PLATE I. FRONTfSPfECE M A ~le Hill post- office. This was the first mill put up in the county for sawing marble. This mill, as a whole, is said to have been a somewhat prim- IO BEGINNING OF THE MARBLE INDUSTRY. itive affair; but the mode of cutting the marble was the same as is: now employed in our best mills. A short time after this, another mill was built by Simmons and Hurlick on the west branch of Longswamp creek, two miles east of Jasper. It was run, though not con tinuously, for four or five years, when work in both the mill and the quarry located near by was temporarily suspended. Mr. Simmons, who had now associated with him, as a partner, Mr. Margum of Marietta, began work on a more extensive scale at the original quarry, near which the Southern Marble works are now located. The firm continued operations for only a few years ; but, during that time, it got out a great many tombstones, many of which can be seen in churchyards throughout the surrounding country. In 1850, Tate, Adkinson & Co. opened a quarry in the vicinity of the Georgia Marble works, and erected two mills on the creek, one above and the other, below the quarry. Each mill had two gangs of saws, which enabled the company to turn out a greater amount of work than any previously organized. Owing to this increased facility for the production of marble, the firm now found it necessary to employ an agent to travel through the counties of North Georgia, to solicit orders for tombstones. When a number of these stones, sufficient to make a wagon-load, had been sold, a delivery wagon, drawn by six mules, was started out on the road, to deliver the stones to the respective buyers, as it traveled through the country. This mode of transportation, in a mountainous country, where the roads were usually rough and steep, added greatly to the original cost of the stone. Common, plain tombstones, that now bring from ten totwelve dollars per set, then sold at thirty or forty dollars. After continuing operations for only about two years, this firm was succeeded by Rankin, Summy & Hurlick, which was the last company to do any work, in the immediate vicinity of the Georgia Marbleworks, until the present company was organized. In 1854, Summy & Hurlick, who, ten years before, had opened a quarry two miles east of Jasper, again renewed the work at that place. They erected there a mill with four gangs of saws, and continued successful operation for about six years, when the works were abandoned, on account of the late war. Immediately after the war, the quarry was. worked by Robinson, Richardson & Besinger, for nearly two years ;. BEGINNING OF THE MARBLE INDUSTRY. II but it was afterward abandoned, until I88 5, when the property fell into the hands of the Perseverance Marble Company, organized by Jas. P. Harrison and others. This company at once made a considerable outlay of money, in erecting a steam-mill, opening up new quarries, etc. Steam-drills and all the machinery necessary to carry on a first-class' quarry were secured. The works, which now employed a number of hands, conti-nued operations for only about three years, turning out, in the meantime, a great deal of marble, which was used for various purposes. Since then, the greater part of the machinery has been removed, and the buildings have become somewhat dilapidated. THE GEORGIA MARBLE CoMPANY was organized in May, I884, with a capital of $I, soo,ooo. This date marks the beginning of a very important epoch, in the history of the development of the marble industry in Pickens county. Previous to this time, Georgia marble was practically unknown to the trade as a building-stone, and had even a very local use for tombstones etc.; but, on account of the superior quality of the marble, and the energy and business-like methods of this and other companies soon organized, it has found its way to all parts of the United States, where it is now used in the construction of some of the most costly buildings. The first work of the Georgia Marble Company, after securing control of nearly seven thousand acres, was to construct and equip a branch railroad from the quarries to the main line of the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad. This gave ready means of transportation to all parts of the country. The mills and quarries were then put in operation, at a total cost of nearly $8oo,ooo, and have been run continuously ever since, with a gradually increasing output. THE SouTHERN MARBLE QuARRIES were opened in I88S by Miles & Horne, contractors for the State capitol of Georgia. The stairsteps and the tiling, except the border tiles, used in this building, were secured at these works. Since then the facilities for quarrying and working the marble have been greatly increased. New quarries have been opened, and mills erected; and great quantities of white marble have been annually shipped to all sections of the country for monumental work and interior finish. During the same year, in which the Southern marble quarries were opened, Geo. B. Sickels & Co., marble dressers, near Tate, began work. This firm has since gradually 12 BEGINNING OF THE MARBLE INDUSTRY. increased its output, from year to year, until it has built up an extensive trade in tiling and interior decoration. THE PIEDMONT AND THE BLUE RIDGE MARBLE CoMPANIES were both organized in I886. The former opened a quarry and erected a large mill near the Southern works; but, for some reason, the works have not been continuously operated. The firm, at present, however, has some large buildings under contract, and is doing quite an extensive business. Since the last named date, no new plants have been put in operation; but the old firms have each gradually increased their output, until Georgia, as shown by the following table from the report on the mineral resources of the United States for I893, has become the most extensive marble producing State in the Union, with the exception of Vermont only:- PRODUCTION OF MARBLE IN I893, BY STATES. ST..lTES. VALUE. Vermont $I,6ZI,ooo Georgia 26I,666 New York 206,926 Tennessee rso,ooo Maryland 130,000 Pennsylvania . 27,000 California IO,OOO Idaho ... 4,500 """ Total CHAPTER II. THE ORIGIN OF LIMESTONES. In order that the general reader may better understand the position and mode of occurrence of the Georgia marbles, it is thought advisable to give a short sketch of the origin of limestones. The term limestone embraces all calcareous rocks, however soft or hard. It includes the soft, friable chalks, as well as the hard, crystalline marbles. Limestones have been formed, either as a precipitate from a saturated solution of calcium carbonate, or from the remains of shells and skeletons of animals. It has been the prevailing opinion, among scientific men, until quite recently, that all extensive calcareous formations have resulted from the debris of organisms. This 'opinion is now considered by some of our leading geologists to be far too sweeping, and they have presented many facts, which make it quite probable that many of our limestones are partly, and some of them, entirely, due to chemical precipitation. The everglades of Florida are said to present favorable conditions, for the deposition of calcareous matter from chemical solution. They form an extensive swamp, with an area of several hundred square miles, elevated only a few feet above the sea-level. During the rainy season, the swamp is submerged by the swollen rivers, which flow into it. The waters of these rivers, being collected from soils where vegetable matter is undergoing decomposition, contain much carbonic acid, which enables them to take into solution a great deal of calcium carbonate, dissolved from the calcareous rocks, over which they flow. In the dry season, the water of the swamp, exposed to the rays of a subtropical sun, undergoes a rapid evaporation, and deposits calcium carbonate, both as a calcareous mud and in a crystalline form. The deposit extends over a considerable area, almost horizontal; and, if the conditions, now in existence, were to continue, for a long period of time, the formation would attain a thickness of I4 ORIGIN OF LIMES'l'ONES. many feet, and would require only to be consolidated, in order to form an extensive bed of what is commonly called limestone. Many of the rivers, flowing into the Mediterranean sea, also deposit on the sea bottom, opposite their mouths, calcium carbonate as a chemical precipitate. The calcareous deposit is especially abundant at the mouth of the river Rhone, and has been pointed out, by Sir Charles Lyell and others, as an example of hard, compact, calcareous rock, now in process of formation. There may be seen, in the Museum of Montpelier, France, a cannon taken from the sea bottom, near the mouth of this river, embedded in a crystalline calcareous rock, that shows both the character and the recent origin of the deposit. In all countries, limestone is being deposited, as a chemical precipitate, about the outlet and along the course of limestone springs. Probably the best examples of this mode of forming calcareous rocks are to be found in France and Italy, where, at places, large areas are covered to the depth of many feet by the deposit. In this country we are having. similar deposits laid down by the" Old Sweet'' and the " Red Sweet" springs of Virginia; and, also, by numerous springs in California and the Yellowstone region. Notable are the deposits made by the celebrated Mammoth Hot Springs in the Yellowstone National Park, where immense deposits of calcareous tufa are rapidly forming. The rocks thus formed are not usually very extensive, as compared with other deposits; but, nevertheless, they are frequently important, from an ecpnomic standpoint. Owing to the peculiar condition, under which they are formed, they often show quite a variety of colors arranged in bands, which make the stone very valuable for ornamental purposes, when sufficiently compact. The so-called California, Missouri, Arizona, and Mexican onyx, calcareous stones of remarkable beauty, were probably deposited in this way. Limestone, resulting from chemical precipitation, appears to be confined, at present, almost entirely to land-locked lagoons, bays, and running streams; but, during the earlier geological times, when the earth's crust was at a much higher temperature, it was probably deposited more or less abundantly in the open sea. This seems to be the only explanation, for limestones being found in Archcean areas. Animals, from a very early period in the history of the earth, have ORIGIN OP LIMESTONES. IS been the most effective agents in the formation of limestone. They have worked continuously in the waters of all latitudes, extracting from the sea-water the calcareous matter carried "down by rivers, and forming it into hard shells and skeletons. The accumulation of their remains, in the course of generations, formed thick beds, extending .over wide areas. If these remains accumulated in a bay or estuary, where they were protected from the action of the waves, the rock resulting from their consolidation would consist of a mass of shells .and skeletons, probably cemented together by a thin layer of calca'reous mud. On the other hand, if they accumulated on an exposed coast, the waves would pulverize them into a fine powder, which, when consolidated, would form a compact limestone, rarely showing .any trace of the shells, from which it was formed. Along the southern coast of Florida, immense beds of limestone are now in process of formation from the remains of animals. There, .as elsewhere in all temperate and tropical seas, the most active limeproducing animals are the corals. All the southern portion of that .State has been formed, mainly, from the debris of these organisms, which are still extending it seaward. The conditions for the rapid growth of these animals appear to be .even more favorable about the islands of the South Pacific, where thousands of square miles of the ocean's bed are covered to the depth ..of many feet by their remains, which in many places have become :so hard and compact, as to form calcareous rocks, difficult to distin,guish from the more ancient limestones. On submarine banks and in shallow seas, not suitable for the ;growth of corals, echinoderms, crustaceans and mollusks live in great numbers. The hard parts of these animals, being principally calcium -carbonate, are piled up, in process of time, into extensive heaps, which gradually become consolidated into rock, sufficiently firm for tbuilding purposes, although many of the shells may still retain their Original structure and delic::tte markings. In the deep sea, there exist, near the surface ot the water, myriads of microscopic organisms, whose calcareous skeletons are continually falling to the bottom, where they form at places a thick deposit .of ooze, closely resembling pulverized chalk. Recent investigations :Show that deep-sea ooze and chalk are almost identical, and were 16 ORIGIN OF LIMESTONES. likely deposited under similar conditions, as the remains of very minute animals. --- All limestone, making up a portion of the earth's crust, has been made by the same chemical or organic agencies, which are still in operation, forming calcareous deposits. So completely has this fact been established, that, in many instances, the whole series of changes can be traced from the loose heap of shells on the sea bottom to the hard crystalline marbles on the mountain side. These, as well as all other sedimentary deposits, when first laid down in the ocean by the action of water, were originally horizontal ; and, if the existing conditions had not changed, they might have continued to increase indefinitely, both in thickness and extent. The crust of the earth, however, was very unstable, and underwent, from time to time, great changes, which brought about corresponding changes in the nature of the deposits. Clear seas, once teeming with innumerable lime-producing animals, were gradually changed into muddy seas, depositing clay, sand, and gravel. These various sediments, together with the calcareous beds, were many times repeated, until they attained an aggregate thickness of many thousand feet. Then lateral pressure, which had been increasing for ages, as the earth contracted from the loss of heat, caused the horizontal beds to be slowly raised above the surface of the ocean, and sometimes to be bent into gigantic folds, forming alternate valleys and ridges. So powerful were these lateral forces in many cases, that the folds overlapped one another, or broke and relieved the tension, by thrusting one edge of the series of strata far over the other. During sedimentation and upheaval, heat, pressure and chemical action almost universally changed the deposit into compact rocks, such as are now to be seen outcropping on nearly every hillside in North Georgia. As soon as these indurated deposits were elevated above the sea-level, atmospheric and aqueous agencies began their work of erosion and transportation. The folds, forming high ridges and even mountains, were often cut away by these agents into valleys, while the valleys remained as ridges. The original natural features of the country were thus, in many cases, completely changed, and the former topography can now be worked out, with any degree of certainty, only after a thorough knowledge of the structural geology PLATE II M ARBLE QUARRY, NEAR MI NER AL BLUFF, FANNIN C OU NT Y, GEORG I A. ORIGIN OF LIMESTONES. of the region. No section of the country, probably, better illustrates this advanced stage of folding and erosion, than that portion of North Georgia, in which the beds of crystalline limestones, or ..marbles, appear. Here the various contorted and folded strata of slate, gneiss, conglomerate and marble, once horizontal beds of clay, sand, gravel, and calcareous material in the bottom of the sea, now dip at an angle from 20 to 70 to the southeast. This direction of dip is practically the same throughout the marble belt, and is evidently due to close pressed, overlapping folds, with their upper portion removed by erosion. As the relative positions of the different beds of rocks in a fold always remain unchanged, it is possible to trc..ce certain strata, as marble, long distances, without ever seeing any actual outcrop, and even to identify a stratum as belonging to the same geological horizon, though the outcroppings may be many miles apart. Where marbles underlie valleys covered to considerable depths, as in North Georgia, this is the only way that they can be located, with any degree of certainty; and the prospector who disregards these facts usually retires from the field with only a large find of valuable experience as a reward for his labor. Limestones resulting either from chemical precipitation or from the remains of animals, differ greatly, both in chemical and physical properties. These differences have given rise to many varieties; the principal ones are described below :- Common limestone is a compact, massive rock, occurring in beds or layers, with other sedimentary deposits, and is the most abundant of all the calcareous rocks. Its color is commonly yellowish gray, blue, or brown; but it may be black, or even red. It, like all other rocks of this class except dolomite, effervesces readily with dilute hydrochloric acid, burns readily into quicklime, and may or may not contain animal remains. Most common limestones are crypto-crystalline. Marble, which is the special subject of this report, differs from the common limestone only in being pheno-crystalline.