62 
GEOLOGY OF THE THIRD DISTRICT. 
The rubblestone which forms thick masses in the first district, is but in thin layers in the 
third district, excepting probably in Montgomery county, where it is abundant upon the sur¬ 
face as weathered masses, and may have originated there. It forms generally the enclosures 
of the fields at the east end of the county, and within the range of the slate. Both slate and 
rubblestone lose their bluish color when long exposed, and assume a dull dark grey, green 
or olive color, which is very characteristic of this rock, and by which it is readily distin¬ 
guished from the Utica slate, which, as before mentioned, changes to a brown. 
From the eastern end of the Helderberg to Oneida county, I have seen but one fossil shell 
in the whole mass. Graptolites, however, occur, and in a few places are numerous. In 
Oneida, shells, etc. make their appearance in the upper part of the mass, and with propriety 
are to be referred to the upper division, from the well known fact, that throughout the whole 
eastern border of the range of the slate, with the exception of two localities, it is equally 
barren of organic bodies other than graptolites. 
The Frankfort slate, and its sandstone, are confined to the counties of Montgomery, Her¬ 
kimer, Oneida and Lewis. In the first county, the rock is entirely to the south of the 
Mohawk, and to the south also of every part of the Utica slate. In Herkimer it lies also on 
the south side of the river, and to the south of the Utica slate, with the exception of one 
locality to the north, capping Hasenclever hill, extending west from near West Canada creek 
into Oneida, ranging with the Mohawk, and covering a surface from three to four miles wide. 
In Oneida, it is on the south side of the Mohawk, its breadth increasing west, ranging along 
the river from about Whitesborough, which finally it crosses, keeping on the east side of 
Rome, passing north to the west of Lansing’s kill into Lewis county, keeping the west side 
of Constableville, and thence through the county in a north-northwest direction. In Oneida, 
besides the great range, it appears at three other points. The first one is the extension of 
Hasenclever hill, which continues towards Nine-mile creek ; the second, covers an area of a 
few miles to the west of the village of Floyd ; and the third, a similar area in Steuben, where 
it caps the highest points of that town. 
Through Montgomery, Herkimer, and the east part of Oneida, the slate constantly rises 
from the river, presenting, in some parts of its range on the south side, deep excavations from 
falls where it is covered with overlying rocks. Its points of greatest interest are along this 
line. The first place of note on the south side of its range near to the first district, is at 
Saltspringville : it underlies the level, appearing at the mill race, and by the side of the road 
which leads to Cooperstown. It is there of a blackish color, traversed by joints in several 
directions, and crumbles or falls into fragments by exposure to air and moisture. It is from 
this rock that the springs issue, which have given name to the village. For near half a mile, 
indications of salt water are perceived at several points, by the absence of vegetation. At 
one of them, a well of about twenty feet deep was sunk, and salt water obtained. A tradi¬ 
tion exists that salt was made at these springs before the Revolution, and in sufficient quantity 
to supply the inhabitants ; that from two kettles of five pails each, three pecks of salt were 
made in a day. Saltspringville is on the road from Fort-Plain to Cooperstown, and near the 
line of the two counties. 
