THE IRON ORES. 427 
Many such measurements could be given, but the range and the 
average are well shown in those that are here reported. 
Tt. will be noticed that but one third of this series is productive. 
The lower 70 feet earry no ore nor limestone, and, it may be added, but 
very little coal. They are more barren of economic interest than almost 
any other equal space in the Lower Measures. 
Limestone Kidney Ores. 
The first ore to be reached in our ascending review is the Lower 
or Main Limestone kidney ore, the place of which is 30 to 40 feet, and 
sometimes, possibly, 50 feet below the Ferriferous limestone. The 
usual distance in the territory where it is worked is 30 to 36 feet. 
It is not of wide extent, being confined in its most valuable phases 
to Elk and Clinton townships, Vinton county, and to Milton and Lick 
townships, Jackson county. At Lawrence Furnace, the so-called slate 
ore holds about the horizon of the limestone kidney. In all of its 
extent, a blue fossiliferous limestone, or a flint of like character, is quite 
likely to be found directly below the ore. This'flint is well shown on 
the Feeogh farm, section 11, Elk township, and also on the Felton farm, 
section 27, Elk township. It is also found in some of the workings 
that are tributary to the Wellston furnaces. A coal seam that occurs a 
few feet above the ore, is well developed in Elk township, and is here 
known as the Winters coal, and also as the Flint Vein. It is probably 
the Conway coal of the Ironton region. 
The ore consists of massive and close-grained, symmetrical con- 
eretions. Under cover they are blue and hard and heavy. On the out- 
crop, they furnish one of the finest ores of the series, scarcely inferior 
in any respect to the standard limestone ore. The horizon yields 10 or 
12 inches of ore, asa rule, and often exceeds this. In the vicinity of 
Wellston it sometimes is found 2 feet thick. The ore is nowhere mined 
in drifts, so far as known. 
The next ore is of small account. It is mellow and excellent, but 
there is not enough of it. It is known as the Little kidney in Vinton 
county, to a few townships of which it is limited. It seldom reaches 
6 inches in thickness. Its place is 15 feet below the Ferriferous lime- 
stone. It makes the red ore of [lesboro, Washington township, Hocking 
county, and is there granular, like the regular limestone ore. This last 
instance is the only one in which the ore is known to be worked north 