- It is made up of crystalline grains of a uniform size, but usually of no definite shape; these may readily be seen with the naked eye, as the name phenocrystalline implies. \Yhen free from foreign substances, marble is of a snow-white color; but, if accessory minerals are present, the stone VARIETIES OF I.dMESTONE. may be red, blue, yellow, gray, green, or black. This great variety -of colors well adapts it for all classes of ornamental work. It occurs, like common limestone, in immense beds, sometimes hundreds of feet in thickness and many miles in length; but, unfortunately, only a small proportion of such deposits furnish stone of any economic value. Marble is regarded by many geologists as a metamorphic rock, and has, in most cases, been produced, probably, from common limestone, by means of heat and pressure. Magnesian limestone (dolomite) is a very abundant calcareous rock, dosely resembling common limestone, in all its physical properties, but having a different chemical composition. When pure, it is composed of nearly equal parts of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate; and, unless heated, it does not readily effervesce with dilute hydrochloric acid. Magnesian limestone occurs both as a pheno.crystalline and a crypto-crystalline rock. When pheno-crystalline, it is called a dolomitic marble, and makes a fine stone, either for ornamental or for architectural purposes. The crypto-crystalline form of this rock occurs in Northwest Georgia as Knox dolomite, where it forms a number of wide, more or less parallel bands, extending in a diagonal direction across the corner of the State. It has been used at several places for bridge piers, retaining walls, etc.; but, as it does not admit of a fine polish, it cannot be used for ornamental purposes. The crystalline form appears as a true dolomitic marble, at various places along the marble belt in Pickens, Gilmer, and Fannin counties. Oolz'tic lmestone consists of small, more or less spherical grains of .calcite, cemented together by similar material; it resembles somewhat the roe of a fish, receiving its name from this resemblance. The individual grains have a concretionary structure, which has resulted from the peculiar conditions, under which they were deposited. The better qualities of the stone are well adapted for building purposes. The State capitol of Georgia is constructed of this variety of limestone, from Indiana. Crinozdallz'mestone is made up almost entirely of crinoidal stems, corals etc. It is frequently semi-crystalline; and, when variegated, .as the Tennessee marble, it makes a remarkably fine ornamental stone. Travntine is deposited, as a chemical precipitate, by springs or VARIETIES OF LIMESTONE. streams, and varies greatly in color and texture. Its color is usually white or some shade of brown, green, red, or yellow. In the more compact varieties of the stone, as the so-called Mexican onyx, these different colors alternate with each other, producing a beautiful banded structure. When travertine is deposited in water much agitated, i~ is quite spongy and porous, and has no economic value, either as a building or ornamental stone. This variety is called tufa. Stalactites and stalagmites, cave deposits, have an origin similar to that of travertine. Hydraulic limestone is an impure calcareous rock of various colors, found more or less abundant in all geological formations. It con. tains clay and silica, which are often found in such abundance, that, when the rock is burnt for lime, it will not slack with water; but, when ground and mixed as a mortar, it will set under water, and form a mass of great hardness. Hence it is called hydraulic limestone. The best varieties of this stone are generally found as transitional beds between ordinary limestones and shales or sandstones. Chalk is a fine-grained, earthy limestone, so soft as to readily soil the hands. It often encloses nodules or bands of flint; and, when examined through the microscope, it is frequently found to be made up largely of shells of very minute animals. Litkograpkzc lt"mestone is a very compact, fine grained, homogeneous calcareous rock, usually of a pale-gray or yellowish color, with a conchoidal fracture. It is extensively used by lithographers for making maps etc. On the smooth surface of such a stone, draw ings are made with a greasy ink, specially prepared for the purpose; or such a drawing may be transferred to the stone directly from the original drawing. The stone, being somewhat porous, retains the ink; and, if it is now moistened with water, all parts of the stone become wet, except where the grease occurs. A roller, coated with printer's ink, is then passed over the stone, taking effect only on the greased lines of the drawing, which may then be printed from, as from an engraving. There are only a few places, so far discovered, within the United States, where limestone occurs, possessing the necessary qualities for lithographic purposes, nearly all of it, at present, being imported from Solenhofen, Bavaria. Bitumznous or fetid limestone is usually of a very dark color i and, 20 VARIETIES OF LnviESTONE. when struck with a hammer, it gives off a very disagreeable odor. which appears to be due to the carbonaceous material it contains. When exposed to the atmospheric agencies for any length of time, it undergoes a change in color, frequently becoming almost white on the exposed surface. The so-called black marbles of Cedar Ridge, Murray county, are good examples of bituminous limestone. __ I I I I ,L -------- , GEOLOGICAL ~URYEY OF UEORGIA. r:S.Yeares.Stale Geologist. ~;==;=== l89 4. ==--=;--' MAP SHOWING THE -- --' 011~1-l!!Jitn~lil W~~! l'N'1 ~~ l!:it'Jr't:!\'AI~ OI:A!"i'.mmlfl'lAt','IJiJ!!iii@\J!t~! t'tW:.~J:\l:1t!:\J\I!OlIJ~~~fJ ~ !K. ._, BY S.~_,M9CALLI E . ASST GEOL0GI ST. MARBLE INDICATED BY RED LINES . CHAPTER III. THE MARBLES OF FANNIN COUNTY. All the true marble of Georgia, so far discovered, appears in a narrow belt, sixty miles long, extending in a northeastern and southwestern direction through Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, and Cherokee .counties, which lie in the northern part of the State, on the border line between the well-known Paleozoic group and the broad belt of crystalline rocks. That portion of the counties where the marbles are found is usually quite hilly, and in places, even mountainous, with peaks reaching an altitude of more than four thousand feet above the sea-level. The numerous valleys are narrow, but very fertile, while the adjacent ridges are generally unproductive, unless underlaid by black slate or marble, which invariably weathers into a rich soil, heavily timbered with oak, chestnut, poplar, hickory, and other species. The trend of the valleys and ridges is generally northeast and southwest, corresponding in direction to the strike of the strata. However, they are subject to local variations, especially in the region of the great mountain masses in Pickens and Gilmer counties. Living streams are everywhere abundant; and the large ones are frequently rapid, and furnish fine water-power, which is at present almost unutilized. The Marietta and North Georgia Railroad runs parallel with the marble belt, throughout its entire length; and at no point is the outCropping located more than two or three miles from this road. The marbles enter the extreme northeastern portion of Fannin county from North Carolina in two almost parallel lines of outcroppings, located about two miles apart, and extending in a diagonal direction across the county. The line of outcropping, lying furthest to the east, makes its first appearance on the head-waters of HAME STRING CREEK (lot 45, 8th distnd, 1st section), a small stream flowing to the northeast, and emptying into the Notteley river. The exposure here is at the juncture of two small ravines, and consists of a few large bowlders of disintegration, with their surface much 22 THE 11lARBLES OF FANNIN COUNTY. weathered. Nothing has been done towards the development of this property, and but little is known of the general character and extent of the deposit. The specimens secured are made up of small crystalline grains, and are of dark or light gray color. There is almost an entire absence of the mica, which produces the laminated structure, so frequently seen in many of the fine-grained marbles of North Georgia. The rocks, associated with the marbles1 on the east, are gneisses, interstratified with thin beds of metamorphic sandstone, and give rise to a series of high ridges and knobs, extending as far south as Hemptown creek. The rocks, associated with the marbles on the west, are greenish hydro-mica slates, overlaid by gneisses and mica-schist, and forming the less elevated ridges and hills, that separate the two lines of marble outcroppings. The dip of the rocks here, as elsewhere throughout the marble belt of Fannin county; is generally to the southeast, at an angle of from 30 to 70, though they are subject to many local changes. ONE MILE SOUTHEAST OF THE ABOVE EX- POSURE, and on the same creek, marble again outcrops on the Polk Patterso1Z property. It, here, underlies, for nearly a quarter of a mile, the narrow valley at the western base of High Top mountain, and is one of the most extensive surface exposures in Fannin county. In the upper, contracted portion of the valley, covered with a virgin forest, the marble appears on the surface, on both sides of the creek, forming considerable ledges; but, lower down the valley, where the land is under cultivation, 1 See figure 1. THE MARBLES OF FANNIN COUNTY. 2J. it is found, only by sinking pits from eight to ten feet beneath the surface of the alluvial soil. The angle of the dip and the width of the exposure at this point indicate that the deposit must be at least eigh_ty _f~e! t~i<:Js and that it is evidently a continuation of the marble outcropping on lot 45, mentioned above. A limited amount of work has been carried on here, to ascertain the extent and character of the stone, and, also, to secure specimens for exhibition. These specimens have always attracted the attention of men interested in marbles. A large slab of this stone, which was sent to the Piedmont Exposition at Atlanta in r887, was said to have been an object of general comment. Light or dark g-ray, more or' less banded with black, are the prevailing shades; but marble of a flesh color, tinged with green, and resembling very closely the Etowah marble, occurs. The crystalline grains are small, of a uniform size, and firmly united, which makes the stone susceptible of a high polish. In the light colored variety, chalcopyrite, in small crystals, and a few scales of mica are found; but neither, probably, exist~ in sufficient abundance to seriously injure it for architectural purposes. The exposed surfaces of the stone generally show a uniform mode of weathering; and, wherever the outcroppings were examined, they indicated that the deposit is comparatively free from seams and cutters; however, its general soundness cannot be determined definitely, until further prospecting has been done. J. ON M. GARRISON's PROPERTY (lot 79, 8th district, Ist section), one and a half miles southwest of the Patterson property, marble is found near Cutcane creek, a small stream flowing parallel with, but in opposite direction to that of, Harne String creek. The marble located here is near the center of a narrow hollow, between two rather steep hills, and was accidentally discovered by a boy, while engaged in digging a pit. It lies beneath about five feet of earth, which appears to have been washed from the hillside above. At the time of our visit, only one excavation had been made, at which the marble could be examined. The color and general appearance of the stone are very similar to the marbles previously examined along this line of outcropping, differing- only in being somewhat of a coarser texture. Nothing definite, concerning the extent and soundness of the stone, could be ascertained from the limited exposure. Small pieces of THE MARBLES OP PANNIN COUNTY. talc are of common occurrence in the soil overlying the marble; but it is not known, whether its original source is the marble or the as:.ociated gneisses and slates. IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF CUTCANE POST-OFFICE, on lot I 12, 8th district, 1st section, owned by J L. Gray, marble occurs in the Creek bottoms, overlaid, from four to five feet, by alluvial soil. It has been used to a limited extent in making lime for local consumption; but no regular quarrying has been attempted. A diamonddrill hole has been put down her\'! in the marble to the depth of several feet; but it was impossible to secure any reliable information, as to.the character of the stone penetrated. Much of the prospecting in North Georgia has been done by speculators, who, unfortunately for the public, have kept the results of their work a secret, and, consequently, a great deal of the information concerning the marble deposits, which would otherwise be very valuable, is, at present, not obtainable for publication. The area, over which the marble has been found on this property, is quite limited, having been discovered, so far, at only two or three places. By thoroughly prospecting the creek bottoms, it is likely that it will be found to be more extensive. The specimens of the stone collected are uniformly of a white or light-gray color, with an unusually fine texture. Mica is more or less prominent, as an inclusion, in this marble, and causes a cleavage-like structure, when abundant along certain lines. As the stone is neither exposed on the surface, nor used for building purposes, nothing is known of its mode of weathering. Two MILES FURTHER DOWN CuTCANE CREEK, o1z the Wzdow Dean's property (lot 145, 8th district, rst section), marble again occurs in the creek bottom. It may be seen here in a ditch, which has recently been cut just below the mill. It is said to have been discovered at other places along the creek, from four to five feet beneath the surface. It has been used to some extPnt in making lime. The texture and color of the marble are very similar to that found on lot I 12; but there seems to be in it more mica, which, in places, renders the stone somewhat slaty in structure. Whether this mineral extends throughout the entire deposit, or is confined to certain layers, .could not be determined from the extent of the exposure. PLATE III P~;:R S ERV E RAN C E M ARBLE \ illoRK S, N EAR JA S PER , PI C KEN S C OU N TY, GEOR G I A. THE MARBLES OF FANNIN COUNTY. NEAR THE JuNCTION OF CuTCANE AND HEMPTOWN CREEKS, on -what is known as the Park property (lot I g8, 8th district, znd section), ~onsiderable work has recently been done, in prospecting for marble. A quarry was opened here, and many cubic yards of stone were :removed; but the work was finally abandoned, before any marble was put on the market. The texture of the stone, which occurs here, is well suited for ornamental purposes; but, on account of its unsound condition, it is a question whether or not it can be quarried with profit. White and light-gray, with an occasional band of black, .are the prevailing colors. Mica and tremolite are the accessory minerals, the latter forming long masses of light-colored crystals, which are quite conspicuous on the weathered surface, and which make it difficult to 'polish the marble. Here, as elsewhere along the creek, the marble is found beneath an overburden of earth, from four to six feet in thickness, which appears to have been deposited by the creek, as its lower layers are composed mainly of water-worn pebbles. At a number of places in the creek bottom near the -quarry, it is said that marble has been discovered; but the quality .of the stone at these places has never been thoroughly tested. ONE MTLE EAST OF MINERAL BLUFF, marble is found in a somewhat hilly section, close to the road leading to Morganton. It occurs here, about five feet below the surfa..:e, at the foot of a hill, near a ~mall stream, where, recently, it has been extensively prospected. Two excavations, only a few yards apart, each about twenty feet square .and ten feet deep, have been cut into the marble, by means of channeling machines, and many large blocks have been taken out. Some of these still remain about the excavation; but most of them have obeen used for making lime. The marble from one of these openings has a very fine texture and a snow-white color; but mica occurs in -some of the layers, in such abundance as to cause them to split -quite easily along certain lines. In the other opening, the marble :seems to be sounder and of a darker color; but it all contains both mica and hornblende. The white varieties of the stone, found here, -resemble very closely, in texture and color, some of the Italian marbles, and would command a high price as an ornamental stone, if they were free from mica and other impurities. The extraneous minerals in marbles are frequently quite local, and disappear some- s z6 THE MARBLES OF FANNIN COUNTY. times in a few feet, when a stratum is being penetrated. The soundness, also, may vary greatly at different depths. It is not possible, therefore, from the data at hand, to estimate, with any degree of certainty, the value of this deposit. ON WEAVER CREEK, one mile east of Blue Ridge, marble occurs on the Cox property (lots 239 and 240, 8th district, 2nd section). It outcrops, at only two or three places along the creek; but, by sinkin~ pits, from four to five feet deep, in the creek bottom, it has been found to cover quite an area. Some test drill-holes were put down here, a short time ago by parties holding an option on the property ; but the result of the work seems not to have been made public, and we were unable to secure any data, as to these tests. The texture and color of the stone are like that found near Mineral Bluff; and it has the same impurities, with the addition of chalcopyrite in the form of small crystals. This exposure is probably the southern terminus of the eastern line of outcroppings, as it has not been discovered at any place south of this point. IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF SwEET GuM PosT-OFFICE, the western line of marble outcroppings enters Fannin COJillty from North Carolina. It first occurs near the State line, in a narrow valley along Rapier Mill creek, o1z lot 7, 8th district, 1st section, where it has been found in a limited area, from six to twelve feet below the surface. Only two or three pits, exposing the marble, have been made here; but, just across the state line near Culberson, N. C., an extensive quarry is in operation. A great amount of valuable stone has been take'n from this quarry, and shipped to various eastern and western cities, where it always. commands a high price, because of its superior qualities. The marble at both of these places is similar in color and texture. The crystalline grains, of which the stone is composed, are small and firmly united, forming a dense, compact marble, that admits of a brilliant polish. The common color is a dark-gray; but black and light-gray,. streaked with black bands, occur. At the Culberson quarry is also found a flesh-colored marble, which has not been discovered on lot No. 7 Mica and other impurities are less abundant here, than at other places, hitherto examined in Fannin county; yet seams and cutters, though not numerous, cause considerable waste. THE J'IARBLES OF FANNIN COUNTY. FIG. 2. ~ A northwest and southeast section, two miles in length, intersecting the railroad one mile south of Mineral Bluff. 