No. 50.] 
249 
It is surprising to see how little attention is paid to the selection of 
materials for construction. Judging from what has come under my 
observation, the general impression must be, that any solid stone may^ 
with equal propriety he put irito the walls of buildings. It is not so, 
and in our public works and expensive buildings, it is of great impor- 
tance to select materials that will stand time unchanged. Some gra- 
nites, limestones, sandstones, marbles and other rocks will stand the vi- 
cissitudes of the seasons for ages without any perceptible change ; oth- 
ers nearly similar in appearance and belonging to the same kinds of 
rocks will crumble to sand or powder in a few years. An experienced 
eye is necessary to judge whether particular kinds of rock ought to be 
employed for structures that are intended to be permanent. 
Metalliferous veins have been found in several localities in the Sha- 
wangunk grits. There are traditions that lead ore has been cut out of 
the Shawangunk mountain in many places by the Indians and hunters 
of former days, and melted to make their bullets. Traditions of this 
kind are said to have led to the discovery of the lead ores at Ellenville, 
Red-Bridge, and Wurtsboro' . Lead ore has been discovered at many 
other points on the western side of the Shawangunk mountains, and in 
so many places, that it is thought probable a metalliferous vein may be 
almost co-extensive in length with this range of mountains in Ulster, 
Sullivan and Orange counties. 
The Ellenville mine is within one half mile of that village, at the 
base of the Shawangunk mountain. The vein is one of the transverse 
breaks of the strata, and ranges south 60° east nearly vertical. The 
materials filling the vein are nearly the same as the grit rock that it 
traverses, more or less loaded with pyrites and crystallized quartz, and 
in some places with blende and galena. The vein is from two to thiee 
feet wide, and a copious spring flows from near its junction with the 
marsh below. The mine was first opened about twenty years ago, and 
some lead and zinc ores were obtained, that were reputed to be rich in 
silver. The lead, ore was said to have been more abundant in the marsh 
than where the mine" was opened, and it is supposed the Indians and 
hunters obtained their supplies from the marsh. The " mine" has been 
worked again within a few years by the North American Coal and Min- 
ing Company. It has been said that the adit level penetrated 600 feet 
into the mountain, but no lead ore of importance seems to have been 
obtained. I should suppose from the mass cf rubbish, that the level 
cannot have been carried so far ; and again, they would imdoubtedly 
[Assembly, No. 50.] 32 
