1895. | NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. D5 
alternations of shale and coal, in all from 3’ 6’’ to 5’ 1”’ thick. 
It is evidently one of the higher coal beds found within the 
Poteau shales in Arkansas. Possibly the bed worked formerly 
at Poteau station in that synclinal, may be the same with the 
Huntingdon coal bed. But this is only a conjecture, as the beds 
were not traced. 
The Greenwood sandstone of the Sebastian stage could not 
be recognized on the southerly side of the Sugar Loaf synclinal, 
there being more than one sandstone which would meet the re- 
quirements, and the equivalent of that bed can be determined 
only by direct tracing from the typical locality in Arkansas, 
there being no limestones or other definite horizons to save one 
that labor. The line between the Poteau and Sebastian is drawn 
arbitrarily. 
The Booneville Stage is that of most interest in the Indian 
Territory and is exposed in a series of narrow, rudely éast and 
west synclines from the Arkansas line and along the Choctaw, 
Colorado and Gulf railroad to beyond McAlester, on the Mis- 
souri, Kansas and Texas railway. Dr. Chance’s study of this 
division was especially detailed and satisfactory. Since his in- 
vestigations, in 1890, the beds nave been traced eastward from 
the Choctaw road to the Arkansas line and extensive mining 
operations have been carried on in the Territory, but all recent 
investigations tend only to confirm the accuracy of his work.* 
The Booneville consists of a great mass of shale with beds 
of sandstone from 50 to 150 feet thick, which form bold ridges, 
by means of which the coal beds can be traced. Eleven 
coal beds occur in this series, only two of which have 
been found economically important. The Grady coal bed is 
at the base of the division, separated by only a few feet, 
rarely more that forty, from what the writer takes to be 
the Cross Plains sandstone. It appears to be comparatively 
unimportant near the Missouri, Kansas and Texas road, but in- 
creases in importance eastward and is mined at Hartshorne, in 
what is known as the Grady basin, and on the St. Louis and 
San Francisco railroad, at the Bryan mine. It has been traced 
and proved by prospect holes into Arkansas, where it is shown 
on the southerly side of Poteau mountain. Its thickness near 
Hartshorne is from 3/ 6/’ to somewhat more than 4’, and the 
coal is of excellent quality, being clean and bearing ‘handling 
well. It cokes readily, but no effort has been made to utilize it 
in that manufacture. 
*Tam under very decided obligations to Mr. Francis I. Gowen, President of th 
Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf railroad, and to Mr. Edwin Ludlow, General Superin- 
tendent of Mines, as well as to Dr. E. N. Wright, of Atoka, for material assistance and 
for many courtesies while in the Indian Territory. Also to Dr. Chance, who has given 
me the use of his notes. 
