The Gold-bearing Formation of Illinois. — Hershey. 241 
result has been that I am now satisfied that gold in appreci- 
able, (but not economical) quantities does exist in one or more 
strata of the Utica shale formation of this county. From the 
somewhat singular mode of its occurrence, and the isolation of 
this deposit far distant from the recognized goldbelts of the 
United States, it may be of more than local interest ; and on 
this account I have ventured to present the following brief 
discussion of it. 
The principal of the so-called "gold mines" is situated on 
the slope of the northern end of the "Erin mound," on the 
farm of Mr. Rudolph Staderman, just west of the village of 
Eleroy. The shaft is at present nearly .full of water, but the 
proprietor, a very intelligent, prosperous and apparenth' 
veracious German farmer, gave me the following very de- 
tailed section of the strata penetrated : 
1. Black soil 2 feet. 
2. Yellow sandy loam, with stones 3 " 
3. Light bluish "hardpan" clay 5 " 
4. "Imitation" soapstone (bluish Cincinnati shales). .5 " 
5. Yellowish sandy clay, soft or loose, containing 
many disseminated nuggets of iron pyrites i foot. 
6. Layer of pyrite of iron i inch. 
7. Coal-black, laminated shale 3 feet. 
8. Layer of galenite, iron pyrites and native copper, i inch. 
9. Very hard, light brown, sub-crystalline argillaceous 
limestone 6 inch. 
10. Dark, bluish-brown, clay-shales, soft 6 feet. 
i . Layer of iron pyrites 2 inch. 
12. "Cincinnati" clay-shales (Utica) 5 feet. 
13. Galenite, blende, and pyrites i inch. 
14. Layer containing copper i " 
1 5. Light gray limestone 3 feet. 
16. Layer of "black-jack" (blende) i inch. 
17. "Galena" limestone, full of nuggets of galenite.. 3 feet. 
Total 37 feet, I inch 
No. 9 is the layer which carries the gold. It dijxs 45° 
toward the west and increases in thickness from six inches to 
ten inches in four feet, and to nearly three feet in ten feet. 
These features give it somewhat the appearance of a true fis- 
sure vein which it is not. The shaft was sunk on a crevice 
about one-eighth inch wide, nearly vertical and striking X. \. 
E. to S. S. W. It contains oxidized jjyritcs or oxide of iron 
