958 GEOLOGY OF OHIO. 
These figures show a coal of great excellence; its reputation in 
market bears out the analysis. 
3. THe MonpAy CREEK DISTRICT. 
This district embraces all the coal lands and coal mines of the 
great seam in Monday Creek township, the furnace mine in Gore town- 
ship, all the coal in Green, all in Ward township, except Section 19, 
the west line of sections of Trimble, and as much of York and Dover 
townships as is included in the Monday Creek and Snow Fork Val- 
leys. Ward township is the heart of the district, and thus it may be 
counted the heart of the Hocking Valley. In the northern portion 
of the district the coal holds very nearly the thickness but not the 
strength and hardness of the Straitsville coal, but in much the greater 
part of the area named the coal falls decidedly below the Shawnee and 
Straitsville coal in measurement. The decrease is wholly in the top 
coal or the supplementary seam, and to this fact is due the improvement 
. in chemical quality which is to be noted here, and to it also is due the 
loss of strength or hardness in the coal. It has already been made 
apparent that the upper coal always decreases the fixed carbon and in- 
creases the ash of the seam when it is counted in, and it is also true 
that it always yields the firmest and strongest coal. 
The coal of the Monday Creek district ranges, as a rule, between 
3 and 8% feet in thickness, of which about 4 feet belong to the two 
lower benches. The third bench, which is the highest of the normal 
seam, yields merchantable coal in a number of mines, although the same 
tendency to poor quality that is found in other portions of the field 
frequently shows itself here. It would, no doubt, be better for the 
standing of the coal if this piece of coal were always rejected. ‘The 
supplementary seam almost always carries some waste matter, generally, 
in the shape of a layer of horn coal or cannel. In one or two mines 
this cannel becomes merchantable. The roof coal is uncertain in 
quality, and a part of it is often left in the mine. From some rooms of 
a mine it can be safely taken, while from others all must be rejected. 
Considered with reference to both quality and quantity, the Mon- 
day Creek district constitutes the best part of the Hocking Valley Coal 
Field. It yields a better coal than Straitsville or Shawnee produces, 
so far as chemical constitution goes, for the reason already given that 
there is in it less of the top coal. It does not bear handling as well as 
