of immense size, resting in soft red hematites, that have been produced by the disintegration of the specular ores. These boulders contain a great number of small cavities in which the ore has assumed botryoidal forms; and upon these, peroxide iron crystallizations are so formed that a most gorgeous show of prismatic colors is presented. The hardness of this ore is about 6; the soft red ore, in which it occurs, not more than 21.

In these banks there are some carbonates and ochraceous ores, but not in any quantity to deteriorate or materially change the character of the other ores. Many of the boulders present a soft red mass with a blue specular kernel in the center. This ore is found to be slightly magnetic, and gives from 58 to 69 per cent metallic iron.

Down the

appear

Simmons Mountain, one-half mile south of Salem, Dent County, is about 100 feet high, and covers nearly forty acres. The second sandstone is the country rock and at the summit is uncovered, and mixed with specular and brown ores. elevation larger masses of ore are met with that have the ance of being drifts from the main deposit higher up. Shafts have been sunk in this elevation determining more than thirty feet of solid ore. The ore is a splendid, close, compact, brilliant specular, very hard and free from deleterious substances. The ores of this mountain do not show nearly as much metamorphism as many of the other banks in the second sandstone of this region. The ore is quite strongly magnetic, and gives a bright red streak. This is the largest specular iron deposit, with the exception of Iron Mountain, that is known in the State.

Some of the most extensive red hematite banks in Missouri are located in Franklin County. Along the Bourbense there are thirteen exposures of fine red hematite iron ore. Near Dry Branch Station is an elevation, capped at the summit with saccharoidal sandstone, beneath which there is a large body of red and specular ore. The red hematite, however, predominates, and is remarkably pure and free from sulphur or other deleterious substances. The sinking of a number of shafts upon this hill reaches the deposits in several places, in all of which the red hematite shows itself to be the prevailing ore. This ore will be found to work well with the hard specular and ores of the siliceous character, like Pilot Knob.

In Miller, Maries, Cole and Camden Counties, also in Bollinger, Stoddard and Butler Counties, along the line of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad, there are a number of red hematite banks of considerable promise. There are similar banks in the northern part of Texas and Wright Counties, and in Morgan, Benton, Cedar and Laclede.

In Wayne County there are over seventy different limonite ore banks. In Miller, Maries, Camden, Cole, Moniteau and Callaway Counties there are very extensive banks of the same kind. In Morgan, Benton, St. Clair, Cedar, Hickory and Vernon Counties, considerable brown hematite has been found.

In Franklin, Gasconade, Phelps, Crawford, Laclede, Christian, Webster and Green Counties, large limonite beds have been found. In the Moselle region very large deposits have been opened and worked for many years. In Osage County there are a number of promising brown ore banks, as well as fine specular and red hematite.

It is impossible, in the brief space at our command, to describe the number of banks, rich in iron ore, which are situated in the above and other counties of our State; but a glance at the tables found in the works of prominent geologists of the State, will give some idea of the resources of Missouri as an iron producing region.

ZINC.

The ores of zinc in Missouri are almost as numerous as those of lead. They are distributed throughout almost all the geological strata, and scattered through nearly every mineral district; but the principal supply of the metal for commercial purposes is obtained from a very few ores, the more important of which are zinc blende (sulphuret of zinc), the silicate of zinc and the carbonate of zinc, and these are furnished by a comparatively few localities.

In reference to their geological position, the ores are in two classes: The first class includes all zinc ores which occur in the regular veins of the older rocks, and hence are associated with other metalliferous ores. The second mode of occurrence, and the ore by far of paramount importance in Missouri, is that of the third magnesian limestone of the lower silurian series, where

it usually occurs in association with galena in the cave formation. Zinc blende abounds at Granby and Joplin, and is found at many other mines of the southwest. It also occurs at the lead mines of Franklin and Washington Counties, and at some other points in Southeast Missouri.

The pockets of coal in Central Missouri nearly all contain zinc blende. The lead mines of the same section also sometimes

carry it.

There are quantities of silicate of zinc at Granby and Joplin, and the ore is found at most of the lead mines of the southwest, and occasionally in Central and Southeast Missouri. Carbonate of zinc occurs at Granby, Joplin, Minersville and Valle's mines. It is in the Granby, Joplin and Valle mining districts that zinc ore is principally worked.

COPPER.

