Somebody from Massachussetts is selling rocks from Howard on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250125016015&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:us
Now those aren't just any plain rocks that you can pick up on the side of the road. They are Pennsylvanian Howard Limestone.
What... Pray tell.... is Pennsylvanian Howard Limestone. ???
Do you mean to tell me that we are all setting on a gold mine of limestone pennsel ..whatever it is...
and we don't know it?
:D
How do we know that these are actual authentic rocks from Howard Limestone? Where is Howard Limestone????
TA TA!! He has to answer MY question first..
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I want to know WHAT it is...
Then he can tell you WHERE it is.
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It is only valuable if you can find a Brachiopod in it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachiopod
From http://www.kgs.ku.edu/General/Geology/Osage/02_strat3.html
Howard Limestone
Measured sections of the Howard limestone range from about 20 to 35 feet, the average thickness being about 25 feet. It supplies small amounts of ground water to a few shallow wells.
Utopia limestone member--The Utopia member consists of several limestones separated by thin shales. The upper bed, ranging from about 1 to 5 feet in thickness, is a light-to medium-gray "oatmeal"-textured limestone having abundant fusulinids and probably some algae in the upper part, grading downward into a limestone containing chiefly clams and snails. A thin gray calcareous shale ranging from a featheredge to 1.5 feet in thickness is underlain by 1.5 to 3 feet of thin unfossiliferous silty to fine sandy gray flaggy limestone.
According to Walter H. Schoewe (personal communication) these flaggy beds are the ones which contain abundant amphibian footprints, first noted by Mudge in 1873.
Below the flaggy beds 2 to 4 feet of thin-bedded fissile gray to dark-gray shale is present. Ostracods are abundant in parts of this shale. One or two thin impure limestones are present locally. The basal part of this member comprises 1.5 to 2.5 feet of blue-gray, light brown-gray weathering limestone containing abundant mollusks, especially Nuculana, Myalina, and several species of cephalopods.
Winzeler shale member--The Winzeler shale member averages about 3 feet in thickness. Locally, however, less than a foot of shale separates the Utopia and Church limestones. It comprises gray to tan shale locally with one or two thin limy stringers.
Church limestone member--The Church member averages 2 feet in thickness and occurs as a single massive bed of blue-gray, brown-weathering hard limestone. Crinoids, Cryptozoon algae, and brachiopods are the most common fossils but bryozoans and mollusks are abundant locally.
Aarde shale member--The average thickness of the Aarde shale member is 12 to 14 feet (area where Bachelor Creek member is identifiable). The upper part, above the Nodaway coal, is typically gray or blue-gray silty to calcareous shale underlain by dark-gray to nearly black fissile shale. Below the black fissile shale and above the Nodaway coal are 2 to 9 feet of gray clayey shale locally with a thin limestone similar in fauna and character to the Church limestone.
The Nodaway coal is a bituminous coal ranging in thickness from a featheredge to about 18 inches as observed in outcrops. Mine operators report as much as 36 inches of coal locally in mines (Schoewe, 1946, p. 24). Below the coal a thin sticky, structureless, gray underclay is present underlain by 1 to 4 feet of gray clayey and sandy shale. From the vicinity of Scranton northward the base of the Aarde is considered to be the base of the Nodaway coal as the Bachelor Creek limestone is not recognizable.
Bachelor Creek limestone member--The basal member of the Howard limestone is a hard very sandy, gray to blue-gray, gray-brown weathering limestone. It ranges from about 2 to 8 feet and averages about 5 or 6 feet in thickness. Fossils are not abundant but include mollusks, bryozoans, crinoids, and brachiopod remains. In outcrops in northern Osage County, it becomes unrecognizable, grading into sandy shale or sandstone.
Severy Shale
Gray and olive clayey to sandy shale and gray fine- to very fine-grained micaceous sandstone averaging about 70 feet in thickness comprise the Severy shale. Carbonized plant remains occur in abundance locally and sparse brachiopods and bryozoans may occur near the top. As much as 40 feet of sandstone is present in the northern part. Thin platy calcareous siltstones are present locally in the basal part.
The Severy is an important source of ground water and supplies numerous stock and domestic wells with small quantities of water.
I read it all.................... every little word........
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and I am still confused!
So?? is it worth lots of money?
I understood about the part that said they had little frogs footprints in them..
but to be honest, I didn't really quite understand the rest or why anyone would want to buy them.
:-\
"You a bidding on a lot of 8 small specimens of the Pennsylvanian productid brachiopod Hystriculina armata from the Howard Limestone of Elk Co., Kansas. The specimens depicted are the ones you will receive."
But what I am wanting to know is where in Elk Co., Kansas, did these rocks come from? This persons is advertising that the specimens came for the Howard Limestone of Elk Co., Kansas. So, again, where in Elk Co., Kansas, did these rocks come from?
I will just e-mail this question to this person. How about that?
