
rying, has been caused by the general stagnation of business, consequent 
upon the embarrassment of the currency. This stone is good for many 
purposes, but it is not as durable or strong as many others, and is being 
gradually replaced in the market by stones which are harder to dress, 
but which will endure the vicissitudes of our changeable climate for a 
longer time. 
Red Marl. 
This material is found in many places in the red sandstone region. It 
seems to be a variety of the sandstone formation, where the materials 
are so fine as to form a shale, and w^here it contains calcareous matter. 
It was observed in abundance in the high, precipitous banks of the 
Minishecongo creek, in Haverstraw, two miles west of Grassy Point, 
near Capt. De Camp's house. It may be used as a marl, for which it 
seems well adapted. It is interstratified with sandstone, shale and gray 
compact limestone, but gradually crumbles by exposure to the weather. 
Compact Gray Limestone, 
Strata of this rock, of a gray or reddish or dove colour, are interstra- 
tified with the red sandstone, shale and marl. The beds are from 1 to 
6 or 8 feet thick, and some of the layers are 2 feet thick, of perfectly 
compact homogeneous limestone, which is admirably adapted for a build- 
ing material. It burns to good lime, and some of it would make beau- 
tiful dove coloured and reddish variegated marbles. Blocks of this 
stone of a suitable size for sawing can be easily procured. 
Red Conglomerate Limestone. 
This rock occurs at or near the junction of the red sandstone forma- 
tion with the primitive rocks. It is composed mostly of pebbles and 
angular fragments of gray and black limestone, (like the adjacent primary 
limestone,) mixed with pebbles of quartz, granite, gneiss, hornblende, 
sienite, &c. and all are cemented together by a reddish argillo-calcareous 
paste, mixed w^ith gravel and sand of the various materials mentioned. 
Although examination was made to discover localities where this rock 
could be wrought as a marble, none could be found which did not con- 
tain an admixture of some other rocks than limestone. It contains 
fragments of rocks harder than limestone, which would render it diffi- 
cult to saw and polish. In its general aspect it is similar to the Poto- 
mac marble. 
