Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1892-10-08
STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY OF THE REGION IN ITS RI
TON TO THE ORE DEPOSITS

TON TO THE ORE DEPOSITS.
The level surface of the country. drained by the
tributaries of the Mississippi river. is broken by
remarkable elevated region covering Southern Mis-
souri,. Northern Arkansas and the northeastern part
Of the Indian Territory and extending over the ex
IRENE southeastern corner of Kansas. This billy.
and III places almost mountainous region attaining
elevation of goo to feet above the ocean is
known as the Ozark Uplift Intimately associated
with this of elevation occur, especially in the
southwestern section. where the states of Missouri
Kansas and the Indian Territory corner nearly to-
gether. extensive deposits of lead and zinc ores.
These mineral deposits appear to be dependent upon
dynamic disturbances that in past geologic ages
caused the uplifting of this region and produced the
consequent assuring and crushing of the rocks
Throughout the great central area of the Ozark
Uplf the strata of the various geological formations
are nearly horizontal in position and generally. un-
disturbed in bedding Along the marginal zone the
beds dip radially away from the central elevated
plateau and the rocks show evidences of extensive
local disturbance and crushing accompanied by the
faulting and assuring of the strata For this reason
the greater number of the mining districts are stu
ated near the tanks of the Ozark Uplift and in all
instances. wherever located, are areas of marked
disturbance associated with complicated assuring OF
the rocks.
The result of the investigation conducted on be-
half Of the u. S. Geological Survey of the deposits
enabled the general law to be announced THAT
ALL WORKABLE DEPOSITS OF ORE OCCUR IN DIRECT
ASSOCIATION WITH FIssUREs TRAvERSING THE STRATA
AND WITH ZONES OR BEDS OF CRUSHED AND BREccIATED
ROCK PRODUCED By MOVEMENTS OF DISTURBANCE, AND
THAT UEDISTURBED ROCKS ARE EVERYWHERE BARREN
OF ORB"
THE GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS
Many different formations occur in the Ozark
Uplift; Archean, Silurian, Devonian and Carbonif-
nrou in n of
orc On examination some formations appear to be
everywhere barren, others carry small and unwork-
able deposits but the great proportion OF the lead
and zinc ores of the Southwest is mined from the
upper beds of the Subcarboniferous from strata of
limestone and ebert. aggregating feet in thick
ness, locally known as the "CHEEoKEE LIMESTONE. "
OF the total shipments made in 1850 from this re-
eon, estimated at 10000 tons of zinc ore and 49,,
500 tons of lead ore not less than o5 per cent were
extracted from DEPOSITS IN THE CHEROKEE LIMESTONE.
1t is this formation that at the great mining
camps of Aurora, CRANKY, Webb City and Joplin in
Missouri, and al Gaena, Kansas: mining districts
that have sustained the reputation of the Southwest
as the largest producer of zinc ores in the world
The CHERoEEE LIMESTONE covers portions of
Lawrence Jasper and Newton counties in Missouri,
and the extreme southeast corner of Cherokee
county, Kansas extending over the contiguous area
in the northeast part of the Indian Territory ter
mnating near the VALLEY of Spring or Grand river.
This portion OF the Indian Territory has BEEN until
a late date reserved for the uses of certain Indian
tribes and has been closed to all exploration and
prospecting. 1t had been long known that lead and
zinc o.es outcrop the surface at number of local
tiles in this reservation but beyond this nothing was
known of its mineral wealth until by act of Congress
the Indians of this section were authorized to grant
mining leases of their property.
This section of the Indian Nation, lying between
the valley of Spring river and the Missouri boun-
Diary, in its topography of low rounded hills and
rocky ravines, much resembles poEtons of West
Virginia along the line of the Baltimore g. Ohio
Railroad. a fair growth of oak timber covers
almost the whole of this area there being relatively
but little agricultural land. On the slopes Of the
hills and along the banks of the streams the CHER
oKEE LIMESTONE APPEARS at the surface, but over
large areas the outcrop is less concealed by
soil and superficial deposits of moderate depth.
Sparsey settled, covered with woods and ham
pered in its development b. Indian titles the north
eastern portion of the Indian Territory scarcely
be said to have been looked over on the surface,