1. Mica-schist. 2. Hydro-mica slate. 3. ~larble. 4. Slate and gneiss interstratified with conglomerate and quartzite. The rocks, associated with the marbles, along the western line of outcroppings' are like those along the eastern line; however, they are in a reversed order, the greenish hydro-mica slates lying to the east of the marbles, which overlie the gneisses and slates containing thin layers of metamorphic sandstone.. The dip is generally to the southeast, at a high angle; and, at places, the strata is much folded and contorted. AT ARP's SPRING, one mile southwest of Sweet Gum post-office, on lot 42, 81ft district, Ist section, marble appears a second time, in the Rapier Mill Creek valley. It occurs in a depression about the spring, underlying an area of about one-half of an acre. Before the adjacent hills were cleared, the marble was exposed on the surface; but now it is covered, from one to four feet deep, by sandy clays and gravels, washed in from the surrounding cultivated fields. A drill-hole was put down at this place a short time ago, to the depth of thirty feet, without passing through the stratum. The core taken out was said to have been generally sound, and free from impurities. In texture and color, the stone differs but little from that found on lot No. 7. ON YouNG SToNE CREEK, near Cole's crossing, marble similar to that found on the Arp propert;', is said to have been recently discovered. THE DICKEY PROPERTY.-\Vhile the workmen were engaged, a few years ago, in making the excavation for the bridge piers of the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad at Toccoa river, marble was discovered near the water-level. Since then, a large pit, about thirty feet square and fifteen feet deep, has been dug, just below the bridge, in order to expose the marble. As the bottom of the pit lies below the ,urface of the river, and is usually covered with water, it was found to be impracticable, at the time of our visit, to make an examination 1 See figure 2. 28 THE MARBLES OF FANNIN COUNTY. of the stone z'n situ. It was learned, however, that the marble. at the bottom of the opening was not a continuous mass, but appeared to be in large bowlders. On the opposite side of the river, the marble is said to have been found, underlying a considerable area, about the mouth of Young Stone creek ; but no attempt has been made to develop it. The specimens of the stone, which were examined at the bridge, contained numerous cutters and seams, and were generally unsound. However, a very imperfect idea of a deposit, as a whole, can be obtained from a few bowlders. All the marble found at this place is of a light color and a rather fine texture, and has comparatively few impurities. FIG. 3. , ' '~ ' . 1"' ~' ' . J ' ' ' ~ ~- -- =~~ ~~ :- \ ::', 3 2 1 3 A section, two miles in length, passing northwest and southeast through the poor- house farm, one mile south of Blue Hidge. 1. Mica-schist. 2. Marble. 3. Slate and Mica-schist with quartzite in thin layers. ONE MILE SOUTHWEST OF BLUE RIDGE, on a farm belonging to the Count)' Poorlzouse, marble outcrops within a short distance of the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad.' There occur here, along a small stream, two exposures only a short distance apart, neither of which has been worked. The surfaces of the stone, which have been exposed to atmospheric agencies, are weathered uniformly, and appear to be generally sound. The marble is a dark-gray and of a coarse texture, with less mica, than is usually found in the marbles of Fannin county. FACILITIES FOR TRANSPORTATION.-By examining the accompanying general map of the marble belt, it will be seen, that the marbles of Fannin county are found along the line of the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad, which follows for twelve miles the western line of outcroppings, at no place leaving them, more than a few hundred yards. The eastern line of outcroppings, though not so favorably located, could be easily reached by running a branch road from Mineral Bluff. 1 See Figure 3. THE MARBLES OF r'ANNIN COUNTY. WATER-PowER.-The map also shows that all the marble, thus far located, with only one exception, is near creeks, whose sources are well up in the adjacent hills and mountains. These streams, though usually small, are quite rapid, and have a great deal of fall, which can be utilized in furnishing water-power to operate mills or other machinery. ALL THE OuTCROPPINGS BELONG TO THE SAME STRATUM.-The relative positions of the associated rocks, along each line of outcropping, show that all the marble belongs to the same stratum. This stratum, once horizontal, but now dipping at a high angle to the southeast along both lines of outcropping, has been brought to its present position by the folding of the strata. Erosion has decapitated these folds, and left the upturned edges of the marble extending across the country, in two continuous lines. Owing to the great depth of residual clays, and, probably, to local faults in this region, the marble is found 'only in certain favorable locations, usually along streams, where it has been exposed to view by the action of running water. CHAPTER IV. THE MARBLES OF GILMER COUNTY. Gilmer county, though containing extensive beds of marble, has not yet produced any stone of consequence, either for building or for ornamental purposes. At a few places, the stone has been used to a limited extent, for making lime; but at present, no quarries of any kind are in operation. The prospecting, carried on in the county, has been confined to a few small pits and drill-holes, which are not sufficiently extensive, to give any very definite knowledge of the deposit. ON RocK CREEK, one mile southwest of Cherry Log post-office marble occurs on J. L. Lacey's property (lot 182, 8th district, 2nd section). It outcrops in the bed of the creek, and is found a few feet below the surface in the adjacent bottoms. The area, over which the marble has been discovered, is less than an acre in extent, being confined to the narrow valley along the creek. One or two pits have been sunk on this property; but no attempt has been made, by boring or otherwise, to ascertain the thickness or the general soundness of the stone. A few drill-holes, put down here at the proper place, would probably reveal the true value of the deposit, without any great outlay of money. Wherever it was practicable to make an examination of the stone, it was found to be of the usual light or dark-gray color, and of fine texture. The weathered surfaces show but little mica or other impurities. The associated rocks are very similar to those found in Fannin county, though much more folded and contorted. If this deposit should prove to be valuable, after being thoroughly prospected, the water-power of Rock creek and the closeness of the railroad are advantages, that would materially aid in the cheap production of marble at this place. NEAR WHITE PATH, marble is found on lots 272 and 273, 10th distn'ct, 2nd section, owned by P. B. Whztaker. It outcrops along White Path creek, below the railroad trestle, and lies just beneath the surface, on both sides of the railroad, underlying an area, probably of THE MARBLES OF GILMER COUNTY. 3I "three acres. Two or three drill-holes, from ten to thirty feet in depth, together with a ditch, exposing the stone to the distance of forty feet, is all the work, that has been done here towards developing the property. The cores, taken fr~m th~ borings, are said to have been generally sound throughout thetr entire length; however, the stone, which was examined in the creek, was somewhat laminated, due to the considerable quantity of mica it contained. The color and texture of the marble west of the railroad is like that found on the Lacey property, while some of the layers on the east side are quite black, and, on account of their fine grain and banded structure, are likely to be taken for slate. The black variety contains small crystals .of pyrite (an iron sulphide). Nevertheless, it could probably be used for tiling and other indoor work. ON THE HoLT FARM, which joins the Whitaker property, marble .outcrops at various places, about the junction of Big and Little Turniptown creeks. Here, the narrow valleys along the creeks become ~uddenly expanded into a wide fertile bottom, nearly surrounded by high hills. Near the center of the bottom, the marble outcrops in the -creek at several places, and is said to be found underlying a number .of acres in the immediate vicinity. A small amount of stone has been quarried here to make lime, and at one place a corner-stone was secured for the school building at Ellijay; but, otherwise, the -deposit is undeveloped. The general appearance of the stone is similar to the lighter varieties, found on the adjoining property, though a pale-blue variety .also occurs. The crystalline grains are quite small, being diffiCUlt to distinguish with the unaided eye. The surfaces of the Outcropping at some places are unevenly weathered, and show a somewhat laminated structure, while at other places they weather evenly, .and appear to be comparatively free from impurities. The area, over which the marble has been located at this place, indicates a rather -extensive deposit; and it, very likely, contains much valuable stone. 7his, however, cannot be positively ascertained, until the property is thoroughly prospected. Big Turniptown creek is a stream of considerable size, and would furnish quite a water-power, that could easily be utilized, in operating quarries on the Holt property. THE MARBLES OF GILMER COUNTY. FIVE MILES SOUTH OF ELLIJAY, near the head-waters of Tolona creek, marble occurs on John Ray's property (lot 225, roth district, 2nd secton). This is the northern terminus of a series of outcroppings, which extend along this creek, with only one or two interruptions, for about six miles. The marble appears at this place, at the foot of a hill and in the branch near by. At no place has any work been done to test its extent or quality. The specimens collected are fine-grained, and of a light-gray or white color. A FEW HUNDRED YARDS SOUTH of this exposure (on lot 260, rotk distn"ct, 2nd section), there is a more extensive outcropping, which forms, near the creek, a bluff about twelve feet in height. A sm~ll quarry was opened, here, some years ago, to secure stone for making lime; but it has since been abandoned. Much of the marble, outcropping here, seems to be quite solid, free from mica, and weathered evenly on exposed surfaces. It is similar, both in color and texture, to the stone found on lot 225, described above. Just west of the marble at this place, is quite a deposit of iron ore, which is frequently found associated with the marbles of North Georgia. It reaches its greatest development on the Holt property, where it appears quite abundant on Iron Knob. ONE AND A HALF MILES SOUTH OF TOLONA POST-OFFICE, on lots 142 and 143, r 2th district, 2nd section, marble outcrops along the eastern side of the valley, forming a line of cliffs as far south as Price's creek. The marble, here, is mostly light-colored and finegrained; but there also occurs a dark or motley-colored variety, with coarse grains. Both of these varieties contain more or less mica; especially is this true of the fine-grained variety. Quartz is sometimes seen to project from the weathered surfaces, in the form either of veins or of nodules. The marble, that has been exposed in the cliffs for a long time, commonly shows a comparatively even weathering. Near the railroad trestle, on lot 142, a drill-hole was put down, about two years ago, by a party holding an option on the pr.operty, to the depth of eighty feet, without passing through the marble. The result of this work was kept a secret, and, as a consequence, no reliable information could be obtained, with reference to the character of the stone penetrated. The value of the marble in this vicinity depends largely on its soundness, and any light on this: PLATE IV. SouTHERN M A HBLE CO :.J PA N v's MI LL, M ARBL E YARD AND QUARRY, No. 1, NEAR M ARBLE H JLL, PI C KENS CouNTY, GE o RG I A. THE MARBLES OF GIL11'IER COUNTY. 33 important question, that is likely to be obtained from deep boring, is very desirable, and should always be carefully noted. HENRY GARTRELL's PROPERTY, generally known as Marble Bluff, joins lot 142, above mentioned, and lies along the east side of Tolona valley, just below the mouth of Price's creek. The marble forms near the creek a bluff, eighty feet in height, almost perpendicular. with the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad running at its base. FIG. 4. A northwest and southeast section passing through :Marble Bluff near Henry Gartrell's residence. 1. Light~green slates. 2. Marble. 3. Mica-schist. 4. Mica-schist and gneiss with thin layers of conglomerate. 5. Black slate. This is one of the most extensive natural exposures of marble in the State, and has always attracted attention; but, so far, it is practically undeveloped. The marble attains a thickness, at this place, of about one hundred and seventy-five feet, and varies greatly, both in texture and color. There are three principal colors, viz :-pink, white and dark-gray. The pink is found near the upper part of the stratum, where it forms thin layers, which appear to extend only a short dis. tance along the edge of the outcropping. The white is the most abundant ; it, also, is found in the upper part of the stratum, whil~ the darker colored, or gray, lies at the base. The last named variety has rather a coarse texture, being made up of crystalline grains frequently an eighth of an inch in diameter, yet so firmly united as to form a very solid marble. The white and the pink have a very fine texture; and, when free from mica, they admit of a very high polish. These fine-grained marbles, when they contain much mica, weather unevenly; but, where this impurity is absent, the weathered surface is found to be quite smooth, and the stone, well suited for ornamental purposes. The darker varieties have but few impurities, and, consequently, weather evenly. The lower layers of the stratum seem to be generally sound, and free from seams, while the upper layers are more or less laminated, and, at places, show evidence of shearing. :34 THE MARBLES OF GILMER COUNTY. Some chalcopyrite and quartz occur, as inclusions in the marble; but they are not in sufficient quantities to be injurious. A company began work here, last spring, with a view of opening a quarry; but, at No the time of our visit, the work was temporarily suspended. work had previously been done here, except the digging of one or two pits in the creek bottom, to ascertain the extent of the marble. This property is the most favorably located of any in Gilmer county, for the cheap production of marble. Besides the railroad and suitable grounds for the location of mills and marble-yards, Price's creek, a mountain stream of considerable volume of water, can be~ easily controlled, so as to furnish the necessary power to run all the machinery. For the first two miles, above where it enters Tolona valley, it has a fall of nearly one hundred and fifty feet, and the narrow valley or gorge, through which it flows, becomes so contracted at places, that retaining dams can be constructed, with but little expense. CHAPTER V. THE MARBLES OF PICKENS COUNTY. Pickens county is, at present, really the only marble-producing county in the State. The value of the deposits, here, has long been known; but only of recent years have they been worked on an extensive scale. A number of companies are now operating in the vicinity of Tate, each of which makes annually large shipments of stone, for both building and ornamental purposes. The marbles enter this county from Gilmer, on lot 140, 5th dz'strz'ct, 2nd sectz'on, which joins the Gartrell property. The bluffs, here, are almost as high and precipitous as those on the adjoining lot; and the only apparent difference in the character of the stone is the absence of the flesh-colored layers. A few hundred yards further down the creek, on lot I39 5tlz dt'stn'ct, znd 8ectz'on, a considerable quantity of marble has been quarried, for making lime. The kiln is situated on the east side of the railroad, where a siding has been put in, from the main track. The capacity of the kiln is about one thousand barrels per month, selling at seventy-five cents per barrel. It is used for both mechanical and agricultural purposes. The lower layers of the stone on this lot appear to be quite sound, and weather evenly. On the opposite side of the railroad from the lime-kiln, a drill-hole has been put down in the marble thirty feet. The core, taken from the boring, is said to have been quite solid, throughout its entire length. ON THE GoDFREY PROPE~TY (lot 15 I, 5th dzstrzd, znd sectz'on), near the mouth of Fisher's creek, is an extensive exposure of marble, that seems to be the southern terminus of the deposit in Tolona valley. Between this property and the lime-kiln, lies lot I 38. 