I tried to e-mail the seller a question, but I had to register and I didn't want to give eBay my credit card info. If someone has an account with eBay, it would be swell to know where in Elk Co, Kansas, these rocks came from.
It's possible, I think, that these rocks just came from a part of Elk County where the construction companies cut through the land to build us our wonderful highways. Yeah, that's what I think. Of course, I was told once that I had an opinion on everything whether it was right or not. ha ha
I have one question. What language is kfclark using?
Why that would be Geekspeak.
I just emailed the owner of these rocks to ask specifically where in Elk County they were found. I bet I get a response of either I don't know, or what does it matter.
We should be able to play with this guy for a few days.
Currently it is worth $1.59 plus $2.50 in shipping and handling fees.
My sister Marty, who used to work out at Twilight Manor, is a real rock hound and she would go nuts for these. Of course all we need to do is look down when walking on a dirt road in Elk County and we will probably find several of these.
Who knew they had such a cool scientific name?
I'm not familiar with that language either. Or maybe I should say, I just cannot learn a language other than American, not even shorthand.
Still no response to where in Elk County they were found. I wonder how he really knows they are from Elk County?
Maybe he wasn't planning on someone actually FROM Elk County asking..
and maybe they actually AREN'T from Elk County :o
And maybe they don't even have any little frog footprints in them either!
Gasp!
If all this is the case~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Then it's time for some Elk County ass-whuppin'
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If these sell for a good amount of money, let me know. I have some bigger ones out here that I know are from Elk county.
I got the answer - this guy was surfing and come upon the Elk County Forum, read it awhile and thot to himself :laugh: now there's some fine, friendly folks and I've got these dumb rocks, but maybe I could say they were from Elk County and that would make them very special rocks and worth a whole lot more and . . . . . .
However; we may be loony, but we are not like a bunch of dumb rocks.
The shipping cost from Massachusetts must be a Lulu.
If he sells them, I may just tote a bunch of Howard rocks home on my next trip.
The picture of the fossils is not that good, but they look like the ones we have out in the pasture. They come out of gray shale, though, and not from a hard limestone. I used to pick them up by the can full.
We found a bus load of people who said they were from the Smithsonian picking rocks up on the hill one day. They said the rocks were unique to this area and they were going to put them in their collection. They were more after those yellow tinted ones that are full of fossils.
QuoteHowever; we may be loony, but we are not like a bunch of dumb rocks.
I thought we established that we were nice people here. ;) 8) :angel:
Oops - nope - we're nuts ! ;D ;D ;D
Per the seller, they were found just east of Moline.
Ok everybody.. gather round!
IF.. and I say IF this ole boy actually sells these rocks and gets any money for them.. here is what we should do.
We will all get a cooler of beer...( and coffee for Mama Wilma) some chips, cheese and salsa..
( isn't that what any rednecks need for an outing?)
and jump in some trucks..and by golly we are going to go "rock gathering!
Fill those pick-up beds clear up.. sell them and we will split the profits.
What do ya say?!
That is a BIG IF considering the auction ends in (2 days 15 hours) and he has received zero bids.
Do you really need a Rock Hunt for an excuse for a party?
AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
A man after my heart! ;D hahahahaha
I checked the other items this man has for sale. A few coins but mainly rocks from many different states. Some look like road rock. My kids, myself and grandkids have always enjoyed finding rocks with shells, bugs etc. in them. Maybe since we are use to seeing these type of rocks, they are not unusal to us. I don't think I would pay for them but have bought gold ore and pyrite in Colorado.
Quote from: Teresa on June 06, 2007, 02:59:31 PM
...
and jump in some trucks..and by golly we are going to go "rock gathering!
Fill those pick-up beds clear up..
OH! OH! OH! I know a guy that would love to have all the rocks hauled out of his Elk County pasture. Said he used to have to do it as a kid for punishment.
~ I'm in though ~ A party is a party ;D ;D ;D
chips, cheese and salsa are optional :P ;D
But, flo, she also mentioned liquid refreshments! :D
ok.. how about... pretzels.. dip and hot wings..
and beer!
LOL
Folks, there are ranchers and others in the greater Elk County area being paid fairly well for the rocks that are just laying around in their pastures. The larger the rock and the more fossils visible the higher the price. These rocks are going to landscapers, nurserys, and home centers in Wichita, Kansas City and Tulsa. Some have even made it down here to NW Arkansas. The big ones are in high demand as "centerpieces" in high end, high maintenance landscapes. But don't think you're going to go out and start quarrying for this market - the rocks have to be well weathered and without any tooling marks.
Mom70x7, that was the idea - the liquid refreshments necessary and the chips, etc, optional 8) 8)
Just think about the exercise that we could get by "hand harvesting" these rocks. No tools involved. Lots of bending over. We don't have to get the big ones. Just little ones that we can send UPS or USPS. What do you think?
