In the larger lil, known locally as Benfer’s ridge, there are four small quarries; two on either side of the public road crossing the ridge and two lying further east towards Middle creek.
1. Shoch’s quarry is a small abandoned opening where no work has been done for years. It is situated on the east side of the road, on the backbone of the ridge, and exhibits a section of about 20′ of limestone on a 5° N. W. dip, all of it of good quality except the upper 5′, and advantageously located for developement.
2. Benfer’s quarry and kiln is immediately opposite Shoch’s on the west side of the road; 60′ long and 30′ high, exposing about 30′ of flat dipping limestone right in the trough of the synclinal which is well developed in the west end of the quarry. There are two principal beds, 8′ and 4′ thick, separated by one foot of shale; but the larger 8′ bed on top shows a somewhat vertical cleavage and breaks out in irregular blocks. Above it are 10′–15′ of smaller beds and some shale. A great deal of excellent farm lime is burned here to the extent of about 800 bushels a year, all of which is used locally on Mr. Benfer’s property.
3. Gill’s quarry is a side hill cut on the east side of the road near the south base of the ridge and about 150′ in length. The dip here is fully 40° to the northwest, although but a short distance from the two before mentioned quarries, and is developed in lower beds. About 40′ of gray and somewhat discolored limestone is exposed here, generally in thin and somewhat shaly beds,
4. Smith’s quarry is the last opening near the eastern end of the ridge, developing only a few feet of stone in the center of the synclinal on the summit of the hill.
The Devonian rocks No. VIII, which occupy a strip along the north side of the township, 6 miles long and one mile wide, are nowhere well exposed. Perhaps the best section of them can be seen along the ravine descending from the Catskill ridge at the M. E. church to Middle creek at Middleburg. The top layers of the Chemung formation are exposed on a 20° north dip just at the