5th dzstn'ct, 2nd section, through which the marble continues, forming high bluffs, which overhang the creek; but, on the Godfrey property, it appears, as large exposed surfaces on the gradually sloping, wooded hillside. It also outcrops in a number of places in the cultivated THE MARBLES OF PICKENS COUNTY. fields. A small quarry, long since abandoned, was opened here, more than forty years ago, in order to secure marble for tombstones. These stones are now to be found throughout the county, in various graveyards, little affected by the atmospheric agencies, after an exposure of thirty or forty years. Refuse blocks and spalls lying about the quarry, and the old marble chimney at the Godfrey residence, well illustrate the durability of this stone. Its color is usually white or dark-gray. The texture varies from Coarse to finegrained ; the former, which predominates, is sounder than the latter, and contains scarcely any mica. ABOUT HALF A MILE SOUTH OF THIS EXPOSURE, and running parallel with it, is another line of marble outcroppings, which belong to an entirely different stratum. It is an impure dark-colored stone, with a somewhat slaty cleavage, forming, on the hill near Fisher's. creek, a bluff thirty or forty feet in height. What appears to be the same stratum outcrops in the road opposite Tolona school-house, and is found near the State line in Fannin county ; but only in the vicinity of Ball Ground and Canton, in Cherokee county, is it likely to be of any economic value. FouR MILES NORTHEAST OF TALKING RocK STATION, on the head-waters of Fisher's creek, several hundred dollars were spent, a few years ago, in prospecting for marble on the Eager property; but the work was finally abandoned without opening any quarry. Three excavations were made here-two on the hillside, and one neat' the head of a narrow hollow close by. The marble appears as a natural exposure, at several places on the hill; but it lies beneath the surface in the hollow. The prospecting, carried on here, was directed mainly to stripping the earth from the marble, with a view to determining the extent and character of the deposit. Some of the surfaces, thus exposed, show a very peculiar mode of weathering. At one place a large cavity, which resembles very closely a pot-hole, may be seen. It is about eight feet in diameter and fifteen feet deep. This irregular mode of weathering is due, either to the unsound condition of the stone or to the impurities which it contains, or to both of these causes combined. The crystalline grains, making up the stone, are sometimes an eighth of an inch in diameter; but they are usually much smaller. The coarse-g-rained variety is gen- THE MARBLES OF PICKENS COUNTY. 37 erally found in the lower part of the stratum, while the fine-grained and lighter-colored variety occurs above. This property is the most unfavorably located, with reference to transportation, of any heretofore examined; however, a branch road not over five miles in length could \le easily constructed up Fisher's creek, connecting with the main line of the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad. Two MILES EAST OF JASPER, on Longswamp creek, marble occurs on }. P. Harrison's property, on which are the Perseverance Marble Quarries. It forms here, along the east side of the creek, an almost continuous series of bluffs, forty or fifty feet in height and nearly a mile in length. Four quarries have been opened, one of which was quite extensively worked a few years ago, and produced much valuable marble. But it is at present abandoned, and the greater part of the machinery has been removed to the Piedmont works, where better facilities for transportation are at hand. The stone found here is mostly of a snow-white color, having a nne texture; but, unfortunately, seams are of such frequent occurrence, as to make it difficult to quarry blocks of large size. The manner, in which the marble weathers, is well illustrated by a number of tombstones from this quarry, which have been exposed for several years in the graveyard near Jasper. Some of these stones .are uniformly weathered, while others, containing mica, have rough and irregular surfaces. The fine texture and brilliant polish, which this stone admits of, makes it very valuable for ornamental purposes. Two diamond-drill holes, one I I I feet and the other I 30 feet deep, have been put down on this property, neither of them passing through the stratum of marble. The parts of the cores from these holes, which were examined, showed the character of the stone penetrated, to be similar to that exposed in the natural outcroppings. FIG. 5. A section, 1~ miles long, passing throngh Perseverance quarry along the line A-A'. (See detail map of Tate and vicinity.) 1. Mica-schist. 2. Marble. 3. Gneiss and Mica-schist. 4. Mica-schist and slate. 38 THE MARBLES OJ? PICKENS COUN'I'Y. The marble here dips to the southwest at an angle of about 30, and attains a thickness, as demonstrated by the boring, of nearly two hundred feet. Longswamp creek divides on this property into two streams of nearly the same size. Each branch is quite rapid, and has a great deal of fall, that could be easily utilized, by constructing dams at the narrow points in the valley. A water-power, sufficient to operate an extensive quarrying-plant, could be secured here, with a comparatively small outlay of money. SouTH OF THE HARRISON PROPEKTY the marble continues along the east side of the creek for about two miles, being seen last near. Tate's mill. At some places, it appears as bluffs, well up on the hillside; but, in others, it is found underlying the creek bottom. Some prospecting has been done at two places along the bluff, where the color and texture of the stone resemble very closely that found further up the creek. Fro. 6. A section, 1~ miles in length, along the line B-B/ (See detail map of Tate and vicinity.) 1. Mica-schist and slate. 2. Marble. 3. Garnetiferons gneiss. 4. Hornblende. ONE MILE EAST OF MARBLE HILL POST-OFFICE, on tlze Dis!teroom property, marble occurs on both sides of the east branch of Longswamp creek, where it forms two different lines of outcroppings. The outcropping lying farthest to the north continues along the creek for only about half a mile, where it seems to be abruptly terminated by a fault, while the other forms a continuous series of outcroppings more than five miles in length. It first runs almost due east and west for about three miles; but, at the juncture of the east and west branches of Longswamp creek, it turns rather abruptly to the south, and follows the east side of the main stream for nearly two and a half miles, where it finally disappears beneath the overlying gneiss. There are only two natural exposures of the marble on the Disheroom property, and these are so limited in extent, as to give but a very imperfect idea of the general character of the stone. PLATE V So u THERN M ARBLE CoMPANY':; QUARRY No. 4, M ARB L E HILL, PI CKENS CouNTY, GEORGIA. THE MARBLES OF PICKKVS COUNTY. The specimens secured from the southern line of outcroppings are of a white or light-gray color, and contain a good deal of chalcopyrite. The texture is much finer, than that of the white variety of marble found on the small line of outcroppings elsewhere in this vicinity. Specimens from the opposite side of the creek, and belonging to a different line of exposures, are of a flesh color, more or less banded with black and green. On the adjoining lot, owned by William Pool, the marble appears to be much more extensive. It is said to be found here, at a number of places in the creek bottom. It outcrops in the spring, near the house, and is exposed south of the road in a small stream, where it has been prospected. The stone is. very similar to that found at the Southern marble quarries, situated on the same outcroppings, a few hundred yards farther down the creek. THE SouTHERN MARBLE QuARRIES are located in the immediate vicinity of Marble Hill Post-office, four miles east of Tate, where a branch road from the quarries connects with the main line of the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad. The valley of the east branch of Longswamp creek at this point becomes quite narrow; the adjacent hills ar~ high and precipitous, especially those south of the creek, where the marble forms numerous bJuffs. Four large quarries have been opened here, each of which has been extensively worked. The one farthest up the creek is situated on the hillside, about one hundred and forty feet above the valley, and is connected with the mill by an incline railway nearly one hundred yards in length. 1 An excavation eighty feet square and thirty feet deep has been made in the upper part of the stratum, from which a great deal of stone has. been taken. FIG. 7. A section, 2~ miles long, passing through the Southern. and the Herndon quarries,. along the line, C-C'. (See detail map of Tate and vicinity.) 1. Mica-schist and slate.. 2. Marble. 3. Garnetiferous Gneiss. 4. Hornblende. 1 See plate IV. THE MARBLES OF PICKENS COUNTY. Just above the marble at this point, and in contact with it, is a fifteen or twenty foot vein of dark, massive rock, apparently made up entirely of hornblende. The change, which has noticeably taken place in the overlying garnetiferous gneiss, indicates that this is an intrusive vein, that is, that at one time a hot plastic mass was forced between these two strata. As a result of contact with such a hot body, the rock above and adjacent, once a mica-schist, is now garnetiferous gneiss. The marble beneath has partly recrystallized, and 1s now strikingly free from carbonaceous material, which gives to the Georgia marbles their black or blue color. Other quarries in the neighborhood show exactly the same conditions. The fountain-head of all these intrusive veins (apophyses) .appears to be a high hill a short distance to the northeast. This seems to be a solid mass of the same matter, which characterizes the .apophyses. Aside from its economic importance, in producing a white variety of marble, it is geologically interesting, as an excellent example of contact metamorphism. The stone quarried here is very solid, rarely showing any seams or lines of stratification; and, as a consequence, blocks can be secured of almost any size. The surfaces of the best varieties of the stone, exposed in natural outcrops for long periods of time, always show a remarkably uniform mode of weathering. The crystalline grains, making up the stone, are usually large and semi-transparent; some .are fully a quarter of an inch in diameter, and when polished give to the surface of the marble a somewhat motley appearance, rather than the uniform white. There are a number of accessory minerals found in the marble, the most common and injurious being mica. It sometimes occurs along definite lines in such quantity, as to seriously interfere with the process of polishing, and causes the stone to weather unevenly. Tremolite and diopside (?) also occur as inclusions. The former is white, or grayish-white; the latter, a light-green. They appear as blades, crystals and crystalline masses, penetrating the stone, and can be readily recognized by their glistening luster and splintery fracture. These minerals, being about twice as hard as marble, cause exposed .surfaces to weather very irregularly, and interfere with polishing. PLATE VI P I EDM ONT M A R BLE W oR K S, NEAR M A R BL E HI LL, P ICK EN S C ouNTY, G EO R G I A. THE MARBLES OF PICKENS COUNTY. The marble attains, at this place, a thickness of nearly two hundred feet, and dips to the south at an angle of about 20. A short distance farther down the creek, on the same hillside, but nearer the valley, are located two other large excavations, each about the same size as the one above described, which produce a very similar marble, though not of such uniform white color. The fourth quarry, which was the only one being worked at the time of our visit, is still farther down the creek, and well up on the hillside, in the upper portion of the stratum. The marble quarried here appears to have less mica and other impurities, than that from the other quarries, yet it retains about the same texture and color. The mill is located in the valley near the quarries, and is connected with them by an incline railway, which is so graded that the cars, when loaded with marble, run by reason of their own weight directly to the mill. 1 The motive power in use is water. It is collected from a number of small streams in the mountain about two miles away, and is conveyed through ditches and pipes to the mill. Here, with a two hundred and ten foot head, it is conducted through a twoinch nozzle on to a Pelton wheel, which generates sufficient power to run all the necessary machinery connected with the mill. The amount of money annually saved to the company by the utilization of this water-power must be considerable; and it is a practical illustration of what might be done, with a comparatively small outlay of money, in numerous other places along the marble belt in North Georgia. On account of its white color and superior finish, the marble from these quarries is much sought after, for furniture, monuments and interior decoration. The stairsteps and the main part of the tiling in the State capitol are from quarry No. I; they well illustrate the general run of the stone. The number of hands employed at these works varies according to the demand for the stone. At the time of our visit, only about thirty were regularly engaged. THE KENNESAW QuARRIES are located three-quarters of a mile below the Southern, near the creek. They employ about the same number of hands. Two excavations, close to each other, have been made at this place ; one is seventy-two by ninety feet at the top, and 1 See plate V. THE MARBLES OF PICKENS COUNTY. has been gradually increased in size, by tunneling to the depth of eighty feet; while the other, which has been only recently opened. is one hundred and ten by ninety feet at the surface. The stone is snow-white, with an occasional irregular blotch of black or dark-gray. In structure, it resembles very closely the marble from the Southern quarries, being generally sound and free from impurities. These quarries, owned and operated by the Georgia Marble Company, produce annually large quantities of stone used for monuments, furniture, interior decoration etc. THE PIEDMONT QUARRIES are only about two hundred feet west of the Kennesaw quarries, and on the same portion of the stratum. The amount of marble found here is practically inexhaustible. It outcrops at various places along the north hillside, dipping 25 S., !0 E., and underlies a great part of Longswamp valley, which at this point is nearly half a mile in width. The thickness ~f the deposit, though difficult to determine with any degree of accuracy, must be fully two hundred feet. Tr.e color and texture of the stone is practically the same as that of the Kennesaw marble. Seams frequently occur in the stone and cause considerable waste ; otherwise it is comparatively free from defects. The mill for sawing and polishing the marble is near the quarry, and is one of the best equipped mills in North Georgia. It has nine gangs of saws and two large rubbing-beds, run by a two hundred and fifty horse-power engine. The plant is also supplied with an electric-light system, enabling the works to be operated both day and night, which is sometimes necessary in order to supply the demands for the stone. Chilled iron globules with sand are used in sawing the marble. The rate, at which the saws cut by this process, is said to be about one third faster, than when sand alone is used. The whole number of hands, including stone-cutters employed at these works, when visited, was between forty and fifty; but it has since been learned that the force has been greatly increased to fill some extensive contracts, which the company has secured. With the improved machinery, which these quarries now possess, they are able to produce annually a great amount of stone, which is used for both building and monumental purposes. THE HERNDON PROPERTY, owned by James P. Hamson and' PLATE VII. ETowAH QuARRY , GEORG IA MAR BLE W oRKS, NEAR TA TE, PICKENS .CouNTY, G EORG IA . 'l'HE JYIARBLES OF PICKENS COUNTY. 