Graham guardian., 1919-09-19

| ana southwestern Ie&aS, appears tC
have remained submerged during the
next period of Lower Carboniferous. OF
the Mississippian series, which seems
to rest comformibly upon the Devonian.
Then followed long period during the
Pennsylvania and the earlier part OF
the Mesozoic, or Secondary Age. that
all this territory was elevated above
the sea level, or the sea subsidized from
it, and the exposed rocks were much
acted upon by erosive agencies. Dur
ing Cretaceous time this valley and all
lands east to the Mississippi were again
submerged, except the higher ridges.
and received characteristic deposits OF
| Cretaceous lines, sands, and shales,
leaving characteristic fossil remains.
A recession of the waters of this period
marks the last submergence of this
area. Some time during the Pennsyl,
vanian, or post-Pennsylvania periods,
the country to the east of the Stafford
valley, perhaps from far into New
Mexico, was subjected to successive
basic, which has sin .e, in part, eroded
away. leaving the mountains to the
east OF the valley with abrupt mono
clinal structure, with almost vertical
escarpment to the west. These in turn
have been covered by late Tertiary
flow of malapai, or dark brown colored
vesicular lava, now almost wholly erod-
led away.
The Pinaleno mountains on the west
side of the valley, at Stafford, and the
| Galiuro range across the narrow Ara
vaipa valley, beyond the Pinalenos, at
one time, no doubt, constituted one
great fold of pre-Cambrian granite,
probably 10000 to 10000 feet high.
These mountains have been shook and
shivered by convulsions, worn by wind
and water, and altered by heat and
other dynamic agencies, until their
highest peak is but 1000 feet high
Mount Graham. And deserving of a
passing word ia Mount Graham. 1t has
seen oceans come and go again and
again, and receding leave sloping mesas
to the east, out of which whole states
might have been carved; and later it has
seen great fissures open on those mesas
and belching up great streams of lava
build up on top of the sedimentary plane,
range after range of eruptive mount
aims only slightly more insignificant
than itself. 1t has witnessed the birth
of life in the waters laving its shores,
seen this life develop from that of the
unicelled amoeba to that of the gigan-
tic monsters of the Tertiary time, who
dragged huge, slimy bodies over its
rugged sides. 1t saw the war of JOve
and the Titans; witnessed the advent of
man, and has seen man rival the powers
of the gods with his inventions. When
man shall have vanished from the face
of the earth, and the world shall be-
come silent, cold, dark and deserted, it
will still stand in solemn majesty-like
the SpinX of Egypt-a monument of
terrestrial age.
What / desire to emphasize at this
time is that this part of Arizona under
discussion, the Gila valley in Graham
county, has a geological history gener-
ally speaking in part with that of south
ern New Mexico and southwestern
Texas; and distinctly different from
that of the central or western part of
the State, which is intimately connected
with the history of the Sierra Nevada
ranges. do not mean to imply that
all the territory is alike, because there
are always local conditions peculiar to
each locality examined.
The Bear Springs Oil District is To-
Gated in the central part of Graham
county, State of Arizona, about twelve
miles west of Stafford, the county seat.
Its exact geographical limits are not
very definitely fixed, but | should say
it embraces the territory included in
Townships to South, Ranges 22 to
25 East, Gila and Salt River Base and
Meridian. The Springs that give name
to the district are found in Section l,
of Township 7, Range 20, where
strong stream of excellent water flows
continuously. At this point, the valley
is about l8 to 20 miles wide, sloping
down from each side to the Gila river,
which flows down to the northwest
through about the middle of the valley.
The formation of the entire valley is
wholly sedimentarysc consisting of alter
mating strata of sandstone and lime. In
the bottoms of the gullies near the
springs is to be seen stratum of blue
clay and shale, giving good indications
of oil on digesting in spirits of turpen-
tine. The mesa here has been deeply
eroded about 200 feet or more, showing
all the various successive layers of sand,
lime. clay and shale. Along the rim
extends a layer of conglomerate of
moderate sized pebbles. three to four
inches in diameter, quite firmly ce-
mented together with sandy calcar-
eous cement. Near the springs and to
the north and west, perhaps mile, are
to be seen several strata of diatoma-
ceous origin, showing that compare
lively deep water had stood for long
time at that probably 500 or
600 feet above the river level of the
valley these tiny vegetable organisms,
diatoms, did not thrive in water with
much movement. Here | also found
stratum, foot or more in thickness,
of very hard, fine teXtured calcareous
sandstone, very similar to the cap
rock" | have seen everything Ordovician
Trenton oil bearing sands.
From all the data at hand, it appears
that the anticlnal of this district passes
to the northeast through the vicinity
of the corner common to Sections |, 2,
IL and IL. Township South, Range %
East, and that this point marks the
logical place for test well. The topo-
elevation is some 200 Feet or
more below the level of the mesa, with
sufficient water flowing at hand for
drilling purposes.
On the south and west side of the
valley, following somewhat the trend
of the mountains and at distance of
five or six miles from the foot of the
extends for fifteen miles or
more. belt above which artesian flow
of water is had at shallow depths 200
feet or so; while below this strip drill
ling must be 500 feet or more and. the
water may not always flow. The cause
probably will be found in subterran-
can remnant of some earlier sedimenta-
ton left by erosion, possibly beds of
rlnV. that hold hack the water that