John Felker mica prospect, Strafford, Strafford County, New Hampshire, USAi

Regional Level Types
John Felker mica prospect	Prospect
Strafford	- not defined -
Strafford County	County
New Hampshire	State
USA	Country

A small pit was made sometime prior to 1940. It was enlarged by A. E. Buzzo of Center Strafford in 1943. The present cut is 30 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 5 to 10 feet deep. Waste rock was removed by a mine car on an inclined track. In December 1943 the prospect was mapped by tape and compass by Glenn W. Stewart and Norman K. Flint.

The pegmatite is exposed along strike for 30 feet. It is 4 to 12 feet wide and is essentially parallel to the foliation of the wall rock. The pegmatite strikes N. 50° E. The keel of the pegmatite probably is not far below the bottom of the cut, because the walls converge. The hanging wall is nearly vertical and the footwall dips 50° SE. Minor rolls occur along both walls. The wall rock is quartz-mica schist, probably part of the Littleton formation. Its foliation strikes N. 50°-65° E. and is nearly vertical.

The pegmatite is poorly exposed. The border zone, 1 to 3 inches thick, is composed of fine-grained quartz and muscovite. The wall zone, 3 to 11 feet thick, is composed of medium-grained perthite, quartz, muscovite, and cleavelandite. Accessory minerals are small crystals of tourmaline, garnet, and beryl. Small scattered quartz pods occur near the center of the pegmatite.

Some muscovite books are disseminated m the wall zone, but most are associated with the small quartz bodies. The muscovite books are very hard and compact, average 2 by 2 inches, and are nearly free from mineral stains or inclusion. Reeves and ruling, however, are common.