that time two large quarries were opened at Syenite; and soon afterwards extensive quarrying commenced at Skrainka.

The importance and growth of the industry is shown by the output. The total product shipped from Knob Lick alone for the last fifteen years amounts to one thousand cars annually. This includes dimension stone, paving blocks, grout and spalls. There are now three principal quarries furnishing dimension stone. Two of these are equipped with steam power and polishing apparatus. Four or five of the works have switches or tramways extending from the quarry to the Belmont branch of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern railroad. Other short switches have been built from time to time.

Up to about 1890 there was an immense production of paving blocks, but within the last five years the annual output has decreased probably one-half. This decline was due to a number of circumstances. In the first place there was a great influx of quarrymen and as a result the number of blocks was greatly increased and in consequence the price was gradually lowered. For several years the blocks brought eighty dollars per thousand. A reduction was made to sixty-five dollars, then another to fifty, and finally during the the recent general commerical depression the cash value was only thirty-five dollars. The use of vitrified bricks and other materials for streetpaving has tended to lessen somewhat the demand for the blocks. The late stagnation in business circles has also very materially effected the demand. However, the loss in the amount of blocks has to a great extent been compensated by a great increase in the amount of spalls utilized; for during the past five years a wide and constantly increasing use of this material in granitoid side-walks has more than made up for the deficiency in other directions. The first crusher was put in at Knob Lick four years ago, but it was subsequently transferred to St. Louis, and the rough grout shipped to that point. Spalls are worth about fifty cents a ton and the value is likely to increase as the supply of loose rock at the old quarries becomes exhausted; while the demand for the crushed rock is rapidly increasing.

Of course it is impossible at this time to secure anything like an accurate statement of the output of all the individual quarries. In the consideration of the various openings the production of many were given.

The total output from Knob Lick for the past fifteeen years has been probably 15,000 cars. For this period the average annual output of dimension rock has been about 150 cars.

The value of the block shipment approaches $500,000.00; that of the spalls and grout perhaps $25,000.00. The price of dimension stone is so variable that it is hard to estimate the average price of a car load. One monument alone may bring $1,000.00 or more.

The output of blocks from Skrainka and other quarries in the vicinity and westward and also along the railroad between Knob Lick and Fredericktown is estimated at 300,000, with a value of not less than $20,000.00. The shipments from Fredericktown have never been very great. Probably more than 100,000 blocks have been sent out; the valuation is in the neighborhood of $6,000.00.

CLAYS.

From an economical standpoint the clays occurring within the limits of the sheet cannot be considered as being of very great importance. There are several varieties of argillaceous materials including shale, ordinary residuary and transported deposits and kaolin. The shales are found between the heavy limestone ledges at varying depths and of thicknesses from a few inches to several feet. They are, however, inacessible and besides are too hard and calcareous to be of particular value. Decomposition of some porphyries and granites under certain conditions results in the formation of kaolin, very valuable deposits of which occur in the crystalline area of southeastern Missouri, but as yet none of consequence are known within the Mine la Motte sheet. The only clayey materials here which are in quantities sufficient to make them valuable are the com

mon residual and alluvial deposits. The latter may either be free of injurious ingredients or may contain numerous pebbles and particles of stone, usually chert. These hard inclusions while not strictly deleterious interfere with the working of the material. In places the clays are from fifteen to twenty feet thick and homogeneous throughout. The character, or composition, depends primarily upon the nature of the rock from which the clay beds have been derived and secondarily upon the degree of completeness of original decomposition. Many of the limestones are overlain with a dark reddish brown clay. The chert hills are mantled with a cherty yellow clay, often quite thick. The granite, sandstones and porphyry clays are usually quite siliceous but adaptable to the manufacture of ordinary brick. The alluvial beds are usually too arenaceous for such purposes.

The distribution of the clays from which common structural brick can be made is quite general and from time to time a kiln or two of brick is burned first in one place, then another, just enough being made to satisfy the temporary local demands. At present only a single plant is putting out clay products. This is the Bonsor brickyard about one and one-half miles southeast of Fredericktown, near the Buckeye copper mines. It was opened in 1894 and one small kiln was burned. The green brick had been allowed to freeze and many of them were badly cracked, otherwise they were of good quality. The clay pit is on the level land at the foot of a hill and contains occasional chert fragments. From the cut the clay is wheeled to a Wallace disintegrator, crushed and conveyed by elevator to a Wallace stiff-mud machine and moulded into a side cut brick. Under careful treatment the material should afford a very good product.

LIME.

Although the accessible limestones are almost entirely dolomitic they are some of such composition that a fair grade of quick lime may be produced. It does not ordinarily burn well into what would be called a strong lime, but one suitable

for all kinds of mason work and for plaster. A small kiln is frequently burned in the various sections but the principal locality is along Rock creek about one mile northeast of Mine la Motte. Up to the present time the industry has not devel oped farther than to partially supply local demands.

SANDS.

The washed sands along the streams can be used in mortar and for all ordinary purposes but there are impurties in them which detract from their value. The sandstone hills a little more than two miles south of Doe Run, from which sand is secured for the furnaces at the mines, also furnish an abundance of material for many uses. It has been found to be ninetyseven percent silica, and as such could be used for the manufacture of glass, but the impurity is too great to produce first grades of white-glass, unless the foreign substances are removed. It is sharp, clean sand and a very superior grade for mortar and plasters. There is, however, no extensive demand for such material and the quarrying for the beds is mainly for the roasters at Doe Run.

MINERALS (not mined).

Besides the deposits which are being mined in commercial quantities and of which mention has been made, there are other minerals which have not as yet been mined. Some of these are found only sparingly, or in quantities too small to be of value as commercial products, yet possess considerable worth as mineralogical specimens, and as such frequently command good prices on account of their beauty, rarity, or peculiar scientific interest. Many minerals, particularly the metallic substances attract much popular attention, but occur in too limited amounts to pay for working them, yet they cause a great waste of time, energy and money in luring persons on with the hope of obtaining hidden wealth. Some minerals not now attracting attention may in the near future develop into sufficiently important deposits to attract capital.

SULPHIDES.

Galenite.-Galena, aside from being the principal lead ore of the region, also occurs in well defined crystals showing the cubic faces very slightly modified by the octohedron. In this form it is know as "cube" or "dice" mineral.

Sphalerite. Although of very uncommon occurrence in southeast Missouri sphalerite has been reported from the Silver mines where it is associated in a quartz vein with pyrite and galenite.

Pyrite. Iron pyrites is found abundantly in the lead mines where it occurs massive with the galena. It is very abundant at Mine la Motte, Doe Run and the Silver mines. Good crystals are also found at these localities. At the latter place it is suf ficiently abundant to mine. A considerable quantity was taken out at the opening of the mine and now forms a large dump near the mouth of the shaft.

Pyrrhotite. This form of iron sulphide was first reported by Leonhard from Mine la Motte, where it occurs massive with the galena, and contains nickel and cobalt.

Chalcopyrite-Occurs abundantly in the lead mines, massive with the other ores, and also in more or less well defined crystals.

Linnæite-This common cobalt ore as found at Mine la Motte occurs massive. It contains usually some nickel and is associated with the iron and copper pyrites in the principal lead

ore.

FLUORIDES.

Fluor Spar. The principal locality is at the Silver mines. It is an abundant mineral in the vein stuff and occurs in small quantities also in the granite where metamorphosed. The color is a rich amethyst, graduating into the almost colorless varieties. Although thoroughly crystalline it does not preserve its crystallographic faces.

OXIDES.

Quartz.-Occurs abundantly in the form of a very pure sandstone; also in metalliferous veins cutting granite. In cry