Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-03-17
RambIes Among the Rocks.

| To the Editor u the FREQ Press and Times
The township of Monkton is much in
debted to geologists from beyond its limits,
| for the attention those explorers have paid
to the various rock formations, which have
here and there exposed themselves with
their curves and complications. While the
geological survey. sanctioned by the Legis-
lature of Vermont, was IN progress. the late
Prof. Adams spent several days ir toe town
and his sketches of the" Oven" and Illus
tration of the neglected mari in MonktOn
Lake Ia beautiful piece OF water of about
25O acres. which formerly was called
- Monkton Pond" as though 1t were only
irog-puddle), also his notice Of the kao-
lin deposits. etc., will bear witness
Monkton was visited in 1854, by the late
Prof z. Thompson 1857, by Prof. A. D.
Hager 1858. twice by Prot c H. Hitch
! cock. In 1867 we had the late Prof j. B
, Perry, and the same year. the late Sir W .
E Logan, Of Montreal. All OF these scien-
tine observers found objects of more or less
interest and some of them Of special atten-
tion and the writer had the pleasure of
accompanying them in their explorations
within this vicinity and entertaining them
in farmhouse manner. and found that their
company and suggestions far more than
repaid him Tor his time, etc in conveying
them from place TO place. The easy way
in which Sir W. Z. Logan wore into social
conversation some of his geological views
showed conclusively that man may be-
come conspicuous in scientific sttainments
without laying aside his common sense or
common clvlltles.
In the Summer of 1875 Monkton was
visited by Prof. fl. NJ. Seely and the Rev
A. Wing They seemed to enjoy their in
spectiOn of the gray quartz rUck. partly
hyaline. that overlays the limestone (dolo
mIte) north of Monkton Lake and the ques-
tion whether this gray quartz is MEM
Der OF the red sandrock or the medinor
sandstone seemed to be undecided. Their
attention was turned 10 a boulder. to all
appearance Of EOlian limestone, but it
contains small, round objects. 80 nearly
resembling portions OF the stem Ct en-
crinites Upper IIelderberyh2 y that the
question-was this boulder brought by
the - drift" fron Canada, or does it tell
Us that the Eolian Limestone of Vermont
Is fossiliferous?--a quite apprOpri-
ate
But must notice a remark made by W
VI. Higbee. that appears IN the FREE Pass
AND IINss Of the 3lst ult. The " Cave"
and the Oven that he speaks OF are
truly - a brace Of natural curiosities,
and was glad to find that the son of one
of our farmers had turned his attention to
the very interesting study OF geology, a
study. II would seem, that all who take an
interes; in agricultural pursuits would
naturally and enthusiastically turn their
attention to. A closer inspection would
have shown W " H. that the Cave"
resulted from the sliding down of the up
per stratum OF rock, probably by the action
OF freezing water accumulated under it,
planting its lower edge On the ledge below
and resting its upper edge against the
nearly perpendicular wall, as the roof of a
shed, lifted by the wind, j. sometimes left
leaning against the wall that once sup
ported it. He would have eseen also that the
' Oven" was occasioned by the action of
atmospheric agencies-the softer exposed
members Of the red sand rock absorbei
rain, then Mr.. Frost crystallzed the water.
then followed disintegration, leaving the
impeuetrable stratum for root and floor.
Where ". ". H. finds the trace OF an
iron mlne have succeeded in finding only
| trdp9ean die it is true that the injected
minerals is stained with iron rust. and this
rust indicates the presence Of ir0E, but in
such minute uaDtlty as 20 render the prob
ability of working il 10 profit very small.
See some appropriate remarks on this sub
sct in the - Report on the Geology OF
Vermont" lsl6 published by A. D Iiager
1861
If " " ii. would visit Monkton Lake
he would find mine of calcarious mari be-
low the water that il waiting to be applied
to some Impoverished farms.
Monk,on, HENRT MiLEs.