The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-12-28

Df Ganoga Lake. The face Of the hill Is
very steep and covered with fragments Of
rock which make 1t difficult to follow the
strata Col. Ricketts, found bed Of bog
under the ore, which has been
his guide in tracing the vein. The section
shows 10 inches OF ore In the bottom, then
8 feet of red shalc, then 10 inches Of ore,
then inches greenish shale, and lastly 10
inches of ore, making in all a thickness
Of four feet two inches Of ore in height
of nine feet eight inches. This ore has
blush color, and is probably a carbonate.
1t has not been tested in any way, nor
opened elsewhere.
l have been shown fine specimens OF |
shot ore which / am informed exists as a |
bed feet thick on Elk Run .and on the |
West Branch OF Fishing Creek. Col. Rick.
etts has not found the shot ore on his prop |
erto, but he states that it seems to occupy |
about the same geological horizon as the |
deposit on Ore Run above described. He
also states that while exploring the various
branches of the Mahoopany creek he found
specimens Of Brown Hematite iron ore,
which as nearly rs he could judge came
from the same horizon, there being bog ore
springs and exposures of bog manganese
adjacent.
On the mountain Plateau we find layer
of impure Limestone well stratfied and
thin bedded. The presence of this lime
stone probably accounts for the good quail
ty of the soil found in this section OF the
country.
The unsettled condition of the district
and the absence of means Of communica-
ton have prevented any extensive cxplora-
ton of the ore deposits here described, and
no actual workings have been made on
large scale, therefore cannot express any
opinion as to the commercial values of the
ores.
The town of Bernice, the Northern ter
minus of your line and the Southern termi-
nus Of your State line and the Sullivan
Railroad, is situated on Birch Run. 1t is a
scattering village of miners and workmen,
houses, with few stores, hotel, saw mill
and coal breaker. At this point the geo.
logical measures which form the surface
| further South, have sunk so as to form a
| narrow Isolated trough or basin which con-
tains the two lower coal veins l had no
opportunity to personally examine the coal
deposits at this place, nor to ascertain def
nitely their extent. To do so would be a
work of considerable time. The State geo.
logical report of Sullivan County, publish
ed in 1880, goes into some detail relative
to this region, but Col. Ricketts, and other
interested in lands take decided exceptions
to the thoroughness and correctness of that
report in many particulars. While l do
notpretend to advance my judgment against
that of well known professional geologsts
who have examined this district of country
as business, must say that the observa-
tons which I made on the ground, not SC
much at Bernice as in the country South OF
it, lead me to believe that the present pub.
lished reports need considerable revision.
l undertand that during the past summer
this district has been revisited by an Officer
of the State Survey, and that a re-examina
tion has been ordered. The State report
does not give the acreage of coal available
at Bernice, and have not been able to OBJ
tain it from other sources.
The information which Col. Rickett,
gives me is to the effect that there are two
veins of coal, the upper one measuring l.
feet (the State Survey gives it at about
| faot\ .ha lowor ona foot (tho State Suryox
says feeD with about 55 feet Of interven
ing rocks That the upper vein is founC
only in the Birch Creek basin, but that th
lower vein occupies a much larger area
The line between Sullivan and Wyoming
Counties lies about 7 miles East of Bernice
and Wyoming County, as yet, has not heel
officially reported on. Col. Ricketts, claims
while the area Of Birch Creek basin, q
laid down on geological map Of Sulliva,
County, is substantially correct, that ther
is large basin of the lower vein of coal il
: Wyoming County, both North & South c
: the Mahoopany Creek. That this basi
: being an unexplored wilderness, has nc
been thoroughly examined, but that il
September last he visited it, in compan
with Mr.. Hill, one of the assistants Of I'll
State Survey and saw two openings in til
coal, one of which was driven in about 30
feet He tells me. that he and Mr.. Hill d,
I cided that there was about 20 square mile
: of area of the lower coal vein. From VIII,
l could see of the Topography of the cour
try, and in view of the small vertical di
y tance between the two seams Of coal, l ca
not resist the conclusion, that If there
( any such area of the lower vein there mu
y also be considerable area of the upp
vein of coal in the same territory.
G course you care nothing about Coun
:, lines, or differences of opinion betwe
It geoligists on Scientific points, but you 6
l. interested in the actual facts as bearing
the sources of revenue for your railrof
r, The inaccessibility of this district has p
g vented thorough examination being mat
r but it is to be hoped, that the question
Id the mineral deposits of this region "
a be definitely settled one way or the o
MS er.
en- The sources Of Revenue for your h
,r- road are therefore
m l. The general business, passenger &
a. freight incident to prosperous farm
g" country Of considerable width, extend
nd for some 81 miles along your road. Ii
er- is needed for the farm lands, which will
A hauled in from the North Branch Val
ng Coal for fuel, store goods and miscella
Is, Gus freight will be considerable items. f.
ed produce, cross-ties and miscellane
Dt- freight will be the business going out.
oo- 2. Lumber business from the noun
mas lands should be large item. The pre-
nu demand for sawed lumber, bill tim
I'M mine ties, props and tagging through
mas anthracite coal district, affords h
ar market, now supplied from more dis
es' points, and for which you would pract
'ss' ly have the monopoly, Hemlock bal
i'iy at present in great demand for tan
'er- purposes, and is growing scarcer and
'nu er every year. A branch line abol
miles long from your main line on l.
is a sock Creek to the waters OF the Nah
ick. ny should practically control the INN
H..