260 
GEOLOGY OF NORTH CAROLINA. 
here is an important iron range which must become a centre of manufac- 
ture for the higher grades of charcoal iron whenever transportation shall 
have been provided, either by railroad or by the opening of the naviga- 
tion of the Dan, which is very feasible. The proximity of the Dan River 
coal beds is another advantage, which may prove of the highest importance, 
whenever these beds shall be opened. 
There are in the Museum several very fine specimens of magnetic ore and 
micaceous hematite, from (Forsythe county.) the neighborhood of Salem* 
south and west ; which make it probable that there are valuable ore de- 
posits in that section ; but no definite information of their extent is in 
hand. 
Iron Ores of Burke, Caldwell , &c. There are many valuable beds of 
limonite in a range extending in a northeast direction from the northeast- 
ern foothills of the South Mountains into the Brushy Mountains, — from 
Jacob’s Fork of Catawba River, near the eastern border of Burke, across 
the Catawba, and by way of Gunpowder Creek, to the waters of Middle 
Little River near the eastern border of Caldwell ; and beyond, near 
Rocky Creek, in Alexander, and even on the northern slopes of the 
Brushy Mountains in Wilkes, the same ores occur, being undistinguisha- 
ble in appearance, and of identical lithological relations. These ores 
are associated with the peculiar kyanitic hydro-mica schists, and purplish 
paragon ite schists, which characterize the region. 
There is a bed near the town of Hickory, reported to be 5 or 6 feet 
thick ; and 3 miles west, at Propst’s, are a number of pits from which a 
quantity of ore was obtained during the war ; and at the distance of 6 
miles, on the lands of Mrs. Townsend, a bed was opened some thirty 
years ago, and the ore, in considerable quantities, smelted in the Shuford 
furnace in the neighborhood. The beds are not exposed in either of these 
cases, the pits being filled up. The ore was mixed with the magnetite 
obtained from the Barringer Mine near Newton (already referred to), and 
the iron so made is reported to have been of good quality. 
Iron was also made on Gunpowder Creek, Caldwell county, 30 or 40 
years ago, from a similar series of limonite beds. The quantity of ore is 
reported as large. The beds on Middle Little River, 12 miles southeast 
of Lenoir, were worked nearly 50 years ago, and the ore hauled .7 miles 
to Beard’s furnace, on the Catawba River. The outcrops are traceable 
on the slopes of McIntyre’s Mountain and Bald Mountain, near Mr. 
White’s, on Miry Branch, for a distance of 2 to 3 miles, the outcrop on 
the former being about 3 or 4 feet, and on the latter 8 or 10 ; and it is 
reported that at some points the thickness is more than double the above 
figure. There is every surface evidence of abundance of ore. Being a 
