122 CORUNDUM^ ITS OCCURRENCE AND DISTRIBUTION. 
ter of the material inclosing the corundum renders washing it out 
difficult, for it becomes packed and clogs the rolls even in a strong 
current of water. This deposit of corundum has been developed by 
means of a large open cut and some tunneling, but the amount of 
corundum ore exposed is not encouraging, and there is no evidence 
whatever of a commercial deposit of corundum being developed. A 
very extensive plant has been built at the mine by the Isbel Corun- 
dum Company, of New York, and it is the largest and the best 
equipped corundum mill in the State. 
Belir mine. — This mine is located 5 miles east of Hayesville, at Elf 
post-office, on Shooting Creek. Both sand and massive corundum, 
with feldspar, are found at this mine, in the same peridotite forma- 
tion with which the amphibolites just referred to are associated. It 
was first opened in 1880 by Dr. H. S. Lucas, but was soon afterwards 
bought by Herman Behr & Co., of New York. A steam cleaning 
plant was erected at the mine and considerable work, more of the 
nature of prospecting than mining, was done. Several carloads of 
cleaned corundum are reported to have been shipped. The last work 
done at the mine was in 1890. The location of the mine was not very j 
favorable for work, as it was in a low place by the side of a stream, 
which necessitated the constant use of pumps. The nearest shipping 
point on the railroad is 25 miles. There are practically no indications 
at this locality of the occurrence of corundum in quantity. 
Blue Ridge corundum tracts. — Under this head are included the 
long bands of corundum-bearing quartz-schist that have been found 
in the southeastern part of the county and in the adjoining county of 
Georgia, Rabun County. Parallel bands of this corundum-bearing 
schist have been followed for a number of miles close to the summit of 
the Chunky Gal and the Yellow mountains. As is stated on page 56, 
the amount of corundum in this schist is probably not over 2 to 3 per 
cent, and with such a low percentage of corundum these rocks are not 
to be considered, at the present time at least, as a source of this mineral. 
There are four tracts included under this head. The Scaly Moun- 
tain tract is near the headwaters of Beech Creek, a prominent eastern , 
tributary of the Tallulah River, on the southern and southwestern | 
slopes of Scaly Mountain, at the elevation of about 4,500 feet. The i 
corundum-bearing bands of schist have been traced for the distance ' 
of about 2 miles, with a general strike of N. 40° E. and with a dip 
approximately 20°-30° NW. Considerable prospecting has been, 
done in tracing this band of schist. Assays show that there is less' 
than 5 per cent of corundum in this schist, although some specimens 
have yielded 12 per cent. The latter were probably pieces broken off 
along planes of lamination of the schist, while the rest of the piece 
from which they were broken oft' carried but little corundum. 
