Connecticut western news., 1903-05-07
MINERALS OF CONNECTICUT
Iron Ore-Marble-Gran bIe
 Road Metal.

Iron Ore-MarbIe-Grani e-ValuabIt Road Metal.
 | The United States Geological Survey has been engaged for some time or work in western New England, and the following brief statement is made concerning some of it's economic re suits.
 The mineral resources of the west ern uplands of Connecticut are small if measured in comparison with areas oi equal size in the mining states oi the West. The greatest value attaches to the deposits of iron ore, to the areas of marble, and to the veins of pegma tite or coarse granite which are widely distributed in the region, Mention should perhaps also be made of the valuable road metal which is available in the region about Southbury and Woodbury.
 The deposits of iron ore are chiefly limonite. This ore is found in pockets along the surface of contact of the Stock bridge limestone with the over lying schist. The principal exploited localities are in Salisbury and Kent trade.
 Although these deposits are not large, they are yet of considerable value, particularly because of their compara, lively large content of manganese. They are smelted in charcoal furnaces and furnish grade of cast iron espec. islly adapted to withstand shock. Fol this reason the car wheels manufac tured from this material at Lime Rock, Connecticut, have become justly famous. With the manganese Is usual. ly associated some zinc, which in later years has been recovered. Mangsnese from this ore has also been largely utilized to advantage for mixing with the richer Besemer ores of the Lake Superior region.
 The marble of the district, which is developed chiefly in its northwestern part, and especially about Canaan, is largely burned for quicklime. the two chief producing districts being Canaan and Boardman's Bridge, near New Mil ford. The rock is very we'll adapted for building marble. as is shown by itt use for the construction of the state house at Hartford. That it can be quarried with profit is shown by the prosperous new qusrries recently es tablished few miles north of the boundary of Connecticut in Massachu setts. Both the white and the blue limestone are found close to the rail ways of the district. The proximity tc New York and other large coast cities should make this a profitable invest ment for capital
 Dikes of pegmatite intersect tho area in most intricate fashion, and have been utilized especially for the production of wood-fller, known local ly as silicate paint. The smaller dike, and veins of pegmstite consist largely of quartz or silica. which is generally quarried by farmers and loaded or cars. at small profit. The larger dikes and veins contain also coarse feldspar, which is shipped away fol the porcelain industry. Many of tht dikes contain beryl, which at the New Milford mine is frequently of a golder color and has been profitably mined al gem mineral. This golden variety seldom occupies the entire crystal, bu is found as portions of large crystals and has commanded 8 market pric, nearly eqnal to that of emerald. I seems likely that other large veini might be profitably prospected for thi material, since beryl of the same gen eral characteristics is not infrequentl, observed in them.
 The interest in good roads whicl has taken possession of New Englsnt is likely in the near future to bring in to prominence the area of trap whicl occupies a basin in the vicinity o Woodbnry and South bury. This tral can not at present be easily shippe, away by rail because below the leve of the tracks. For local use, however 1t should be found valuable for i'm proving the somewhat sandy roads c the region.
 At Long Hill, in Trumbull. is locate the called Lane's mine, long fsmou among mineralogists for the tungste minerals that occur there. Recentl a large amount of capital has been e1 pended in developing this mine for tn production of tungstic oxide for th steel industry. The tungsten minel ais are disseminated in quarts, epidute and a number of other minerals at tn contact plans of basic hornblendi igneous rock with limestone. The ol thus far mined has. however, bee found too lean for working, and it ca not be said that this mine, in as far it has been exploited, gives promise ( , profitable development,
 D Geological mapping has been carrie , on in this area by Dr. W. H. Hobbs f the United States Geological Survey.