43 othe1s, is located two miles south of the Piedmont quarries. The marble occurs here in a narrow valley, drained by a small stream flowing into Longswamp creek. It is naturally exposed at only one or two places in the branch; but, by sinking pits, from two to six feet beneath the surface, it is found to underlie more than an acre. At one place a. quarry has been opened, and some large blocks have been taken out, which show the stone to be of a very fine quality. In texture and color, 'it is much like the marble at the upper quarry of the Southern works, though the accessory minerals, especially mica, are not so abundant. The dip, which is 12 S. E., indicates only a comparatively slight change from the original horizontal position of the marble. On this account, the stone on this property will probably be found to be generally sound. Nearly half a mile below this opening, where the valley becomes contracted into a narrow gorge, marble again outcrops at several places on the steep hillside. A few narrow bands of flesh-colored marble were observed here; but, otherwise, it was similiar to that found farther up the branch. The expense of transportation has, so far, seriously interfered with the development of the Herndon property. A branch railroad is now under construction, connecting it with the Piedmont quarries. When completed, it is the object of the company to begin work on an extensive scale. The same dark, coarse, crystalline hornblende, that is found associated with white marble at other places m the neighborhood, also occurs here. THE GRIFFIN PROPEKTY, which is, at present, controlled by the Georgia Marble Company, lies immediately west of the Piedmont quarries, on the same line of outcropping. The marble is exposed at a number of places along the hillside, and it also underlies the creek bottom. That, which occurs along the creek, appears to be the lower part of the stratum, and is, at places, of a flesh color, while that on the hillside is white, with blotches of dark-gray. This line of exposures t:ontinues, with few interruptions, along the east side of Longswamp creek for about two and a half miles. At a number of places on this line of outcroppings, a limited amount of prospecting has been done; but no regular quarrying- has been attempted. The dip, as determined at several points, is from 20 to 30 southeast. Two MILES NORTHWEST OF THE PIEDMO~T WORKS, and on the 44 THE MARBLES OF PICKENS COUNTY. opposite side of a high ridge, marble occurs on S. A. Darnell's prop- erty. This is an entirely different line of outcropping from the one above described, though the structure of the marble and the character of the associated rock, both show, that it belongs to the same stratum. For nearly two miles, these two lines of exposures run almost parallel with each other; but they seem to finally unite, just before disappearing beneath the gneisses in the lower end of Tate's bottom. The marble is found on this property, outcropping on the hillside, and also in the creek bottom, near the juncture of the two branches of Longswamp creek. It has a somewhat finer texture, than that found at the other exposures in the vicinity; yet, in color and structure, it remains about the same. The dip, though difficult to determine, on account of the limited exposure, appears to be about 20, almost due east. Very little prospecting has been done here; but, just across the creek, on the adjoining lot owned by Dr. Tate, a number of drill-holes have been put down to the depth of eighty or ninety feet. The cores from these borings are said to show the marble to be generally sound, with a texture and color much like the Creole from the Georgia works. A FEW HUNDRED YARDS WEST OF THIS PROPERTY, and separated from it by a narrow ridge, is a third line of outcropping. It appears first on lot 82, 4tlz district, 2nd sectzon, and continues parallel with the other two lines of exposures, for about one and a half miles, finally disappearing on a hillside near vVilliam Tate's residence.1 Along this line of exposure, some prospecting has been done by boring and sinking pits. This marble does not seem to form such a thick stratum, as at the other exposures farther west; but the dip and general appearance of the stone remain unchanged. Fro. 8. u ~ . ~~. : ... D I ~ 3 l 3 ' ' 3 D 2z A seetion, miies long, passing, near William Tate's residence, along the line D-D'. (See detail map of Tate and yicinity.) 1. Mica-schit and slate. 2. 1\iarble. 3. Garnetiferous gneiss. 1 See detail map and figure 8. THE 1~IARBLES OF PICKENS COUNTY. --- 45 THE QUARRIES OF THE GEORGIA MARBLE CoMPANY are located in the valley of Longswamp creek, one and a half miles east of Tate Station. The valley here is nearly half a mile in width, the greater part of which is underlaid with marble, from six to eight feet beneath the soil. The unusual width of the deposit at this place is due to a fold in the stratum. In making an excavation for the smoke-stack of the company's mills, a few years ago, it was found that the marble at that point dipped in opposite directions, which locates the center of the fold, whose upper portion has been removed by erosion.1 The Creole and Cherokee quarries are located on the east side of the fold, while the Etowah is on the west side. There are two of the Creole quarries within a few feet of each other, designated respectively as Creole No. I and No. 2. The former, which was the first opened, is eighty by eighty-five feet at the surface, and gradually increases, by tunneling, to the depth of one hundred and thirty feet, where it is one hundred and ten by one hundred and fifteen feet. The latter is eighty by ninety feet at the surface, and only ninety feet deep. The marble from these quarries is quite free from impurities and seams, and even the original lines of bedding have been entirely obliterated by metamorphism, so that blocks of almost any size can be secured. The texture is quite coarse, and the color is white, clouded or banded with black or bluishgray, affording striking contrast. The dark color is due principally to graphite in the form of small foliaceous scales in clusters, evenly distributed through the large, nearly transparent grains of calcite. 2 This stone, on account of its pleasing mottled effect, and the brilliant polish, which it takes, has an extensive use throughout the country for monuments and interior decoration. The Cherokee quarry, eighty by ninety feet and forty feet deep, is near the Creole quarries. The marble found here is of a more uniform white color than the Creole; but, otherwise, it is very similar. A FEW HUNDRED YARDS EAST OF THE CHEROKEE QUARRY, and near the creek, is the Etowah. The marble is here overlaid by a deposit, about eight feet in thickness, which has evidently been made by the creek, as its lower layers contain many water-worn pebbles, which 1 See figure 9. 2 See Microphotograph 1. THE MARBLES OF PICKENS COUNTY. FIG. 9. ~~ '"' ~ ~ .~ 't,( , ~ ~ ~. 0 ,' E t .z. 3 z 3 z :'i ' A sectiun, 1~ miles in length, passing through the Georgia Marble Co.'s quarries, along the line E-E1 (See detail map of Tate and vicinity.) 1. Mica-schist and slate 2. J\1arble. 3. Gtunetiferous gneiss. are in immediate contact with the roughened surface of the stone There are two quarries here, one of which has been extensively worked, while the other has been only recently opened. In structure and texture, the stone is much like the Creole; but it contains more impurities. It is of a pink or flesh color, and, frequently, more or less banded with dark or light shades, which give to the polished surface a very beautiful effect. The dark colors appear to be mainly caused by mica and graphite, arranged along certain lines, which probably correspond to the original lines of bedding. This peculiar flesh-color is found at a number of places along the marble belt of North Georgia; but it is always quite local. It is due to a minute quantity of very finely divided ferric oxide, disseminated throughout the mass. 1 This marble is much used for wainscoting, tiling, furniture etc.; and so popular has it become, that the company finds it difficult to supply the demand. Fine examples of it may be seen in the State capitol, where it is used for the wainscoting of the first floor. The "Creole" forms the border of the tiling in this building. The thickness of the deposit, underlying the valley in the vicinity of the Georgia Marble Company's quarries, is at least two hundred feet. Along the branch above the Creole quarries are a number of natural outcroppings, whose exposed surfaces show the mode of weathering. This is also well illustrated by the marble steps at Colonel Stephen Tate's residence, which are said to have been quarried by the Indians. These stones, although exposed under drippingeaves, for more than forty years, show no signs of disintegration ; and they still retain, in a remarkable degree of perfection, their sharp edges and corners. A branch road, owned and operated by the Georgia Marble Company, connects the quarries with the main line of the Marietta and 1 See chemical analy~is of the Etowah marble. THE MARBLES OF PICKENS COUNTY. 47 North Georgia Railroad. The company's plant is supplied with the 1atest improved channeling and gadding machines, mills, traveling-derricks etc., all kept in an excellent state of repair by the wellequipped machine-shop near by. The mills have twenty-nine gangs of saws, and are among the largest, as well as the most completely furnished, in the country. From one hundred and fifty to two hun-dred hands are regularly employed at the works. -, .~ \ r . . ~' - '\\,~~,-~ , FIG. 10. z 3 . ~ : . . . . . ' ''' ... : : . ,' .: . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . l s F.' A section, 1~ miles in length, along the line F-F1 (See detail map of Tate and -vicinity.) 1. ~lica-schist and slate. 2. Marble. 3. Garnetiferons gneiss. The following price-list gives a fair idea of the stock of marble, which the Georgia and other companies located in Longswamp valley now offer to the trade : - ROUGH MARBLE IN BLOCKS-PER CUBIC FOOT. Kennesaw. . from $I 2S to $2 so Etowah. Creole Cherokee. Piedmont, select . " 25 to 3 00 " I 00 to 2 so . from I 00 to 2 so 2 so Piedmont, average I 7S Piedmont, building stock . I 2S "Southern, No. 1 . 3 00 'Southern, No. 2 . I 00 to 2 00 .Southern, No. 3 . 7S to I 00 so Blocks 7 to I 2 feet long, 2S to cents extra, per cubic foot. SLABS. Full size of slabs, per supeJjicial foot. :Southern, No. 1, 7-8 in. .Southern, No. 2, " to 2 in. " In " thickness, " from " $ 3S t,o, 30 $ . 7S .6s .Southern, No. 3 " " " " .2S " .so .Pie~mont, No. I, " " " " -37 " -70 48 THE MARBLES OF PICKENS COUNTY. ,, Piedmont, No. 2, 7-8 in. to 2 in. in thickness, from $ Piedmont, No.3, " " " " Kennesaw. Cherokee. " "" " " " " ,, Etowah. " " " " " .28 to $ .60 .20 " .so .. .2S " .65 .22 .6s 37 " .80 Slabs over 4 feet wide, or over 7 feet long, IO to 2S per cent. extra. Slabs coped to size, 10 cents per superficial foot, extra. Boxing, 7-8 inch to 2 inches, per superficial foot _ Boxing, 2 I-2 inches per superficial foot . Sand-rubbing, per superficial foot . _ . . . . .$ .os . IO .os MONUMENTAL STOCK-PER CUBIC FOOT. Piedmont, No. I, Piedmont, No. 2, Piedmont, No. 3, Creole . . . . Kennesaw. Cherokee .. _ I,} Etowah. Southern, No. Southern, No. 2, . . . _ . Southern, No. 3, . $4 00 3 00 I so . from $2 so to 4 so . from 3 oo to 4 00 . from 3 oo to 4 oo . from 4 oo to S oo . from 2 oo to S 00 MISCELLANEOUS. No. 3 base strips, posts and bottom bases, per cubic foot $1 so Markers, I2 to I4 inches long by 3 inches thick . 3S Markers, I 2 to I4 inches long by 4 inches thick . .so Markers, 16 to 18 inches long by 3 inches thick . Markers, 16 to 18 inches long by 4 inches thick . 7S I 00 Foot stones, S to 8 inches wide by 2 inches thick . . . .20 Foot stones, same size, sawed heads . . . . . .22 Foot stones, same size, sawed heads and sand-rubbed . .2S Foot stones, same size, sawed heads, sand-rubbed and boxed . .28 Diminished dies, extra per cubic foot . . . . . . . . . . . .so PLATE VIII. GEORGIA MA RBLE W ORKS, NEAR TATE, PI C KEN S COUNTY, GEORGIA. THE MARBLES OF PICKENS COUNTY. 49 TILE-KENNESAW, ETOWAH, CREOLE AND CHEROKEE. Per supetjicz"al foot, sevm-eighths to o1te i1tch thick. Average stock, ro to I 6 inches square . . . . . . . . Ashlar tile, rox2o and I 2x24 inches . . . . . . . . . Selected tile, in color and quality, 5 to ro cents extra. Inferior tile, for cellars etc., 5 to ro cents less. Half and quarter tile, 33 Yz per cent. extra. Bordering, same as tile. Irregular and small sizes, furnished at value by agreement. Corners taken off, I Yz cents each. Boxing, 2 cents per foot extra. For I X: inches thick, add 5 cents per foot. $ .2S . 25 At Nelson, the first station south of Tate, marble outcrops near a spring, located about two hundred yards south of the depot. The exposure is confined to a few outcroppings, whose weathered surfaces resemble, in general appearance, the light-colored and finegrained marble found in Longswamp valley. Some prospecting has been done here; but neither the quantity nor the quality of the stone is said to have been sufficiently promising, to justify opening a quarry. CHAPTER VI. THE MARBLES OF CHEROKEE COUNTY. Cherokee county has long been known to contain more or less marble; but it has never become an active producer. The same stratum of marble, which is so well developed in Fannin, Gilmer and Pickens counties, occurs, also, in Cherokee. The exposures here, however, are not so extensi\e nor so continuous. They seem to be more or less disconnected, as if misplaced by faults. In this county, the dark and rather impure marble, which was first noticed in Pickens and Gilmer counties, becomes quite well devel.oped, and forms, at places, beds of considerable thickness. There has been a limited amount of prospecting done for marble at a number of ~ocalities in this county, though no regular quarries have been opened. The so-called green marble, which has been worked near Hollow Spring, and which attracted considerable attention a few years ago, as an ornamental stone, is serpentine; and consequently, it is not considered in this report, which treats only of the true marbles. FouR MILES NORTHEAST OF BALL GROUND, at the bridge on the road leading to Dawsonville, the stratum of dark colored marbles first make their appearance in Cherokee county. From this point, it forms a series of outcroppings about ten miles long, extending in a southwestern direction, by way of Ball Ground, to within a short distance of Canton, where it seems gradually to thin out. At the above named bridge, it is exposed on both sides of the road west of the creek, and has been used in constructing the piers of the bridge. Some of the layers are very impure. They form micaceous sandstones, cemented with calcium carbonate, and weather into a porous sandy mass. Other layers have few impurities, are of a light-gray color, and weather more evenly. The stone found here appears to be too much laminated, THE MARBLES OF CHEROKEE COUNTY. SI and generally contains too many impurities to be well suited, either for building or for ornamental purposes. ON J. HALBERT's PROPERTY, lots 259 and 260, 4th distn'ct 2nd section, southwest of the bridge, on the right bank of Longswamp creek, the dark-colored marble makes its appearance a second time. It is exposed at a number of places along the creek, and in the field near the house. The stratum attains a thickness, here, of at least one hundred feet, and dips to the southeast at an angle of about 30. At the time of our visit, no prospecting of any consequence had been done on thii' property, and our examination was, therefore, confined to the natural exposures. The stone in different outcroppings varies considerably, both in structure and in composition. At some places, it has a more or less slaty structure, due mainly to the abundance of mica ; while, at others, it is solid, and comparatively free from mica and other impurities. The color is usually a dark-gray; but a light-gray and a black are also found. The latter seems to be well suited for tiling; but it does not weather evenly, on account of the impurities, which it contains. ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE CREEK FROM THE HALBERT PROPERTY, a coarse-grained, white marble has been recently discovered on lot 296, 4th district, 2nd section. It is exposed at only one place, in a small st~eam near the point, where it empties into the creek. The stone found here resembles the marble in the vicinity of the Georgia Marble Quarries, and probably belongs to the same stratum. As no prospecting of any consequence has been done on the property, nothing is known of the extent of the deposit. The dark-colored marble is exposed along the road between the Halbert property and Ball Ground at a number of places. It shows up especially well at Farmer's Spring, where it is associated with a very coarse-grained gneiss. The general cha-racter of the stone found here is about the same as that at other exposures, and requires no further description. THREE-QUARTERS OF A MILE souTH OF BALL GROUND, near the road leading to Canton, is an exposure of marble on Mrs. Stern's property. It occurs here at a number of places along a small branch. The exposed surfaces are usually unevenly weathered, 52 THE 1viARBLES OF CHEROKEE COUNTY. which is due to mica and other impurities found more or less abundant in the stone. It is of a dark-gray or black color, very finegrained, and admits of a fair polish; but it has a somewhat laminated structure. At a number of places on the road leading to Canton, there may be seen other outcroppings, which belong to the same stratum. NEAR MABEL STATION, six miles northeast of Canton, is quite an extensive exposure of dark-colored marble. It outcrops, here along two small streams on property owned by G. W. Crain. One of these streams runs at almost right angles to the strike of the marble, and exposes it for more than one hundred yards. The total thickness of the deposit, here, must be at least one hundred and twenty-five feet. At the time of our visit, J. W. Jarvis, who holds an option on the property, was having some drill-holes put down, here ; but the work had not then been carried to a sufficient extent to give any definite results. The color is black ordark-gray. Sometimes, these colors alternate with each other, which gives to the stone a handed-like appearance. The impurities are chiefly mica and magnetite, with an occasional crystal of pyrite.' These frequently become so abundant along definite lines, as to cause a slatelike cleavage and irregular weathered surfaces. The more solid portion of the stone found here admits of a fair polish, and seems to be well suited for tiling etc. ; but it usually contains too many impurities, to make it desirable for outdoor work. The last exposure examined on this line of outcropping is about two miles west of Canton, on the Chattahoochee Mining Company's property, where it has been used for making lime. It is here very much reduced in thickness, and is of no economic importance as a building-stone. ON SHARP MouNTAIN CREEK, two miles west of Ball Ground, is a second line of marble outcroppings, which appears to be a part of the same stratum, that has just been described. It extends in a southwesterly direction, parallel with the first line of outcropping, as far south as Hickory Log creek, where it has been prospected on P. W. Stafford's Property. The marble found here is much like that, in the vicinity of Ball Ground; but it is much whiter. 