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HUBBARD AND CRONEIS 
of StO'Se and Miser) and the ore is in the residual clay and chert 
of this formation. An overthrust fault here has brought these 
older rocks in contact with sandstones of probably Oriskany age 
which appear a little higher on the mountain side. Very little 
actual work has been done here. 
Simpkins Prospects 
This prospect is two and one-half miles west-north-west of 
Interior Station on the Potts Valley branch of the Norfolk and 
Western Railroad. This branch leaves the main line about a mile 
below Ripplemead and runs up Stony Creek past Kimballton 
almost to the northeast corner of the county. The openings 
are on the crest of a spur of Peters Mountain at an elevation of 
2800 feet, and the ore appears to be in the fractured zone of the 
southwest end of the local syncline. The formation in which the 
ore is found is the Giles, which is here a buff colored, much frac- 
tured sandstone. Psilomelane is the ore. Transportation facil- 
ities are good since the prospect is less than a mile from the rail- 
road, but there is not enough ore in sight to warrant exploitation. 
Stowe Mine 
This mine is on the southeast slope of Piney Mountain, four 
miles to the southwest of Narrows on the Norfolk and Western 
Railway. The openings are all shallow pits, on or near the 
surface of a bench which is 2400 feet in elevation. This probably 
represents the old valley floor peneplain of the New River System. 
The ore is in shaly sandstone and clay which appears to be of 
Giles age. About fifty tons of ore, running 32% manganese have 
been taken from the mine. This mine can only be worked at a 
profit when the demand for manganese is greatly increased. 
The Bane Prospect 
This prospect, which lies just south of Walker Creek at Bane, 
seems to be little known. However, this prospect is probably the 
only one in the county (the Stange mine excepted) which has 
possibilities favoring development in the future. 
The ore, which occurs in the residual clay and chert overlying 
the Shenandoah limestone, is pyrolusite. The area over which 
the ore appears on the surface cannot be less than forty acres, 
and, according to local information, several small pits found 
the ore not decreasing in quantity at a depth of five feet. The 