Several varieties of copper ore exist in the Missouri mines. The copper mines of Shannon, Madison and Franklin Counties have been known for a long time. Some of those in Shannon and Franklin were once worked with bright prospects of success, and some in Madison have yielded good results for many years.

Deposits of copper have been discovered in Dent, Crawford, Benton, Maries, Green, Lawrence, Dade, Taney, Dallas, Phelps, Reynolds and Wright Counties, but the mines in Franklin, Shannon, Madison, Crawford, Dent and Washington give greater promise of yielding profitable results than any other yet discovered.

NICKEL AND COBALT.

These ores abound at Mine La Motte and the old copper mines in Madison County, and are also found at the St. Joseph mines.

Sulphuret of nickel, in beautiful hair-like crystals, is found in the limestone at St. Louis, occupying drusy cavities, resting on calcite or fluor spar.

MANGANESE.

The peroxide of manganese has been found in several localities in Ste. Genevieve and other counties.

SILVER AND GOLD.

Silver occurs to a limited extent in nearly all the lead mines in the State. Gold, though found in small quantities, has never been profitably worked in any part of Missouri.

MARBLE.

Missouri has numerous and extensive beds of marble of various shades and qualities. Some of them are very valuable, and are an important item in the resources of the State.

Fort Scott marble is a hard, black, fine-grained marble, with veins of yellow, buff and brown. It receives a fine polish, and is very beautiful. It belongs to the coal measures, and is common in the western part of Vernon County.

There are several beds of fine marbles in the St. Louis limestone, of St. Louis County.

The fourth division of encrinital limestone is a white, coarsegrained crystalline marble of great durability. It crops out in several places.in Marion County.

The lithographic limestone furnishes a fine, hard-grained, bluish-drab marble, that contrasts finely with white varieties in tessellated pavements.

The Cooper marble of the devonian limestone has numerous pellucid crystals of calcareous spar disseminated through a drab or bluish-drab, fine compact base. It exists in great quantities in some localities of Cooper and Marion Counties, and is admirably adapted to many ornamental uses. There are extensive beds of fine, variegated marbles in the upper silurian limestones of Cape Girardeau County. Cape Girardeau marble is also a part of the Trenton limestone, located near Cape Girardeau. It is nearly white, strong and durable. This bed is also found near Glencoe, St. Louis County.

In the magnesian limestone series there are several beds of very excellent marble. Near Ironton there are beds of semicrystalline, light-colored marbles, beautifully clouded with buff and flesh colors. In the third magnesian limestone, on the Niangua, is a fine-grained, crystalline, silico-magnesian limestone, light drab, slightly tinged with peach blossom, and beautifully clouded with deep flesh-colored shades. It is twenty feet thick, and crops out in the bluffs of the Niangua for a long distance.

There are numerous other beds in the magnesian limestones, some of which are white and others so clouded as to present the appearance of breccias.

The Ozark marbles are well known, some of them having been used to ornament the Capitol at Washington. Wherever the magnesian limestones come near the igneous rocks, we may expect to find them so changed as to present beds of the beautiful variegated marbles.

SULPHATE OF BARYTA.

In its pure white form, this mineral is very abundant in Missouri. It occurs in large beds in the mining regions, as the gangue of our lead veins, and as large masses, especially in the magnesian limestone of the lower silurian rocks. It is utilized as a pigment in connection with lead, and may be made valuable for the same purpose in connection with some of our ferruginous and argillaceous paints.

CLAYS.

Fire clays, possessing refractory qualities, suitable for making fire brick, occur beneath most of the thicker coal seams.

Potter's clay is abundant, especially among the coal measure elays. It is also sometimes found associated with the lower carboniferous rocks.

Kaolin is only found in Southeast Missouri, where porphyries or granites prevail.

Brick clays have been found and worked in nearly all the counties where there has been a demand for them. The argillaceous portions of the bluff formation make good brick, as shown in the brick yards all along our large rivers. Some of the tertiary clays will make the very best brick.

CAVES, ETC.

There are several very interesting and quite remarkable caves in the State. Hannibal Cave, situated one mile below the city of Hannibal, and about a quarter of a mile from the Mississippi River, is approached through a broad ravine, hemmed in by lofty ridges, which are at right angles with the river. The antechamber is about eight feet high and fifteen feet long. This