1 See plate XII, Fig. 2. THE MARBLES OF CHEROKEE COUNTY. 53 THREE MILES souTHEAST OF BALL GRouND, marble occurs on L. E. Cowart's property, lot 305, 3rd distnct, znd sec#on. It is exposed here along a small branch near Sharp Mountain creek. In texture and color, the marble resembles very closely that, which occurs in Longswamp valley; and it probably belongs to the same stratum. It has rather a coarse grain, and a white or lightgray color, banded with black. A flesh color, much like the Etowah, also occurs ; but it does not appear to be very abundant. From the limited outcropping, it was impossible to tell anything very definite about the extent and the general soundness of this deposit ; but surface indications are favorable, and seem to warrant at least a limited outlay of money in prospecting. ON RAGSDALE CREEK, six miles northwest of Canton, marble is found on lot 103, qth distnd, 2nd section, owned by T. J Carpen- ter. It outcrops here at only one place on the hillside; but by sinking pits a few feet beneath the surface, it has been found underlying a small area in the creek bottom. Hand specimens of this stone are difficult to distinguish from the Cowart marble, and they evidently belong to the same stratum. The deposit does not appear to be very thick, and is usually unsound. AT THE JUNCTION OF LosT TowN AND SHoAL CREEKS, about eight miles northwest of Canton, quite an extensive outcropping of marble appears on lots 196 and zoo, 22nd distnd, 2nd section, owned by J. 114. White. It is exposed for fully a quarter of a mile along the left bank of Lost Town creek, forming in places, bluffs several feet in height. The m~rble occurring here is generally sound; it contains fine sand, and is of a light-gray or pale-blue color. It dips to the southeast at an angle of 30 ; and, judging from the width of the exposure, the stratum must be nearly eighty feet in thickness. At the time of our visit, no prospecting had been done on this property. CHAPTER VII. THE SEMI-CRYSTALLINE MARBLES OF NORTHWEST GEORGIA. In a number of counties, within the Paleozoic area in Northwest Georgia, partly crystalline limestones occur. They are often heavybedded, and admit of a good polish. At a few places, in the counties below named, this stone may become of importance for economic purposes. l\IURRA Y COUNTY. FrvE MILEs WEST OF SPRING PLACE, at the base of Cedar Ridge, a great deal of work has been done in opening a quarry in the so-called black marble; but no merchantable stone, of any consequence has ever been put upon the market from this place. This stone, which has here been prospected, is a jet-black, carbonaceous limestone, belonging to the Oostanaula shales, and occurs in beds from six inches to two feet in thickness. It shows but little evidence of crystallization; hut it admits of a fair polish. When struck with a hammer, the stone emits a peculiar odor, very similar to petroleum, and gives a beautiful conchoidal fracture. If exposed to the atmosphere, tor any length of time, it undergoes a change in color, which 'is evidently due to some chemical change in the carbonaceous material. The thin beds, together with its change of color, is a serious drawback to this stone's ever becoming of any economic importance, as an ornamental stone. WHITFIELD COUNTY. There occurs in the northwest corner of this county a narrow belt of dark-chocolate and grayish marbles, highly fossiliferous. It enters the county from Tennessee, about one mile east of Red Clay, and extends nearly parallel with the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia division of the Southern Railway, for about ten miles. THE SEM1-CRYSTALLINE MARBLES. ss It is well exposed about one mile east of Varnell's Station, on the Eslinger farm. This marble belongs to the same stratum, which traverses the valley of East Tennessee, and which is so extensively worked in the vicinity of Knoxville. FIG. 11. . 1 z :3 z 1 A section showing the position of the marble on the Eslinger farm, one mile east of Varnell's station. 1. Sandy ferruginous limestone. 2. Bluish shale. 3. Marble. The color of the stone is quite variable. It is generally of a darkchocolate color, variegated with white; but there also occurs, in more or less abundance, a light-gray and a beautiful pink. These various colors are frequently found at the same place, occupying different layer,; of the same stratum, or they may blend into one another, so that almost any shade of colors, from a dark-chocolate to a lightgray, can be secured. The light gray, which is always the most solid and the most completely crystallized, is generally traversed by dark, irregular lines, that add variety to an otherwise monotonous light-gray surface. The exposures are mostly in the form of bowlders, or large disconnected masses, which appear to be due to the surface weathering of thick layers of marble, with a somewhat jointed structure. As this peculiar mode of weathering has been caused entirely by surface waters, carrying carbonic acid in solution, it is reasonable to suppose that the bowlders and the disconnected masses unite to form continuous beds, at no great depth. These beds, making up the stratum of marble, as shown by the outcroppings, are from two to eight feet in thickness, and lie within a synclinal fold,I of a ferruginous calcareous formation, called, by Dr. Safford, iron-limestone. It is difficult to determine the exact thickness of the marble deposit at any point along the belt, on account of the overburden 1 See Figure 11. THE SEMI-CRYSTALLINE MARBLES. of earth and the limited outcrops. However, one would be on the safe side, in putting the minimum thickness at thirty to forty feet. On the Hoskz'n farm, one mile southeast of Red Clay, it probably attains more than twice this thickness; but it is not all merchantable stone. The microscopical and chemical analyses of the light-gray varieties of marble, show them to be nearly pure calcium carbonate, almost crystalline, with rarely any trace of organic remains. These chemical and physical properties, together with the smooth surface of the stones, exposed for years in the natural bed, are conclusive proofs, that the marble is well suited both for building and ornamental purposes. The dark-chocolate variety has less calcium carbonate, and namerous fossils, and is only partly crystalline; but, owing to its beautiful color and brilliant finish, it is well adapted for furniture and interior decoration. ON THE EsLINGER FARM, the marble was worked, many years ago, to a limited extent, into tombstones, some of which are still to be seen in the churchyards of the vicinity, in a fair state of preservation. The stone used for that purpose was mostly obtained from bowlders, and worked into the desired shape by hand. At other places along the line of outcropping, where the marble becomes thin bedded and easily quarried, it has been used locally in making chimneys, foundations for buildings etc. The marble belt of Whitfield county is very favorably located for the shipment of stone. Branch lines can easily be constructed from the main line of toe Southern Railway, along the numerous small streams, which cut through the ridge separating the marble belt from the railroad. Some of these streams are of sufficient size, and have enough fall, to give considerable water-power, that might be easily utilized in operating quarrying machinery. FLOYD COUNTY. About seven miles south of Rome, near Six Mile Station, a considerable amount of money was spent, a few years ago, in a black .semi-crystalline limestone, belonging to the same formation, as that PLATE IX. MARBLE-DRESSING vVoRKS OF THE K ENNESAW MARBLE Co,IPANY, NEAR MA I/ St:BM!TTEJJ T O CRUSHINr; TEST S. ~0. I. C reole, crushi ng " 2. Kennesaw, " 3 Eto wa h, 4 Southern, , t r engt h, 13,200 lbs. .. !0,000 .. ! J,!OO !0,900 ' MACHINES AND IMPLEMENTS. 73 -principally, on the soft varieties of rock, in producing what is called "drove-work." Splitti1lg Chisel.-A steel chisel, made as shown in figure 8, and used in splitting and general cutting on hard stone like granite. Other forms of chisels, used only on soft stone and driven with a ,wooden mallet, are shown in figures 3 and 6, plate xvi. Tooth Chzsel. 1- A chisel like the drove-chisel, but with the edges toothed like a saw. It is used, only on soft stones, like marbles and .sandstone. Poi1tt. 2- A steel implement, with the cutting end in the form of a pyramidal point, used in the production of the finish known as "point-work," and also in the smoothing down of rough surfaces, prior to using the ax or some other tool for fine work. Points for use on hard stone, and driven by the hammer, have the upper end finished as shown in figures 6 and 7, plate XVI. Wedges or .Plugs. 3 - The steel wedges used vary greatly in size. Those used in the process of splitting, called "plug and feather," are but two or three inches in length, while those used in quarrying for splitting off large blocks, are often a foot or more long and corre- spondingly large. Ha1td-Dn'll. 4-A small drill from eight to fifteen inches in length, held in one hand and driven by the hand-hammer, is used for making holes for "plug and feather" splitting, and for other light work. Gtub-Saw. 5-A saw for cutting stone by hand. It consists of a plate of soft iron, from a twentieth to a tenth of an inch in thickness, and from six inches to four feet in length; the blade is notched on the lower end, and fitted with a wooden back, for convenience in handling and to prevent bending. Sand or emery is the cutting material, as with the steam saws. 1 See figure 1, plate XVI. 2 See figure 4, plate XVI. 3 See figure 14, plate XVI. See figure 5, plate XVI. 5 See figure 17, plate XVI. CHAPTER XI. PHYSICAL TESTS OF THE GEORGIA MARBLES. THE MICROSCOPIC STRUCTURE OF MARBLES. Though the use of the microscope in the study of rocks is of recent date, yet it has rendered invaluable aid, in making out the structure and the composition of rocks, which are always the most important points to be considered in selecting a building stone. By this means, the most minute impurities or defects, which might give rise to uneven weathering or to rapid disintegration in a stone, can frequently be readily detected. A chemical analysis gives the ultimate chemical composition of a rock, while a microscopic analysis gives its mineralogical composition, showing in what form the chemical elements are combined, and how different two rocks may be in structure and texture, though nearly alike in chemical composition. Thus, for ininstance, take two limestone hand-specimens, which closely resemble each other. When subjected to chemical analysis, they are found to be identical in composition; but, on examining them, in thin sections under the microscope, they are seen to be very different in structure, one heing phenocrystalline, while the other is cryptocrystalline. By the aid of the microscope, we are also able to follow every phase of crystallization, and to explain many otherwise unknown parts of the history of many of our building stones, and the changes, which they are likely to undergo, when subjected to new conditions. In order to study fragments of rocks under the microscope successfully by transmitted light, it is necessary that they be made so thin, that the darkest colored stone may become at least partly transparent. The manner of preparing thin sections depends mainly on the means at hand for executing the work. 'Vhen no stone-cutting machine is to be had, thin chips or flakes can usually be broken from the stone, of the desired shape and thickness, by means of a hammer; but, when it is desired to make a section in some particular 1viiCROSCOPIC S'l'RUCTURE. 75 direction through a rock, it is essential to have recourse to a machine, in order to get satisfactory results. A number of machines have been devised for this purpose, several of which are said to do very satisfactory work. The one belonging to the laboratory of the Geological Survey of Georgia was devised by the late Professor George H. Williams, of Johns Hopkins University; it is probably one of the best now in use for small laboratories. Slices, about one thirtysecond of an inch in thickness, are cut by this machine, by pressing the stone against a rapidly revolving metallic disk, having dia mooddust set in its edge. lt is run with a small dynamo, supplied with electricity from a three-cell storage battery. This machine has also attached to it a horizontal grinding disk of copper, on which the slices can be ground to the desired thinness. Having obtained thin slices of the stone, either by use of the section machine, or by detaching thin chips with the hammer, the next process is to prepare them for the microscope. This is done by rubbing down one side of the specimen, until it becomes perfectly flat and smooth, either by grinding it by hand on a flat surface of plate glass, with emery and water, or by using the same abrasive material on the horizontal revolving disk of the section-machine. When the necessary machine is at hand, the latter method is always preferable, on account of the rapidity with which the work can be executed. The chips used in making sections are usually about three-quarters of an inch in diameter; if not of convenient shape to be pressed flat by the finger against the grinding surface, the fragment to be ground must be cemented to a bit of wood, in order to hold it steady before proceeding to rub it down. When the desired flatness and polish have been obtained, and all the dirt and particles of emery have been thoroughly removed from the surface, the next process consists in cementing the smooth surface of the stone to a small piece of plate glass about two inches square and a quarter of an inch thick. The specimen, with its polished face downward, is fastened to the plate glass by means of Canada balsam, which becomes quite hard, after being heated, and forms a strong union between the smooth surfaces. The slice thus tlrmly attached to the glass can be easily held in position on the grinding-surface, until it has been reduced MICROSCOf'IO STRUCTURE. to such a degree of tenuity, as to become transparent. It is then transferred to a new glass slide, mounted in Canada balsam, and covered by a thin cover-glass, when it is ready for examination under the microscope. The microphotographs, used in this report, were made by photographing through the microscope, thin sections of marble, prepared as above described. The same magnifying power, which was about fifty diameters, was used in all cases except for the specimen of Etowah marble, where twenty-five diameters was used. PLATE XU. :\'f iCROP H OTOGR A P H S 2O.F GE ORG I A :VI AR BLE. I. A microphotograph1 of marble from G. W. Crain's property, near Canton, Cherokee county, magnified fifty diameters. The section shows very small grains of calcite, through which are irregularly scattered a small amount of foreign substances. Besides mica and magnetite, various minute needles of light colored amphi- bole (?) may be seen. Some of these impurities occur in suffi- ciently large grains to be seen with the unaided eye, and give to the surface of the marble, when weathered, a roughened appearance. 2. A microphotograph of dark colored marble, from a quarry near Six Mile Station, Floyd county, magnified fifty diameters. The individual granules of calcium-magnesium carbonate, making up this marble, as shown by the section, are quite small, and are frequently separated from each other, by carbonaceous material, which gives to the stone its dark color. 1 The Survey is under obligations to Professor F. Lamson Scribner, of the Agricultural Department, Washington, D. C., for the use of instruments and for aid, in making the microphoto~raphs here shown. 3 A microphotograph of the Creole marble from the Georgia Marble Company's quarries, Pickens county, magnified fifty diameters. The section shows very large grains of calcite, through which are unevenly distributed minute scales of graphite, that give to the stone its dark or blue color. A microphotograph of marble from Marble Bluff, Gilmer county, magnified fifty diameters. A moderately fine-grained marble, with small scales of mica, as inclusions. PLATE XIII. 3. 4. MI C ROPHOTO G RAP HS OF GEORGIA MARBLE. PLATE XIV 5 . .--- I 6. MICROPHOTOGRAPHS OF GEOK GIA :v! ARBLE. 