Here's my idea: Make the rocks optional. I get enough exercise working on "This Old House" :)
Yeah!~~~~~~~~
To hell with the rocks..
Lets head to the pond in the pasture..put the tailgate down.. grab some munchies..pop a cold one and tell big windy lies! ;D ;D
::) ;D hey, works for me - :-[but I don't have a tailgate anymore - could I borrow one please?
Quote from: Teresa on June 07, 2007, 08:49:54 PM
Yeah!~~~~~~~~
To hell with the rocks..
Lets head to the pond in the pasture..put the tailgate down.. grab some munchies..pop a cold one and tell big windy lies! ;D ;D
Don't you tell enough "big windy lies" on the forum?
It doesn't look like we're going to get rich on rocks.
The Ebay auction ends in 9 hours and no one has bid on the rocks.
Oh, no. I am so disappointed. :'(
Quote from: Janet Harrington on June 08, 2007, 02:47:18 PM
Don't you tell enough "big windy lies" on the forum?
You know somethin' Ta Ta'? You are the meanest ole' thing that ever took a breath!
Why I wouldn't even had of known what lies were if I hadn't sat around the camp fire while we were camping out with the Posse and listened to you go on and on and on with your big tales!
((I wouldn't know what the word "windy " meant either.))(http://www.cascity.com/howard/animations/140.gif)
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Liquid refreshment -- some good munchies and every body talks smart.
Then when you go rock huntin' you think you have found a gold nugget and the world is one happy campers haven. The next morning you are sure some one loaded the rocks in your head
and made off with all of your "gold"
Hey, the rocks have a bid on them!
Oh My Gosh. How about that? We may have the start of something, yet.
Don't forget that I have some GENUINE Elk County rocks.
Wow, $1.59 plus $2.50 shipping and handling. I'm afraid no one is going to get rich off rocks from Elk County.
(http://www.cascity.com/howard/forum/angry.gif) RATS!!
There goes our millions!
But we can still have the party!~~
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I'm firming up plans for my trip to Elk County in July. I'll post something in a new post in the Coffee Shop.
If all of the rocks in Elk County turn out to be reasonably valuable, you folks are all going to get rich on Ebay. Of course, you might have to build a fence around the county in order to keep other people away from all of thise rocks....
:D
Naaaa~~ it was determined that the rocks in Elk County for the most part are no more valuable that the rocks that are anywhere else. :-\
Rats... and I so wanted to get 'rock rich'.
Oh well, ... remember when snake root was bringing pretty good prices?
Everyone and their dog was our digging up the country side. Mark made Derek a special little hoe/fork thing to dig it with that wouldn't leave a hole.
But now I don't know what it is bringing, but I do know that there is a ton of it all over the place again.
( Ever chewed on any of that? ) :D hahahaha Sure will take away a tooth ache, and anything else you could possible feel in your mouth.
The there was the clam digging in the river. But I think that the state made the license so high and put stipulations on the amounts you could have that it put a stop to a lot of the river digging.
This is not the first time someone tried to make money with Elk County rock, Silver was reported in the rocks in 1877 (see the article posted in the Good Old Days).
Here are some neat Pictures from the fair in 1908 on sale in Ebay as well.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Howard-KS-Fair-Harness-Racing-and-Trotter-1908-2pcs_W0QQitemZ190121029384QQihZ009QQcategoryZ20210QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Quote from: SnakeHater on June 14, 2007, 03:09:14 PM
Here are some neat Pictures from the fair in 1908 on sale in Ebay as well.
Those are indeed outstanding photos. I'll bet the county historical society would be happy to have them but can't afford them.
On another subject, thinking about rocks becoming valuable, the rocks that I would really like to see rise in value are the ones in my head.
:-\
Those are wonderful pictures!
I love old stuff like that!
Did you see how many people were in the grand stands at the fair grounds?
wow!
Wouldn't it just be the coolest if we could once again have that much interest in the fair?
County fairs and state fairs are some of the best times that can be had by all. Every one of them contains an incredible mix of people from all walks of life, all enjoying the same thing. Wander by and look at the livestock. Have an ear of deep-fried corn. Study all the photos in the photography contest. Gulp down a funnel cake. Go to the rodeo. Inhale some cotton candy. Have a blast at the demolition derby. And so it goes.
I've been fortunate to attend a lot of fairs and enjoyed them all. I am particularly fond of the Douglas County fair here, where I know a lot of the older kids that have been doing 4-H forever and every five minutes you run into somebody that you or your family knows. The fair in San Francisco County was so surreal it was fun. They had it at the old Presidio army base on top of the big hill overlooking the golden gate. That where I learned that the Zen Center in San Francisco made the best croissants in the world and where every fifty feet or so there was a life-size cut-out cardboard cow, because they don't have any cows in The City.
I'm looking forward to making some new fair memories this year...
;D