The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-09-01

| a.,si,,ia. tla geological age 10 which thea
s.gn',,,a L,eda Ielnug, The rocks OF th
ss,n,ian src o,InctnatIy sapdst0ne, Nsa
H. head of i},a north prong oi the Littl
vvI.1,I,a ,jvs, ibsys u be1 of coral lime
W iua ~ aa,,,,as aod oic,o,tv tbere \
s'oue ""o ~ ~ soagossism Ilmeatone. mi
y s.ia.dn n ,nstss n most erceI
,nas uu...,t'pi,, stano ,rhn soil Il nrinojnaIj,
Ient pulun5 s,o"o io.. ~. rivars tha In M
req sanuy I'm" ,r n"b jnc,nai crnns mr.,
u very Ie,.noa 80. tvhsat and onts mr.,
cvrn, wnen n.y.. VII 49,. va" a. ,bsv rnature befor,
alin9sta sure oaoP, % ny ~ IL ,art n IL,
tne urousns, 30 oo'"'" The '" ,,ermian IL MI
state, conlnenGc. 90 nn,,rsos nd
prairie, except aohg .ne Will III 81 , "ne
IN some piaces 'ner s, 10 enn,narcas ihs
quite. WIN sne perinlah pai,,,on. T ~.
great cattle range Of tne noronTe si,ds h ~
prairies are covered VIII Ses YER a,,le ,,o ~
mesquite stass, upon wn.vh 'n9 r, Iass'0 ~
leu u ri y. .no w an5 ,,nn, a,h;cb tbev
very iat IN summer, anu upoI r mV ~ a 10y
lew springs IN the Peai "a ,.o amu GO ,0o Seet
WAFER can DC Sosa aSs S Ss wster ~, t%c
Inc rivers anu eroehs RI, norr,;an 4.
STOCK upon tne pIairies' nuo p. ~ m tha. .a
rlch IN copper anu lrDni ouv nSava,on s''e
resources are almost Whoiiy uhce'eioPeu'
AzoIc.
I include under the head OF azoic all the
rocks OF igneous origin. In Rockwail
county there are some dykes of trap rock
which have been thrown up from unknown
depths penetrating the underlying strata
and reaching the surface through the Gre
raceous. These walls are about four or five
inches thick and the lines of fracture are
so regular that they have the appearance OF
having been placed there by the hands OF
man, but those who are acquainted with
the manner in which this kind OF rock
crystalizes as it cools are not surprised at
the appearance of these walls. This is the
only place | have seen any rocks OF vol.
canic origin in Texas east of the mountains
bordering the Siakcd Plains on the west.
Some who have seen the iron ores of the
MINER Brazos and Wichita rivers, have
Thought them to be Of igneous origin, and
have called the ore "scoria," but I have
seen no evidence of their having been af-
fected in the least by heat, their peculiar
color is owing to the effect of the weather
upon these ores.
The Hico, Guadalupe and other ranges
of mountains along the western border of
the state, are of igneous origin and are com.
posed of granite, mica, slate, gueiss and
other rocks of that geological age. Veins
of trap and quartz are seen traversing these
mountains in various directions. These
mountains are evidently rich in minerals of
various kinds. but have not been thorough
ly examined.
There is some prospecting now being
done in these mountains with very flatter-
ing prospects. Gold, silver, copper and
lead have been obtained.
The great scarcity OF water in these
mountains will prevent the rapid develop
ment of the mining interests.
oUARrERNARY.
This period includes all of our surface de-
po,its. ali the loose clays, marls, sands and
soils found upon the surface of the state. l
do not desire to speak of the alluvial de-
posts found along the margin of all our
but to notice more particularly the drift
spread over the entire of northwestern
Texas, There seems to be two kinds oil
drift, or the drift seems to have been depos-
tied at two different times and by different
agencies. Whether they can be rightly re-
ferred to the glacial and champlain periods
of the more northern part of north Amer
lea, is a question shall not here undertake
TO determine. One bed of this drift over
lies ali other formations upon the tops OF
the highest hills. This drift is composed
entirely of silicious pebbles. / have never
tound any fossils in it, except a few pieces
of sjlicified wood. The pebbles become
largar as We travel to the northwest, and on
Pease river west of the gypsum fields some
of the boulders will weigh several thousand
mounds. The second bed of drift is of more
recent origin and occupies or forms the
nrairie bottoms of NIL the rivers penetrating
the country to the northwest. / have
traced this drift from ID. Has on the Trinity
river 10 the foot of the Staked Plains. SUB.
senrantIv IN the tertiary period. there was
a frnmendous ov,rtow of water coming
from the mort invest of sufficient height Ia
flood the country to hal: the height of the
hills along IN. different rivers, and to force
chs nnels directly across the previous geo.
III, .,ar;,iod from some inland
iake that was suddenly elevated
hv Tho monnlain. making forces of the north
want In This drift is found the fossil re.
mains of tho mammoth. horse. buffalo and
otbar animals Of the ouarternary period. /
have cannd thase fossils In this drift. at Da,.
lac aIony tho Rig Wichita river. on the
Rrazos above Bavior county. on Red river,
r,o,', SL.rr,an 10 the sonTce of the Salt
W. az paasa riy.r in the Indian Terri.
,or, 6fty n,;Ies cast Of Fort Sill. and
800, ,,y az Tovah an The line of the Texas
e pie. ra;I,oad In making A cut for a
Il tha, sa,na mon the fossil Iemaibs OF
a n,amno,h s.vsral feet below the surface.
Tha fariLer W.. 20 to the northwest the more
nn,narnns these fossil remains become and
The bettrr their state of preservation. In.
shells found in this drift are OF fresh water
orin;o ~ we'll ne ,huse derived from the
Cnrh,naiioJs throueI which Thu. water
anu.nd Eron, whsnre came thus flood OF
w,tsrp WAS II n,uduced by the sudden
,.lsv,,ion ot sunr inland lake or sudden
,noi,;ns, ., q ,locisr along The rsrians of the
n,ount,,;n district mort west of The Staked
plairs THESE are questions that cas ee cor.
rectlv answered. only when the country has
hoa,, ,hnr,,,,hy ey.mined aud nil The facts
coIloctsd Eor The present | am Inclined 10
Ne hsiief ,bat The S,,k.d Flsins were once
nv ~. t',,,,, If an inland lax. of fresh wstrr.
Wy, w H., a, he linn, nf Inc elevation of the
rnrl,v monntain range this lake was EN- o.
h'cNy hiouu'a'u 10 liz. 800, y,
-, =, ,h so nd s,s sn ab,1nIsnt'thnt IN
Nv ~ IL. ,.,,'n,r, ,hava ,n,utinn,,l.
"oou'u ' ,noS osv ~ sonra Trx,s.
IT.. tn ,no 90 ~, Tsy.s north of ~. Teras
p Nv ,io ,a,I,oad ~ C,,nd i'm the t.rtinrv
"o'uo , 'S nd nernian tptmatio,is
Ths ,,r,. m ibe,ertiary IS found 10 all the
Inc ore o. ,ue ,.-' r. a.. red c,,,n, L...
ieh iaii"s W '"',''' r. s,,n ~ ,,o,