5 A microphotograph of light colored dolomitic marble, from a .quarry one mile east of Mineral Bluff, Fannin county, magnified fifty diameters. This is quite fine-grained, and has few impurities. 6. A microphotograph of marble from the Etowah quarry, Pickens . county, magnified twentv-five diameters. The specimen, from which this section was taken, was of a beautiful flesh color; but this color seems to entirely disappear, when it becomes sufficiently, thin to be studied under the microscope. The dark specks near the center of the section are mica, which occurs sometimes quite plentifully along .definite lines. 8o CRUSHING TESTS. CRUSHING TESTS. The crushing tests were made at the University of Tennessee Oil' an Olsen testing-machine, which has a capacity of 2o,ooo pounds_ Inch cubes were used, or as near that size as could be secured. The upper and the lower compressed surfaces of the cubes were protected in all cases, by means of a dense cardboard about one-sixteenth of an inch in thickness. The object in using these pads was to secure, as near as possible, a uniform degree of pressure on all points of the compressed area. This precaution would have been unnecessary, if the opposite sides had been exactly parallel; but probably in no case was this absolutely true. All the specimens produced, in crushing, a theoretical break; that is, each cube,_ after being crushed, formed a double cone, whose bases were the original compressed faces of the cube.' This break shows the specimens to be sound, and that the weight was distributed equallyover the entire surface. The comparative strength per square inch, as given by these tests, is much higher, than that of many of themarbles used for building and ornamental stones in the United States; especially is this true of the Creole and Etowah marbles,. from the Georgia company's quarries. Of the twenty-five crushing tests of marbles given in the tenth census report on building-stones of the United States, only five samples surpass these in strength. It will be seen by comparing this table with the one on absorption,.. that there is an obvious relation between the ultimate strength ancL the porosity, as shown by the amount of water absorbed, the more porous being the easiest crushed. Both the specific gravity and the weight per cubic foot are high, which shows the stone to be quite dense and free from pores; this is also verified by the absorption tests. 1 See plate XI. PLATE XV. 2 3 4 6 KINDS OF FINISH. Fig:. 1. Rock Face. Fig". 2 and 3. Pointed Face. Fig. 4 Tooth-Chiseled. s. Fig. Square Drove. Fig. 6. Patent Hammered. CRUSHING TESTSI . NAME ~~ rll_a QUARRY. ~.S OO<:i OJ~ 'O".".o' 8o""""' 0 ,; -0;; 'iii p0 . Q) ~ ~~C:0.. 8.=: Ol-o .."<.-.">o'- ... 0: ~ ~ ~' "iZ~ oo Q~).bc!:Ic~"a'c' 8~ g.S oooooO.. 0 8~~ ~ ~-- 0.. ~o;900 ~ 0 0... c o.S""",..ci '0 ,j,.;! e1- ~ =~'g g~.=: 0 ;.....0 . ~~~g~ ~ ~ ::: ".O.'.n "0::: '<) g_ rll :"o. ."oO"'p".""J..o"sO0''.:. .a.., boo ~-'"0 REMARKS. Kenn~aw, Cr~?le, Eto:~ah, Sou~?ern, No. 1 " 2 3 1 3 1 2 3 I 2 3 Kennesaw ....... Kennesaw ....... Kennesaw ....... Georgia .......... Georgia .......... Georgia .......... Georgia .......... Georgia .......... Georgia .......... Southern ......... Southern ......... Southern ........ .99 X . 99 1.00 X 1.00 1.00 X 1.00 1.00 X 1.011 1.00 X 1.00 l.OOx 1.00 1.00 X 1.00 .99 X .99 .99 X .98 .99 X 1.00 .99 X 1.00 . fJSxl.OO Bed . " 10,000 11,400 10,672 13,900 13,100 13,200 13,200 12,000 12,300 11,300 10,900 10,800 10,204 11,400 10,672 13,900 1:1,100 13,200 1:1,200 12,244 12,540 11,414 11,010 11,020 12,244 13,680 12,806 lo,HSO 15,700 15,840 15,810 14,69-2 15,048 13,696 13,212 13,224 00 2:'ii7'"' .............. !Cracked on edge before bursting. 169.8 Burst suddenly. ............... Burst with explosion. .............. Burst wilh explosion. 2. 763 ... 1.7~...~..... 1Burst w1th explo"ion. ""''2:"ii)i"" ............... ...1..6..9...1...... '"'i734'" 171.8 ............... 1The Survey is under obligations to Professor Chas. Ferris of the Engineering Department of the University of Tennessee, for valuable aid rendered in making the crushing and absorption teSts. 2 Genera!Q. A. Gillmer, in his report on the compressive strength of building stones of tbe United States, Appendix II, Annual Report of the Chief of J<;ngineers for 1875, determined a general formula for converting the crushing strength of different cubes into <'ach other. In applying this formula for one and two inch cubes, it is found that the crushing weight of the smaller cube should be increased by approximately one fifth of itself, in order to compare correctly the strength of the two cubes. 82 ABSORPTJOZ'{ TESTS. ABRORPTION TESTS. 1 NAME. 1 1 w eJ.O""fh t ' wg or ' -)a4f t h e r o d ur rv s. - 1 \ Veight, a m a- .m m g for 72 ho fter m w urs. a re te r Approxima centage toef sorption. paebr-- 1 ! I - - - ----'---~------- Kennesaw ................ I 4_5.160 grammes.l 4ii.200 grammes. .008 per cent. Creole ... ...... .... .. ..... 1. 4+.:'!20 '' 44.33i) " . 00~ " " Etowah ....................... f 42.215 '' Southern, No.1. ......... ] 46.170 " 42.240 " i1 413.200 ;; .005 " " .0013 " " Southern, No.2 ......... 44.440 H.475 008 " In making the absorption tests, one-inch cubes were used. All, -except Southern No. 2, which was polished, had sand-rubbed surfaces, and had been lying in the oHlce for about four months. After being exposed to dry air, at a temperature of 212 o Fahrenheit, for twenty-four hours, they were carefully weighed and then placed in water at a temperature uf about 6o F., for seventy-two hours, and were again weighed. The difference between these weights shows the amount of absorption, which, divided by the weight before immersion, gives the percentage of absorption. The amount of moisture taken up in each case, as shown by the percentage of absorption, was extremely small; especially was this true of the Creole and the Etowah marbles, which absorbed les;; than one part in two thousand. This test proves, that the stone is practically free from all pores or openings, into which water or any other foreign matter can penetrate, so as to cause disintegration or change color. By comparing the specimens from the Southern marble quarries, Nos. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the latter, which was polished, absorbed more moisture than the former, which had been only sandrubbed. This difference in absorption seems to have been entirely due to the physical condition of the surfaces; for, otherwise, the specimens appeared to have been identical in every respect. It will be further noticed, that the marble from the Kennesaw and the Southern quarries, which are located near each other, have a slightly higher percentage of absorption, than the marble (Creole and Etowah) from the Georgia quarries. This is probably accounted for, by the smaller crystalline grains of the latter, which appear to form a somewhat more compact stone than the former. CHAPTER XII. CHEMICAL DISCUSSION OF THE MARBLES OF GEORGIA. BY W. H. E:\fERSON, PH.D. The most valuable properties of marble for structural purposes being strength and durability, for ornamental purposes, color and texture, it would he desirable, in this chapter, to trace the relations between strength, durability, color, texture and chemical composition. Unfortunately, such cannot be done with any degree of fullness or certainty; only a few isolated facts can be noted. The difficulty in establishing such relations is mainly due to the fact, that composition is only of secondary importance, especially in determining strength and durability, these properties being far more dependent on physical structure. Scarcely anything has been done in studying the relations between the properties and structure; so that the effects of compo~ition are complicated by the effects of the practically unknown factor-structure. As has been stated above, marble is essentially calcium-carbonate, a salt having, as its negative element, carbonic acid, one of the weake~t acids, being easily dispiaced from its compounds by most other acids. As a consequence, marble is very sensitive to the action of chemical agents, everywhere present in the atmosphere. The substances normally present in the atmosphere, causing the destruction or weathering of building-stones, are carbonic and nitric acids, oxygen and ammonia; while in the towns and cities this list is augmented by hydrochloric, sulphuric, sulphurous and organic acids, derived from the combustion of coal, chimneys of chemical manufactories, decay of vegetable matter etc. While marble is more rapidly attacked by chemical agents than other stones, its power to resist the mechanical agents of weathering, which are generally the most destructive, makes it a comparatively durable stone. CHEMICAL DISCUSSION. Beside the essential constituent, calcium carbonate, marble always contains some of a large variety of accessory substances, one of which, magnesium carbonate, may vary indefinitely, from calcite, on the one hand, to magnesite, on the other; and, when the proportion is such as to give equal molecules of the two carbonates, the name dolomite is applied. Pure calcium carbonate is easily dissolved in large pieces by cold dilute hydrochloric acid, as is evidenced by the brisk effervescence; while dolomite, under the same circum- stances, dissolves so slowly as to produce a scarcely noticeable evolution of gas. In consequence of the greater insolubility, when magnesium carbonate is present, we would expect those marbles, containing more of it, to weather more slowly than those contain- ing less; and this is doubtless true, except where this advantage is counterbalanced by a structure less suited to resist the mechanical agencies of weathering. G. P. Merrill says: 1 - " The nearer a magnesian limestone approaches a dolomite in constitution, the more durable it is likely to be." On the other hand, it is likely that, under certain circumstances, the grains of dolomite are liable to show a feeble cohesion, favorable to mechanical weathering. Dana says:-" Grains of dolomite are often hut slightly coherent." Geikie remarks the same. The accompanying table shows, in the case of the Georgia marbles analyzed, that the dolomitic marbles are fine-grained, while the calcite marbles are coarse in texture. Fine- ness of grain is an advantage,' since it is conducive, somewhat, to strength and durability. As concerns the influence of accessory minerals, it may be said in general, that it is prejudicial to strength. Mica, in particular, when disposed along certain lines, produces a plane of weakness, owing to the little cohesion along its cleavage planes. On the other hand, a tough, fibrous mineral may, if evenly distributed, contribute somewhat to the strength, acting as a binding material to the granules of calcite. Extraneous minerals are likewise generally prejudicial to dura- bility. This is sometimes due to the more ready absorption of 1 Tenth Census; Report on the Building-stones and Statistics of the Quarry Industry. 'I i i I li I II':I d_~ ~ 3 ~ [ l -l J (Q 11/ PLATE XVi. '11 ~ I TOOLS USED IN STONE-CUTTING. CHEMICAL DISCUSSION. ss water, in case the foreign mineral is more porous than marble; the water, on freezing, expands powerfully, disintegrates the stone, and gives an easier access to the water. Again, accessory minerals may cause unequal weathering of the marble, thus producing a roughened surface, more favorable to weathering, and very unsightly. The experiments, given below on artificial weathering, show that the smooth polished surface of No. I was acted on more slowly than the unpolished cube of the same stone, presumably due, in part, to the greater surface exposed by the rough specimen, and partly to the fact that minute pores, more or less removed in polishing, facilitate chemical action. The great variety of colors shown by marbles is due mainly to the presence of accessory minerals. Ferric oxide imparts various shades of red. The pink color of No. 6 is due to a very small amount of ferric oxide, in such a fine state of division, that it remains largely suspended in the fluid, when the marble is dissolved in cold dilute hydrochloric acid, a part of it passing through the paper, on filtering. The reddish-brown color of No.8 is likewise due to ferric oxide in larger quantity, and not so finely divided. Manganese and cobalt may also produce pinkish shades. Iron, when present in the ferrous state in considerable quantity, produces color, varying from light to dark green. The hydrated iron oxides produce a yellowish-brown color. The presence of ferrous carbonate or of pyrite causes the marble to stain yellowish-brown, on weathering, due to the fact, that the compounds named alter readily to a hydrated iron oxide. This staining, in some cases, is said to produoe a very pleasing effect. The various silicates present will impart to marble their characteristic colors. Organic matter frequently produces a black color, as in marble No ro, which turns white on heating, the organic matter being decomposed and driven off. Graphite likewise produces a black color, the black portions of No. 3 (" Creole ") being nearly altogether due to graphite. The black color due to this mineral does not disappear on heating, as it is only very..slowly oxidized in the air. As an experiment to determine the coloring matter in the Creole 86 CHEMICAL DISCUSSION. marble, a fragment was placed in dilute hydrochloric acid and allowed to stand, until all the calcium carbonate was dissolved. There remained only a tuft of foliated graphite. Other minerals, such as black hornblende and black mica, occur in this marble somewhat sparingly; but graphite seems to be the mineral, which gives the marble its mottled appearance. The same is probably true of the Etowah marble, which occurs close to the Creole. These various colored minerals, present in varying amounts, are variously distributed, and give rise to an almost endless variety of colors, shades and patterns in the different marbles. The column in the accompanying table, headed "Insoluble Siliceous Matter," includes all substances insoluble in hydrochloric acid, mainly silicates and silica, as well as silica from any decomposed silicates. "Loss on Ignition" is mainly carbon dioxide and water; the latter was determined in three or four cases, after drying at I05 to I I0 C., and was found to be present to the extent of from three to five per cent. The amount of iron and organic matter was too small to seriously influence the loss on ignition. The iron of No. 8 is mainly ferric oxide, which is not modified by igniting. It is noticeable that, even if all the loss is reckoned as car bon dioxide there is not sufficient to combine with the calcium and magnesium oxides. This was not due to the oxides being partly in combination with other acids, as these were not present in sufficient quantity. It is certainly partly due to the difficulty of weighing -~~lcium oxide, in which form the calcium was determined. When freshly ignited, it increases quite rapidly in weight, in the desiccator, over concentrated sulphuric acid. However, it seems hardly probable, that this error would be large enough to account for the whole excess. The following artificial weathering tests were made on unpolished cubes of Nos. I, 3 and 6 and a polished cube of No. I. They were suspended for several days in an atmosphere of hydrochloric. sulphurous and carbonic acids:- CHEM1CAL DISCUSSION. Original 'Veight. No.1. Polished .......... 45.0868 grammes. No.1. Unpolished ...... 45.9492 grammes. No.3. Unpolished ...... 44.2569 grammes. No.6. Unpolished.. . .42.1369 grammes. Fmal Weight. 44.9337 grammes. 45.7793 gmmmes. 44.1240 grammes. 41.9943 grammes. Loss. .1531 grammes. .1699 grammes. .1329 gramrnes. .1426 grammes. It is noticeable that the unpolished cube of No. r was dissolved with considerable more readiness than the polished. CHEMICAL ANALYSES. ------,-----,------,--------,------------------- :\Iarbles. 1 Calcium I I U- 'd x1 e. uMrnaO"'o'nx1e'dst'e-. Ferric Ox- "_i,-n1me na1'nnda. Insoluble HMilictet orus a e. Loss on 1gm.t.wn. Total. Xo. 1==. M.06% 1 .Xo. 2............ 32.73 No. 3............ 55.00 No. 4............ 31.53 Xo. 5...... ..... 31.61 No. 6........... 54.41 No. 7 .... ...... 54.67 No. 8 ............ 52 77 Xo. 9 ............ 24.07 No. 10 . . . . . . 0000 1 1 30.42 No. 11 31.8() 00 ........ -.90% -.10% Hl.37 I .35 1.12 .15 2130 .24 21.06 .78 .75 .32 1.01 .42 .82 3.28 17.:::4 .43 19.8() .\Jl lfl.64 .74 2 12%- 42:86% ~-l00.04% .73 46.58 _ HH.76 .35 44 Hi . 100.76 .10 1.01 l.G2 .76 47.26 4G.4D 43 13 43.49 100.43 I1 100 95 I 100.23 I 100.35 1.~3 21.76 41 85 100 15 37.08 I 100.58 4.23 1 Undeter-ll ..... oo .... 00 1.73 I mined. 11 ............ 00 No. 1. Xo. 2. Xo. 3. No. 4. No. 5. No. (). Xo. 7. No. 8. Xo. 9. No. 10. No. 11. A coarsely crystalline, white marble, from the Cherokee quarry (Geor- gia Marble Company), Pickens county. A white, fine-grained marble, from J.P. Harrison's quarry, two miles east of Jasper. A coarse-grained, black and white mottled marble, "Creole," of the Georgia quarries. A fine-grained, gray marble, from the Diekey property. A fine-grained, bluish-gray marble, from the Holt property. ..A coarse-grainen flesh-colored marble, " Etowah," of the (~AJrgia quarries. A coarse-grained, gray marble. from the Eslinger farm. A coarse-grained, brown marble, from the Haskins farm. A fine-grained, light-gray marble, from the "'hite property. A fine-grained black marble from Six :\Iile Station. A fine-grained white marble, from Fannin county. APPENDIX. A LIST OF SOME OF THE MORE IMPORTANT STRUCTURES IN WHICH THE GEORGIA MARBLES HAVE BEEN USED. LOCATION. STRUCTURE. EXTENT USED. Boston, Mass........... U. S. Government building............. 