Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1892-10-08
Geological Report on the Northeastern Portion Of Indian Territory


much less prospected for ore. Galena has been
found oucropping in the cliffs of Silurian limestone
along Spavnaw creek and large deposits of zinc and
lead ores have been developed in the CHEROKEE
LIMESTONE at the Peoria Mines about ten miles
southeast OF Baxter Springs. Kansas but all the rest
OF this great area remains practically as it was
when the Indians surrendered possession.
RULES FOR PROSPECTING.
The old rule ITO FOLLOW THE ORE f." holds good
in this in other mining regions. but cases arise
where other guides must be sought; where the ore
body is worked out and search is made for other de-
posits and in the prospecting of virgin ground, and
in the exploiting of areas but little developed.
In all underground prospecting the general rule
may be given ITO FOLLOW THE VERTICAL FIssuRRs
IN THE SEARCH FOR ORE for these have been the
channels through which the solutions have entered
the rocks and formed the ore bodies and along the
course of which in favorable ground the deposits of
ore occur.
| In prospecting new ground attention should be
given to the indications of the course of the assures
both on the surface by lines of depression by the
direction of the bluffs and breaks and by the strike
OF any outcrops of silicfed or mneralized rock:
and underground. by surveying and mapping the
course of the assures in neghboring workings, and
finally determining from all of this data the proba
BILE places where these different assures will cross:
the work being concentrated upon such areas OF in
tersection for experience has shown that large ore
bodies are thus situated in this region.
Evidences of disturbances of the rocks should be
carefully observed. such as beds dipping locally at
steep angles or in direction different from that of
the prevailing inclination of the strata; the occur
renee of belts of rock showing folding, crushing or
brecciation, and outcrops the surface of sliced
rock more or less mneralized and stained with iron,
and often aording when searched traces of the oxi
died minerals resulting from the weathering OF lead
and zinc ores.
Another rule may be given: NEVER SINK A
| M A uOI +
TO ASCERTAIN THE CHARACTER OF THE UNDERLYING
FORMATIONS, lest time and money be wasted from
striking hard and massive strata of barren
rock
In the future, prospecting drills, such as COM
monty used in sinking artesian wells. will be more
generally employed in the search for ore The dia-
mond drill is not adapted for this work. owing to the
loose and open structure of the ground, and from
the hard ebert cutting out the diamonds.
CONCLUSIONS
I. That the region has but recently been thrown
open to the miners the surface is hilly and woody
and the underlying rock formations are concealed
by soil and superficial deposits, which accounts for
the UNEMPLOYED and undeveloped condition of its
mineral resources,
?. That the great producing formation Of
the Southwest the Cherokee limestone, covers all
of the area included between the Missouri boundary
and the valley of Spring river.
! g. There are in this section many surface indi-
cations that large minera! deposits occur in the
Cherokee limestone; widespread evidences of dis
turbance of the strata of faulting and assuring of
the rocks and the finding of float ore in numerous
localities scattered the entire extent of this
strip.
d At the Peoria Mines during the past two
years considerable prospecting work has been done,
showing same formations and deposits as at Webb
City. Joplin and Galena. A number of shafts have
been sunk in the Cherokee limestone and several
workable bodies of zinc ore have been developed.
The ore is zinc blende of good grade and quality,
with crystalized dolomitc and other minerals SINH
larry found associated with zinc ores at Joplin,
Missouri At this locality there occurs we'll pro-
nounced system of fauting assures and strong evil
dences on the surface of local disturbance of the
! rocks.
! s. That the mining region of the Southwest is
not limited BY the present explored areas in Mis-
souri, and Kansas. but extends over the northeast
part OF the Indian Territory. its western boundary
being the valley of Spring or Grand river
w. P. JENNEY. E. NJ. Phi. D.,
U. S. Geologist.