hornblende, pyroxene, epidote, quartz, feldspar, calcite, garnet, zircon, allanite, serpentine, etc., in varying proportions. The ore is distributed in irregular masses through the gangue and at times intimately associated with the same in thin bands. The thickness and extent of these bands are variable, from a few inches to more than fifty feet.

Nearly all the iron produced in 1901 was from this mine, and amounted to 2,578 tons valued at $4,997, as compared with a production of 21,000 tons in 1900 valued at $42,000. The Cranberry mine was not operated for the greater part of the year, the time being spent in development work and improvements to the plant. It is expected that in 1902 there will be a constant output per month that will make the total production for the year greater than that of 1900. The other mine producing iron in 1901 was the Potato creek mine, located in the Piney Creek district, Alleghany county, and contains magnetic ore.

The large iron deposits in Ashe county are reported to have been purchased by the Pennsylvania Iron Company, who contemplate beginning extensive operations in the near future.

The shutting down of the large blast furnace of the Empire Steel and Iron Company at Greensboro has been the cause of the closing down of the mines in the eastern and central part of the State. It is reported on good authority that this furnace will again be in operation before the end of 1902.

While at the present time the iron ores of the State are adding but little to its wealth, yet they do represent reserved sources of wealth that will in time be available. The competition with the Lake Superior iron ores that has effectually closed the North Carolina mines is not permanent, for their deposits are limited in extent, and unless new sources of supply are found in the immediate vicinity, other known iron ores will become available.

MANGANESE.

While there has been but a few sample car loads of manganese ore shipped from the State, there has been considerable prospecting for this ore. The principal work has been done near Brevard, Tran

sylvania county; Canton, Haywood county; and near Goldsboro, Wayne county. While as yet no large deposit has been definitely located, these three are promising occurrences.

The deposit in Transylvania county is about 7 miles northeast of Brevard and 311⁄2 miles from Blantyre, a station on the Transylvania Railroad. The deposit has been developed by means of 7 shafts along the strike of the vein in a distance of 2,000 feet; and near one shaft the vein was exposed for 200 feet. The deposit has been estimated to be 18 feet wide, and is capped for a distance of 10 feet by limonite, which does not carry more than a trace of manganese oxide. Below this point the manganese oxides begin to come in, with the iron minerals predominating in the ratio of 5 to 1. These are so arranged, however, that the limonite is readily eliminated by handcobbing. The strike of the vein is in a general N. E.-S. W. direction, and it is dipping toward the east. Assays of this ore show it to vary from 22 to 57 per cent. of manganese, these representing two samples, one which was considered the poorest ore encountered and the other the best. An average sample of the ore, after cobbing to eliminate the yellow limonite, will contain from 45 to 50 per cent. of manganese.

Six samples representing various types of ore from this deposit gave the following results when analyzed:

The

Samples 1, 2, 3 and 5 all show a high per cent. of manganese, and with the exception of No. 5 are low in phosporous and silicon. portions of the ore deposit that are like Nos. 4 and 6 can be as a rule readily eliminated, so that the manganese contents of the commercial ore are kept high.

This is one of the more promising manganese properties in the State and has been developed by Mr. Robert Harris of Franklin, North Carolina.

The Haywood county deposit is located in Beaver Dam township, two miles southwest of Canton, on land of J. B. Rhodarmer and S. W. Smathers of Canton. Manganese ore has been found as float pieces over an area of about 300 feet wide and nearly a quarter of a mile in length, starting from a flat near the tobacco barn (west of the house) and extending in a northeast direction. The better samples of ore have been found nearer the southwest end. The only development work that has been done is a small cut in bank of road and parallel to it, about 40 feet long, which exposed a number of streaks of manganese ore, covering not over one-sixth of the exposed surface. At the west end of this cut a shallow pit 4 feet deep showed the streaks of ore to increase in width.

Only a very small percentage of the ore exposed is hard and compact and this was found mostly in the pit. Most of the ore is soft and friable and considerable of it is mixed with limonite. Near the northeast boundary of where float ore has been found, a streak of limonite mixed with manganese oxide was observed in the bed of a brook. This point is thirty or more feet higher than the cut and the manganese ore is overlaid by a blueish pipe clay.

Assays were made of this ore as follows: 1, of the hard compact ore from open cut; 2, soft friable ore from cut; 3, ore mixed with limonite; 4, ore from northeast boundary.

Near Goldsboro, Wayne county, a deposit of manganese is being investigated by Mr. S. G. Fry of Goldsboro. The ore on the surface has been assayed and gave the following results:

Many of the black masses of ore when broken open were found to contain this pink mineral, which fuses readily before the blow-pipe, to a black magnetic bead. A complete analysis was made of this mineral with the following results:

This analysis shows the mineral to be spessartite, the manganese garnet.

It is not at all improbable but that as these properties are developed the manganese ore will be found to exist in quantity.

The value of a manganese ore varies with its percentage of this metal, and to be readily marketable it must contain at least 40 per cent., and be low in phosporous. The price of these ores quoted at New York is $ per ton for a 50 per cent. ore; for every unit (per cent.) less than this the value decreases; but for every unit. above 50 per cent. there is a corresponding increase in the value of the

ore.

PYRITE.

The mineral pyrite, a sulphide of iron (FeS2) has been mined for the manufacture of sulphuric acid. The principal deposit is the Oliver mine, 4 miles from Crouse, Gaston county. This mine has recently been purchased by the Virginia-Carolina Chemical Company and it is very probable that the mine will not be operated for the present.

Near Toxaway, Transylvania county, a deposit of pyrite has been found by Dr. W. C. Fisher which gives indications of containing this mineral in quantity.

As a by-product in gold mining, the sulphuret concentrates, which are too low in gold to be treated either by the cyanide or chlorination process, offer a possibility of being profitably used for the manufacture of sulphuric acid. This is the intention of the Whitney Reduction Company of Gold Hill, who will have a large quantity of sulphurets which are too low in gold to be of value for the extraction of this metal.

The production of pyrite in 1901 was 4,000 tons valued at $32,000, while in 1900 the production was 4,500 tons valued at $14,625. This increase in the value of the ore was due to its higher percentage of sulphur.

CORUNDUM.

Corundum is a mineral that was formerly supposed to occur but sparingly in nature, but is now known to be quite wide in its occurrence. It has been found in North Carolina associated with peridotite, pyroxenite, amphibolite, anorthosite, serpentine, gneiss, mica-schist, quartz-schist, amphibole-schist and chlorite-schist. Of all these the most common occurrence is corundum in peridotite, During 1901 corundum deposits were mined which occurred in peridotite, quartz-schist and chlorite-schist. In recent years attempts have also been made to mine corundum in amphibolite, gneiss and amphibole-schist, but in every instance they could not be successfully operated either on account of the low percentage of corundum in the rock, or on account of the refractory nature of the rock, or the erratic occurrence of the corundum, which in a number of instances gave out entirely. In a few instances where the corundum occurred in the decomposed portion of the rock so that it could be separated by sluicing they were successfully worked, but as soon as the hard rock was encountered the mine had to shut down.

There are three names in constant use to designate the varieties of corundum: 1. Sapphire, which includes all of those corundums that are transparent to semi-transparent, of whatever color; 2. Corundum, including the translucent to opaque, of all colors; 3. Emery, which is a mechanical admixture of corundum and magnetite or hematite. The last two varieties are those used in the arts, for abrasive purposes; the emery being used in very much larger quantity than the corundum. It is of course the presence of corundum in the emery that gives it