The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1900-05-05
(TiMEs Special Exploring Expedition.>
MAuMEE, SEARcY Co, ARK, |
April 2Sth, 1900. ]

MAuMEE, okARCf u, AKA, |
April 28th, 1900. !
Though nothing to such an effect
had been adventured in public print,
excepting as it had been published
by the writer in the columns of the
TIMES and in the Little Rock Gazette,
the time has come to lay down the
dictum, and to stick to it, of the rim
of Buffalo basin, in Newton, Searcy
and Marion counties, carrying the
promise and the evidence of the
greatest bodies of ore we shall know
in the development of the North Ar
kansas mineral field.
Facts, in the case are, of course,
not sufficiently, established at all
points in the Buffalo basin to make
the proposition foregone conclu-
sion. And, on the other hand, it
must not be assumed that such a
dictum has suggested itself for the
purpose of excluding other North
Arkansas territory from the benefit
of doubt, in the matter of ore in
quantity. For it happens that
the occurrence upon which other
parts of the Arkansas field depend
for ore, is the one from which the
Buffalo basin derives it zinc, copper
and lead, that of the silurian age.
And the only exception to the COM
mon origin of the two is the frac-
tional part of the Buffalo basin
where an ore bearing sub carbonifcr-
Gus formation overtops the silurian
period, and then only where the ele-
yation Of the country admits the
presence of the two formations
But while the benefit of doubt is
in all fairness granted to other terri
tory of the Arkansas field the rule
obtains nevertheless, of the Buffalo
basin leading the whole system as a
mineral country, both in the aggre-
gate and at points where its great
sectional exposures and its geology
had invited the operations of miners
and prospectors. Witness, for in.
stance, the examples offered in the
Boxley, Chimney Rock, Little Buffa.
10, Mill Greek, Cave Creek, Davis
Greek, St. Joe, Greenhaw Hollow
Tomahawk, Rock Greek, Spring
Greek, Water Greek, Rush Creek
Clabber Greek, Cedar Greek, Boat
Greek and Cow Creek countries Of
Newton, Searcy and Marion. And
to name these systems or localities
in the same breath, is to sweep the
boards with list of properties
whose ores presumptively and in
fact, rank them with the best zinc
properties of both the eastern and
western continents, viz: Bennett
Baker-McGrath, Panther Greek
Canton, Bill Scott, Cranky, Big Hur
ricane, Tomahawk, Maumee, Morn
ing Star, Red Cloud, McIutCsh
White EAGLE, Silver Hollow, Climax
Georgetown, Fox Den, Prince Fred
erick and Bonanza; with still host
ofothcrs unmcntioncd, any one o
which will hold its own in a com
parison with the average zinc prop
critics of other states.
Or, in other words, that which ha!
been said is the reasoning of the cas-
as it applies to the Buffalo basin, a
so much mineral territory, and tn,
application Of it is to the following
effect: Not to have made the dis
tinction drawn into this report i
the main cause ofrailroad promoter
being at sen when looking into tn
probable and apparent mineral ton
mage of the country upon which tn
success OF their enterprise woul'
largely depend; and It is the mali
cause of outside prospectors coming
to their wits end when attempting
to size up North Arkansas as $,
much mineral territory worthy tn
notice of miners and capitalists Fo
there are two things almost impos
sible in q prospecting tout Of tn
North Arkansas field, viz. "A suits
I. etory insight to its mineral 49,