The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-09-01
TEXAS GEOLOGY
The Various Formations OF Soils and
tSy Description Of Mineral Deposits
Matters Of Interest to Every One

w UebcrIptiOn vi mihorhi DoPosi'h'
Matters OF Interest TO Every One
Prepared for the HrnAIp by W. r. Cummings
a., Geologist Dallas, Texasl
I propose in the present article to CIV
avery brief account Of the geological forma
ton of that part of the state o
Texas, north Of the Texas Pa
cific railroad. with such observations OF
the soils, timber and water as will
be Of general interest to your readers.
shall leave out of the article the technical
terms ofthe science Of geology, as far as
can, so that I may be comprehended by
those of your readers who are not familiar
with those terms, as well Us those who
are.
Texas is now without o state geolorisi
and is likely to be for some time, rs there i:
no such Office known in the laws or consti
tuition of the state, and those who are in.
terested upon the subject of the geology Of
Texas are dependant for information upon
such articles as intend this to be. That
such an article will be unsatisfactory u
both myself and those seeking information
on this subject will be apparent at a glance
.forthe reason that there is not space enough
in an ordinary newspaper article to do the
subject justice. The facts stated in the pres
ent article aremostly from personal obser'
vatfons, made by myself in the last three
years. I will commence by giving the va.
rious geological out-croppings as they pre-.
sent themselves along the line of the Texas
& Pacific railroad, beginning on the east at
Waskom, where the line OF said road en-
tiers the state. From there to Wills Point
distance of 1l6 miles, belongs to the ter
tiary. From Wills Point to Arlington, a
distance of70 miles, is cretaceous. From
Arlington to Hand,ey, about IL miles, il
tertiary again. From Handley to Weather.
ford, 81 miles, is crctaceous again. From
jWeatherford to Baird ITO miles, is carboni.
ferrous. From Baird to Colorado, 80 miles
probably belongs to. the permian, and is over
laid by the cretaceous. From Colorado to
Big Springs, 70 miles, is cretaceous. From
big Springs to San Martin, 140 miles. is the
Staked Plains, the geological age of which
'IhaSe been unable to determine, it is more
recent than the cretaceous. and probably
Elore "n 'ne t. AZ
pan Martin 70 sam n nn;I,,, th hs
higher mountains are carboniferOus, over.
laying rocks of igneous origin. From Van
Horn to Sierra Blanco is caIboniferous
OVERLAPPING the rocks Of the azoic. A few
mics peyoho oeIra p,ahco ,ne uoau E S;a
GOWN INTO the vauey Vi uG ,.n III.
ursnue, winch 70 anut,9, "nne .;n, n LIE -
ana suriSunuiIG n,oun' ~, mJ a az ~ ~
.nose at oet,s p an ill., ~ Te1ase Poc;fS
country along tne iihe Vi AeAas " aei,I'
railroad, as mehtloneu apove; yves zen
erai idea Oh tne Rs1oiosy vi .he nv tha Pc;
81 the state: l VIII now TAKE up .nt tnir
Gus geoloelcai PeriouS' anu em'er tnoo i
tuiler aescrip''on u TUG 'eii''oiy eAi'i"'eO
IN each.
TERTIARY. A.
Inc tertlafy iorhaJon eInpIaoes ~,
country situated eaS' Oh iiiie peelhhipS
pear Clarksvllle, III heu hNcr county, aho
Innnlng sonthweStwaIuiy 10 WINS foiht Oh
he Texas Pacific railroad also o strip o.
Sountry from ten 10 twenty miles Wiue sA
tending through the northern part Oh "a,
Sate from nerth 10 SCUM. Stoss,hS Wv
Texas faCine ralrosu IN .ne
eastern SIDE Oh larrans county, a1I VIZ
orsces the country known as .ne Lomei
Gross Iimbers." me uulf OF Mexico nao
eeceded as Tar south as tne nor.h iini
~ rreestVile county, az .he W. a..
fiary age;there was an arm OF the yea exteEu
ing up to lied hlver ana peyonu, mak n,
the tertiary strata cross OF the tinioefs; lh'
prevailing rocks OF the tertiary III iexa'
are sand stones. Some OF these rocki
have aslarge percent oil IRON ana make ar
excellent building Sone. Inc per cent ~
iron IN some localities IS so lsISc as 10 "
valuable for the MANDATORY OF ron INT
soil is sandy clay, and dark SANDY anu
vinm along the water courses. lhe cay u
often a deep RED, colored oy ,he ohiae o
iron. Ihese SOILS are very iei"o aun ~
lduce abundant crops OF corn, cotton ahd
sweet potatoes. but is not con
sidered SO good for wneassstD c plack ianu'
OF the cretacet us, but macn more "sieea
BILE TO cuitiyate.
Nearly all the tertiary III Texas u cover
ed with timber. In The more eastern cO,h
ties there is heavy growth oil most eHc.t
lent pine, as well as several varieties OF osk
The more western counties oi lhe tertiary
as well as the Gross Timbers has heavy
growth of post oak, black jack ana hiokoty
There are excellent streams oi clear watel
every where in this formation, WINE Weii'
of good water are obtained resuiIy at
depth of thirty feet more or less oWIng ,e
the locality. Sonic OF these wells arc nlgniy
mineraliZed, with SOFA, Cos PeIss, nuui any
magnesia. The curative qualities o.
the waters are now being tested WIN very
Satisfactory results.
cRErAcEoUs.
The cretaceous formation ]. Older thsu
that Of the tertiary, aud lies imipe"'a,els
west OF the principal body OF That lorna
ton. The cressceous srtenus 30 irf wet ~
lWeaiberiord, DecatIr snn ~ JOE ~ u"
head OF the Elm 1ork OF Zee ifH"y Hfei
There is also an ouicropping ct TIE lorna
lat Big Springs and extending along th,
loot Of the Staked Plains As lar north ~
have examined the country thai Is 10 say o.
far as the head Of Pease river. The creta
ceons again shpearss az ,ne p Igo ~" Tine nrs