4.000 tiles. Knoxville, Tenn ...... Episcopal church ........................... Entire building. Chattanooga, Tenn ... U. S. Custom house ........................ Interior finish. Chattanooga, Tenn ... F. :F. Marvill building .................... Marble front. Macon, Ga............... R. E. Park's building...................... Marble front. Macon, Ga.............. Coleman & Willingham estate ........... Marble front. Macon, Ga.............. '1'. C. Bank's building..................... Marble trimmings. Macon, Ga............... Edward Wolff's building................. Marble front. Macon, Ga............... I. 0. 0. F. building........................ Marble trimmings. Rome, Ga............... Floyd county courthouse.................. Marble basement. Jacksonville, Fla ..... U. S. Government building.............. Entire building. Atlanta, Ga.............. Equitable building ........................... 2 stories entire, tiles and stairs. Atlanta, Ga............. DeGive's Grand Opera-house .......... 2 stories, floors and wainscoting. Atlanta, Ga............. Aragon hotel................................. 1 story, floors and wainscoting. Atlanta, Ga............ Kimball house ............................... 5,000 square feet of tiling etc. Atlanta, Ga............ Gould residence.............................. Exterior walls. Atlanta, Ga............ J. M. High's building...................... Exterior walls. Atlanta, Ga............. Jas. L. Dickey's building................ Marble front. Atlanta, Ga............. State capitol .................................. 50,000 tiles, stairs and wainscoting. Atlanta, Ga.......... Kutz's building................................ Marble front. Atlanta, Ga.... .... .... H orne for tl1e ."r'nendless. . ...... . ...... {Bamseinmgesn. t and trim- Atlanta, Ga............. Southern Medical College................. 2 stories and trimmings. Atlanta, Ga............. Grant & Kirkpatrick building............ Marble trimmings. Atlanta, Ga ........... Walker Inman building.......... .... .. . Marble front. Americus, Ga......... Bank and Post-office building........... Marble front. Americus, Ga.......... G. W. Glover's residence................. Marble trimmings. Americus, Ga ....... Thornton Wheatley building ............ Marble trimmings. Nashville, Tenn....... Phillips & Buttoff building............... Marble front. Canton, Ga.............. Bank of Canton .............................. Marble front. Buford, Ga.............. Bank of Buford................. .. ... ..... Marble front. Elberton, Ga........... Elberton Bank............................... Marble front. Louisville, Ga.......... Louisville Bank............................... Marble front. Perry, Ga ............... Masonic hall ................................... Marble trimmings. Jacksonville, Fla..... W. S. Wear's residence.................... Marble trimmings. Jacksonville, Fla...... J. J. Green's residence................... Entire building. New Orleans, La ..... Greenwald hotel.............................. Entire trimmings. New Orleans, La ...... St. Paul's P. E. church ..................... 6,500 feet of tiling and wainscoting. New Orleans, La...... Cosmopolitan hotel. ...................... Interior finish. APPENDIX-Continued. LOCATION. STRUCTURE. EXTENT USED. New Orleans, La..... Kaf T. Hall's store building ............ Marble front. New Orleans, La...... E. G. Wear's residence.................... Marble front. Newark, N. J ........... Hunt residence................................ Marble front. Newark, N.J.......... - - church................................. Trimmings and inside work. Pitsburg, Pa........... Shield's chapel ............................ Entire building. Savannah, Ga........... De Soto hotel. ............................... 9,000 feet of tiling. Savannah, Ga........... Chatham county courthouse............ 8,000 feet of tiling. Birmingham, Ala..... Caldwell hotel ............................... Trimmings and inte- rior finish. Chicago, Ill ............ D. K. Kill's residence, 24th street..... Entire building. Chical!o, Ill. .......... Nelson Morison's residence, 45th St... Entire building. Chicago, Ill. ........... Wellington hotel ............................. 6,000 feet of tiling. North Chicago, Ill.. .. Residence, 420 N. State St................. Entire building. North Chicago, Ill.... Windemere hotel........................... 15,000 feet of tiling. North Chicago, Ill. ... L. G. Well's building.................... Entire building. North Chicago, Ill. ... The Auditorium .......................... 40,000 feet of wain- scoting. North Chicago, Ill.... Menoken club-house ...................... Marble trimmings. North Chicago, Ill.. .. Peacock Cafe, Madison St............. Interior finish. New York, N. Y ...... Criminal court building.................... Interior finish. New York, N.Y ...... St. Luke's hospital .......................... Entire building. Brooklvn, N. Y ...... St. Cecilia's ehurch ....................... Entire building. Columbia, S.C ......... State capitol.. ............................... 40,000 fept of tiling and base. Sioux City. Iowa...... Fox building................................. 12,000 feet of tiling. Fort Worth, Texas ... Courthouse.................................... 10,000 feet of tiling. Fort Worth, Texas ... Hendrick's building....................... 12,000 feet of tiling. Stephenson, Texas ... Earth county courthouse.................. 15,000 ft. of tiling etc. Los Angeles, Cal.. .... Hall of Records..... ....................... 20,000 feet of tiling. Los Angeles, Cal.. .... Library building .... ..................... 12,000 feet of tiling. Portland, Ore........... Depot building................................ 5,000 feet of tiling. Proyidence, R. I.. .... Industrial building......................... 25,000 feet of tiling and base. Richmond, Va ......... Chamber of Commerce .................... 5,000 feet of wains- coting. Sherman, Texas...... Linz building........... ...................... 5,500 feet of tiling and wainscoting. Pittsburg, Pa........... Carnegie library ............................ 25,000 feet of tiling. Boston, Mass........... Ames building, Bedford St................ Outside trimmings. Boston, Mass.......... Boston public library..../. .............. Arcade and court. Boston, Mass........... Ames building, Court St.................. Interior toilet-room work. Waverly, Mass........ McLean Asylum ........................... Outside trimmings. Providence, R. I ..... Industrial Trust Co.'s building........ IntPrior finish ete. Detroit, Mich........... Pingree building ............................. Exterior of 3 stories. Exeter, N. H......... Saule hall ................................ Interior finish. Washington, D. C.... Congressional library....................... 100 carloads. Philadelphia, Pa...... Drexel Institute............................. Interior finish. Tampa, Fla.............. First National bank........... ...... .. ...... Interior finish. iNDEX. Absorption tests ......................... 82 Fannin County, The Marbles of............. 21-29 Acknowledgments for gifts to the State Mu- Farmer's Spring ........ ....................... 51 seum....................................... .. 63 First Marble Mill in Georgia, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Analyses of Georgia Marble........ .. .. . .. .. 87 Fisher's Creek .......................... :15, 36, 37 Apophyses...................................... 40 Floyd County, The Semi-crystalline Marbles of. 54 Arp Property, The......... .. .................. 27 Gadders ....................................... 68 Arp's Spring........ .. . .. .................... 27 Garrison's, J. M., Property.................... 23 Ball Ground...................... 36, 50, 51, 52, 5a Gartrell's, Henry, Property.................. 33, 35 Big Turniptown Creek......................... 31 Geikie, A.. .. .. . .. .. . .. .. . . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. . . .. . 84 Bituminous or Fetid Limestone................ 19 Georgia Marble Company, The.ll, 42, 13, 58, 60, 63 Blue Ridge. .. .. .. .. . . . . . .. .. .. . .. .......... 26 ------Works, The............ 10, 45, 46, 51 ----Marble Co., The.............. 15, 59, 60 Gilmer County, The Marbles of.............. 30-31 canton, Cherokee County......... 36, 50, 51, 52, 53 Godfrey Property, The ....................... :l5 Carpenter's, T. J., Property.................... 53 Gray's, J. L Property ......................... 24 Cedar Ridge ................................ 54, 57 Griffin Property, The........................... 43 Ch8lk, Definition of............................ 19 Grinding and Polishing Machines ............. 69 Channeling-machines ....................... 65-68 Halbert's, J., Property ......................... 51 Chattahoochee Mining Company's property... 52 Harne String Creek.. . .. . . .. . .. . . .. ..... 21, 23 Chemical discussion of the Georgia marbles.83-87 Hand Implements.......................... 71, 73 Cherokee County, The Marbles of.. ..........50-53 Harrison, Jas. P .............................. n; 42 --Quarry, The.................... 45, 47, 48, 4~ Harrison's, Jas. P., Property................ 37, 38 ---,Analysis of the marble of the..85, 86, 87 Hoskin Farm, The.. .. .. .. . . .. . . .. . .. .. .. .. .. .. 56 Cherry Log Post-office.......... . .. . . . . . .. . 30 Hemptown Creek............................... 22 County Poorhouse............................... 28 Herndon Quarry, The.................... 39, 42, 43 Cowart's, L. E., Property....................... 53 Hickory Log Creek............................ 52 Cox Property, The.............................. 26 Holly Spring . . .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. . . .. .. . .. .. .. . 50 .Crain's, G. W., Property ..................... 52 Holt Farm, The..............................31, 32 Creole Marble .................. 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 Hydraulic Limestone, Definition of............ 19 -----,Analysis of the .................. 87 Jarvis, J. W......... , ........................... 52 - - Quarries, The .......................45-46 Jasper.. .. .. .. .. .. . . . ..... ~ .................10, 37 Crlnoidal Limestone, Definition of ........... 18 Kennesaw Marble Company, The............. 58 Crushingtests ................................80-81 --Quarries, The ......................... 41, 42 Culberson, N.C................................. 26 Knoxville, Tenn................................ 55 Cutcane Creek. . . . .. .. . . . . . .. . . .. . .. .. .. . . . .. . 23 Lacey's, J. L., Property ................... 30, 31 Dana, Jas. D ................................... 84 Lathes and Planers .........................69, 70 Darnell's, 8. A., Property................... .. . 44 Limestone, Bituminous or Fetid............. 19, 20 Dean's, The Widow, Property................ 24 - - , Chalk................................ .. . 19 Dickey Property, The........................... 27 - - , Common................................ 17 - - - - - , Analysis of the Marble of the.. 87 - - , Crinoidal .. .. .. . . .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. . .. .. .. . 18 Dlsheroom Property, The...................... 38 - - , Hydraulic............ .. .. . ........... 19 Drills............................................ 65 - - , Lithographic.......................... 19 Eager Property, The ........................... 36 - - , Magnesian ............ ................. JS East Tennessee Valley......................... 55 --,Marble.............................. 17, 18 Ellijay........................................ 31, 32 --,''Mexican Onyx"........................ 14 Eslinger Farm .............................. 5.5, 56 --,Oolitic.................................. 18 - - - - - , Analysis of the Marble of the... 87 - - , Stalactites and Stalagmites.............. 19 Etowah Marble, 1'he .............. 45, 47, 48, 49,53 - - , Travertine............................18, 19 ---,Analysis of the.................. 87 - - , Tufa........... .. .. .. . . .. . .. . 19 -Quarries, The ...... , ..... , ..... , .......451 46 Limestones, The Origin of....................13-17 lNiJEX. Lithographic Limestone.................... 19 Red Clay.....................................~. M Little Turniptown Creek....................... 31 Robinson, Richardson & Besinger............. , 10 Longswamp Creek ........ 9, 37, 38, 39, 43, 44, 45, 51 Rock Creek..................................... 30 - - Valley........................ 9,42, 47, 49,53 Rome........................................... 56 Lost Town Creek............................ 53 Safford, Doctor............. : ........ 55 I.yell, Sir Charles............................ 14 Sand-blast ...................................... 71 Mabel Station................................. 52 Sawing-machines............................ 70, 71 Machines and Implements used in marble- Semi-crystalline Marbles, The.............. M-57 working............................... . .. 64-73 Sharp Mountain Creek.......................52, 53 Magnesian Limestone .......................... 18 Shoal Creek..................................... 53 Marble, Analyses of Georgia .................. 87 Sickels & Co., Geo. B ........................11, 60 - - , Creole.. 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 78, 80, 81, 82, 85, --Price-list of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ....... 61 86, 87 Simmons & Hurlick . . . . . . . . ........ 10 --,Definition of............................ 17 Simmons & Margum.......................... 10 - - , Etowah.47, 48, 49, 76, 79, 80, 81, 82, 8.5, 86, 87 Simmons, Fritz T............ .. . .. . . . ... .. 9 Marble Bluff .. . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Six Mile Station. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...... 56 :Marble-dressing Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...58-61 Southern Marble Works......9, 10, 11, 39, 41, 42, 43 Marble Hill, Post-office.............. .. ... 9, 38, 39 Southern Railway........................54, 56, 57 Marbles of Cherokee County, The.........50-53 Specimens of Marble collected ..............62, 63 - - o f Fannin County, The ...............21-29 Spring Place............... ; . .. . . . .. ......... 54 - - o f Gilmer County, The... . ......... 30-34 Stafford's, P. W., Property...................... 52 - - o f Pickens County, The............ . .35-49 Stalactites and Stalagmites, Definition of .... 19 - - , Physical tests of Georgia .............74-82 Stern's, Mrs., Property......................... 51 --,The Semi-crystalline ................ 54-57 Structures, a list of some of the more impor- Marietta and North Georgia R. R. ... 11, 27, 28, 33, tant structures, in which Georgia marble has 37, 39, 46, 58, 59 been used..................................88, 89 Merrill, Geo. P ..................... , .. . ... .. 84 Summy & Hurlick........................... 10 "Mexican Onyx," Definition of................ 14 Sweet Gum Post-office....................... 26, 27 Microscopic Structure of Georgia Marbles ... 74-79 Talking Rock station......... . . . .. .. ... . . .. .. 36 Miles and Horne .............................. 11 Tate, Adkinson & Co........................... 10 Mineral Bluff......................... . ..... 25, 28 Tate, Col. Stephen................... . . . .. . . . 9 Murray County, The Semi-crystalline Marbles -------,residence.. :.............. 6 of........................................... 54 --,Doctor................................ .. Nelson ...................................... 49, 59 Tate, Pickens County.......... 9, 35, 39, 45, 49, Oolitic Limestone, Definition of................ 18 - - , William, residence...................... 4 Oostanauia Shales ...........................54, 56 Tate's Mill .................................. . Park Property, The ............................ 25 Tests, Absorption.......................... .. Perseverance Marble Company, The........... 11 --,Crushing.............. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . , 81 ----------Quarries................ 37 Toccoa river .................................... 27 Physical Tests of Georgia Marbles ...........U-82 Tolona Creek . . . . . .. .. . . . . . .. . .. . .. . . .. .. .. 32 Pickens County, Price-list of Marbles........47-49 - - Post-office................................ 32 - - - - - - , The Marbles of............. 35-49 - - School-house ..... ,. ................. 36 Piedmont Marble Company, The.............. 12 - - Valley.............................33, 34, 35 - - Marble Quarries, The...............9, 42, 43 Travertine, Dpfinition of ............18-19 Polk Patterson Property, The.................. 22 Tufa, Definition of............................. 19 Pool's, William, ProP,erty ..................... 39 Varnell's Station .............................. 55 Price-list of Geo. B. Sickels & Co. . . . . . .. .. . .. . 61 Weaver Creek................................26, 28 - - - - - - the Pickens County Marbles .... .47-49 Western and Atlantic Railroad ................ 58 Price's Creek.............................32, 33, 34 Whitaker's, P. B., Property ................. 30, 31 Production of Marbles for 1893, by states...... 12 White Path.................................... 30 Ragsdale Creek.. . . . . .. . . . . ... . .. . .. .. . . . . . . . . 53 ----Creek.............................. 30 Rankin, Summy & Hurlick..................... 10 White's, J. M., Property ........................ 53 Rapier Mill Creek............................... 26 Whitfield County, The Marbles of...........54-56 Ray's, John, Property........... , ............. 32 Young Stone Creek ......................... 27, 28