58 CORUNDUM IN THE UNITED STATES. [bull. 180. 
The most work that has been done is at the Mincey mine, which is 
2 miles northwest of the Corundum Hill mine. At this locality a 
considerable quantity of corundum has been taken out, which was 
carried to the mill at Cullasagee and cleaned. PI. X is a view of this 
open cut, which was entirely within the formation. Judging by the 
amount of corundum obtained and by that found near the contact of 
the dunite with the gneiss, there are good indications of the existence 
of corundum in quantity along the contact. The corundum that was 
obtained at this mine was hauled by wagons to the Corundum Hill 
mine, where it Avas cleaned. This property is owned by the Interna- 
tional Corundum and Emery Company, of New York, N. Y. 
Between the Corundum Hill and Mincey mines there is a bold 
outcrop of dunite on the Gray, property, covering about the same 
surface as that at Corundum Hill. Although there has been no min- 
ing here, the little prospecting that has been done has shown corun- 
dum to be very thickly scattered along the lower borders of the 
formation, and many small pits that have been sunk within the for- 
mation have encountered corundum. This, in my opinion, is one of 
the most promising prospects for corundum in Macon County. 
A great many of the peridotite formations along Ellijay Creek have 
been worked a little at different times, and these are mentioned in the 
lists of corundum localities (p. 83). 
Sheffield mine. — This mine is in Cowee Township, about 7 miles 
northeast of Franklin, the county seat, just north of Cowee Creek. 
The corundum occurs here in amphibole-schist, and is described 
on page 31. On account of the depth to which decomposition has 
extended, the solid rock was only observed in the lower portions of 
the 87-foot shaft, so that nothing definite is known of this corundum- 
bearing amphibole-schist. The corundum, which is pink in color and 
which occurs in oval-shaped nodules up to an inch in diameter, has 
been pretty thoroughly mined down to the hard rock. The corundum 
is of good quality, and some preliminary tests have shown that it is well 
adapted to the manufacture of the vitrified wheel. On account, of the 
low percentage of corundum in the rock, it is not at the present time 
a profitable corundum ore. 
The saprolitic ore is readily cleaned, and furnishes a nearly pure 
commercial product. A small mill has been erected here. This prop- 
erty is owned by the National Abrasive Manufacturing Company, of 
New York, N, Y. 
CLAY COUNTY. 
Buck Creek or Cullakeenee mine. — This mine is in the Buck Creek 
Valley, about 20 miles southwest of Franklin, Macon County, and 21 
miles a little north of east of Hayesville, the county seat of Clay 
County. These corundum deposits are associated with a compact mass 
of peridotite, covering about three-quarters of a square mile, the largest 
