1897.] ASHLEY — GEOLOGY OF ARKANSAS. 309 



finding of Indian ^' tools and hammers " in the same locahty might 

 explain the presence of the silver. For the tools are undoubtedly 

 Indian implements, such as are found all over the region, and in- 

 stead of suggesting an old mine, suggest a camping place. The 

 silver belonged to the Indians and was brought from nobody knows 

 where. 



Traditions of rich silver mines are plentiful, but they always go 

 so far back and contain so many improbable factors that they may 

 be dismissed as of no value except to entertain the traveler. 



Lead. — Lead is often reported as having been found in the region. 

 The localities given, though not definitely known, were all in the 

 Caddo valley. It is possible that a little lead may occasionally be 

 found, though the geology makes it appear improbable that it 

 should ever be found in any quantity. 



Manga?tese. — The northern portion of the region borders on the 

 manganese district of southwestern Arkansas, and in a few instances 

 traces of manganese were found on anticlines well in the centre of 

 the region. 



The ore, in quanties sufficient to color the joints in the sandstone, 

 is quite common. Occasionally it occurs in small masses as a con- 

 glomerate or mixed with iron. The original bed, or more properly 

 plane of occurrence, is a bed at the top of the novaculite series. 

 It partakes of the same folding as the novaculite, and will be found, 

 not as a level bed, but as an outcropping edge of the layer parallel 

 to the neighboring novaculite layer, and, except as modified by the 

 topography, usually running along the side hill of a novaculite 

 anticline. 



The ore occurs in pockets difficult to mine and generally in very 

 small quantities. Those interested in the manganese of this part 

 of the State should consult the Survey's report on manganese.^ 



Iroft. — Iron as a commercial ore does not exist in this territory. 

 A few loose pieces of impure bog iron ore occur especially around 

 the chalybeate springs, where the sandstone is highly impregnated 

 with iron. With these exceptions iron exists here only as the color- 

 ing and cementing material of the red and brown sandstones and 

 conglomerates. Iron is sometimes found in the same bed as the 

 manganese, but as such deposits are properly north of the area in 

 every case, the reader is referred to the Survey's report on iron.'^ 



1 Geol. Surv.of Ark., An. Rep. for 1890, Vol. i. 

 ^ Geol. Surv. of Ark., An. Rep. for 1S92, Vol. i. 



