Sixteenth Annual Meeting. 23 



indicate that artesian wells would be possible and profitable in several of the northwestern 

 counties. Where the Miocene is much cut by ravines, there is not sufficient area to store 

 water for springs Or wells. In the river bottoms, some wells are very deep, and have 

 their reservoirs in a sand which appears to be the alluvium of the period, when the Mio- 

 cene was first eroded. 



As in all the Northwest, there is a general anxiety in this county about coal. At two 

 places in the Solomon valley it is reported that small quantities of coal have been taken 

 which burnt well; but these were not seams, but pockets in the blue shale, and were 

 speedily exhausted. It would lie interesting, had it been noted, whether this carbona- 

 ceous matter was of vegetable or animal origin, as some animal remains of the Niobrara 

 have a lignitic appearance. The black streak in the green shale may be an indication 

 that it belongs to the lignitic formation, but it goes without saying that the blue shale is 

 not an indication of coal. What effect on the depth to the true coal the direction of the 

 dip before noted may have, can only be determined by more extended investigation going 

 over several counties. If coal be really continuous under the whole State, as it would 

 appear that the coal measures certainly are, and if it should be shown that the north- 

 westerly dip we have been familiar with gives place over any large area to a southeasterly 

 dip, it would not be improbable that coal might be found in the region of the one-hundredth 

 meridian at depths not exceeding those of the deep pits of England, or about three times 

 the depth of the Leavenworth shafts. 



There is very little stone which yields good lime when burnt. The native lime, as we 

 have seen, is largely developed, and is of considerable utility. Of sand there is an unlim- 

 ited supply. ( )f other minerals, crystals of calcite are most abundant in the forms occa- 

 sionally of dog-tooth and nail-head spar. This is associated often with baryta, but only 

 sufficiently to give weight and slight color to the specimens, and there is some strontium. 

 Mostly calcite is found in the cracks of the Niobrara formations, but some large specimens, 

 obtained south of Edmund, it appeared had been formed in the hollow of a large haplos- 

 capha. Silicates in the form of moss agate (often very imperfect ) and jasper are common in 

 the chalk, and there are some quartz crystals in nodules and cracks. Among the pebbles 

 of the Miocene conglomerate, there is rose quartz, jasper, agate, calcedony, diorite, feldspar, 

 and granite (rare). Fine specimens of dendritic manganese are not uncommon both in 

 stone and bone. Some miles east of Norton there is a deposit of many acres in extent, and 

 over four feet thick, which is very tine grained and has fine polishing qualities. It has 

 been called emery, and it seemed to have some properties of corundum, but Prof. Failyer 

 says it is tine silicious sand. We ask, is it an infusorial bed akin to that in the Miocene 

 of Virginia? Will some microscopist of the Academy answer this, and if the answer is 

 affirmative, describe its diatoms and polycystines? We found traces of the bed at one 

 point many miles distant, and heard of it at another. It is apparently of Miocene age. 



In conclusion, we wish to give credit and thanks for invaluable assistance to our 

 friend E. M. Turner, M. I)., of Norton, without whose enthusiastic aid it would have 

 been impossible to obtain such definite results in so short a time and at so small an ex- 

 pense. To < ounty ( lerk Harmonson and Surveyor Trescott are also due thanks for help 

 cheerfully rendered, and other citizens who sought to facilitate our object. The Missouri 

 Pacific Railway officials readily gave information with regard to the elevations obtained 

 by their surveyors, and the Union Pacific Railway gave passes, which, though arriving 

 late, were and will be of some service. 



Finally, a large part of the value of this report is due to the encouragement given to 

 the writer by our late and present President, who guaranteed the expenses, and to whom 

 are due the writer's personal obligations and the heartiest appreciation of the Academy. 



Note. — The silicious sand from the Miocene was somewhat hastily examined with ;i microscope by 

 Professor Cragin, during the meeting of the Academy, who reported that it did contain diatoms. A 



