The Harrison times., 1901-02-09
Fundamental Geology of the "Ozark Uplift."
Comprehensive Governing Richest Mineral
Region Known to Biologists OF America.

merest conjecture. but we know that
their constituents enter mainly into
many of the rocks that follow in
order of succession, and, to some
extent, into about all of them A
perusal of different treatise on origin
is certain to furnish maze of be-
wilderment, and few questions have
been more warmly discussed than
the origin of granite Where this
rock is found in a manner to indicate
that it had forced its way upward
through everything formations and
appeared in large bases with radia-
ting veins there is strong indication
of its eruptive nature and the mar
row width of some of these granite
veins suggests that the rock must
have been in a pastv or liquid state
at time of injection. The oldest
geologists regard granite as primi-
tive rock of the earth S crust, forming
the floor of all stratifed deposits
and the nucleus of mountain chains.
1t is more recently claimed to be
known that granite, SO far from be-
ing in all cases an original rock,
may be of almost any geological age
and that some are as young as the
Tertiary BY some field biologists,
granite has of late years been regard
ed as Metamorphic. rather than as
an igneous rock. 1t is also pointed
out that gneiss may be regarded as
sedimentary formation.
1t is a generally accepted belief
that the primary rocks, including
granite. contain no fossils and there
fore existed anterior to anv form of
organic life. A late lamented geolo-
gist who had the benefit of a long
life of observation, in various fields,
had this to remark: Il will further
simplify the subject by saying that
our Primordial Base i. made up of
Plutonic and Sedimentary rocks.
The sedimencary rocks are essent-
tally altered or metamorphosed. Add
to their essentially altered characters
the fact that the earlier forms of
organic life were inhnftesimal and
fragile. and it is not difficult to
understand why they should not
contain any legible fossils. 1t is a
well known fact that the Primordial
sedimentary rocks of some of our
countries do contain vast quantities
OF organic products. Biologists
have been calling them Archaean be-
caxse they contain no fossils. But
lnasmuch as no man can say
that any particular rock or
mass of rocks is older than
organic lite on the Earth, Archaean
is clearly misnomer. Another
prevailing erroneous opinion of
!. rimary or Crystalline rocks was
ne ir unsusceptibility of subdivision
esr oecting contained elements and
tracn tihcation. The latest conclus-
ms regarding divisions Cr tIt L
rocks include an arrange
lent into six different members.
To throw some further light upon
he benighted question ofCrystalline
ock matter, called Primary, we will
uote some from an English author
rho, as practical and professional
lining Engineer spent the main
ortion cf his life among the mines
f Central, and South America, of
.frica and his own country. He re-
marks: 1.-The first and universal
act that presents itself to notice,
When we examine the nature of these
is that they contain a
erv considerable proportion OF
water, and are often found as soft
S clay in depth; indeed the super
cial part of these rocks is the driest
md hardest portion of the mass.
In South America great streams
# silicious and calcareous matter
ire seen daily issuing out of the
ocks and forming large deposits;
md even common salt is in many
places obtained where it comes out of |
granite and porphyry." In order to
lave more complete idea of the
character of the granitIc !
oase, as observed in both hemi-
spheres. we shall repeat the follow
ng from the same author:
Quartz. felspar ana mica-common
micaceous granite
Quartz, felspar and talc-Tolcose
granite.
Quartz, telspar and chlorite-Chlo-
ritic granite
Quartz, felspar and hornblende-
Hornblendic granite.
Quartz, as homogeneous COM
pound trap & c.
Ouartz with crvSra1S of felSDar-