﻿II] 
  General 
  Geology: 
  Lower 
  Claiborne 
  Eocene 
  8i 
  

  

  Hopkins 
  * 
  and 
  lycrch 
  f 
  have 
  already 
  given 
  sections 
  of 
  several 
  

   of 
  these 
  exposures. 
  Hopkins 
  most 
  important 
  section 
  was 
  taken 
  

   " 
  one 
  mile 
  back 
  of 
  Columbia 
  " 
  in 
  the 
  hills. 
  It 
  shows 
  sands 
  and 
  

   clays 
  of 
  various 
  colors 
  and 
  thin 
  seams 
  of 
  " 
  iron 
  rock." 
  

  

  He 
  noticed 
  the 
  abundance 
  in 
  certain 
  layers 
  of 
  fossil 
  leaves, 
  

   and 
  mentions 
  a 
  lignitized 
  log 
  "showing 
  structure 
  very 
  prettily." 
  

  

  Lerch's 
  best 
  section 
  was 
  taken 
  at 
  the 
  first 
  important 
  outcrop 
  

   on 
  the 
  west 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  railroad 
  going 
  south 
  from 
  the 
  station. 
  

   We 
  have 
  several 
  photographs 
  of 
  this 
  interesting 
  place, 
  showing 
  

   a 
  non-conformity 
  of 
  the 
  layers 
  to 
  the 
  right 
  and 
  near 
  the 
  track 
  

   with 
  those 
  to 
  the 
  left 
  and 
  above 
  to 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  bluff. 
  One 
  of 
  

   these 
  views 
  is 
  herewith 
  reproduced. 
  (Plate 
  6.) 
  

  

  Great 
  trouble 
  is 
  experienced 
  by 
  the 
  railroad 
  officials 
  in 
  keep- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  track 
  from 
  moving 
  laterally 
  or 
  sinking 
  in 
  the 
  mud 
  in 
  

   these 
  deep 
  cuts. 
  This 
  is 
  due 
  somewhat 
  to 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  layers 
  

   of 
  sand, 
  approaching 
  "quicksand" 
  alternate 
  with 
  impervious 
  

   clay 
  layers. 
  The 
  water 
  is 
  held 
  by 
  the 
  clay 
  layers 
  and 
  this 
  tends 
  

   to 
  make 
  the 
  sand 
  very 
  movable. 
  The 
  difficulty 
  in 
  this 
  region, 
  

   however, 
  is 
  not 
  serious 
  ; 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  obviated 
  very 
  generally 
  by 
  

   widening 
  the 
  cut 
  a 
  few 
  feet, 
  and 
  securing 
  proper 
  drainage 
  for 
  the 
  

   track. 
  

  

  Lerch 
  mentions 
  a 
  fine 
  bed 
  of 
  lignite 
  on 
  Coal 
  creek 
  near 
  this 
  

   town. 
  We 
  did 
  not 
  visit 
  the 
  outcrop. 
  Dicotyledinous 
  leaves, 
  

   however, 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  great 
  abundance 
  in 
  the 
  clayey 
  layers 
  

   of 
  these 
  various 
  sections. 
  Here, 
  then, 
  will 
  be 
  an 
  excellent 
  

   opportunity 
  of 
  determining 
  the 
  practical 
  value 
  of 
  fossil 
  leaves 
  in 
  

   determining 
  the 
  age, 
  or 
  horizon 
  of 
  the 
  formations 
  of 
  this 
  region. 
  

   An 
  endeavor 
  will 
  early 
  be 
  made 
  to 
  secure 
  large 
  quantities 
  of 
  

   these 
  fossils. 
  

  

  Below 
  the 
  station 
  on 
  the 
  hill 
  slope 
  towards 
  the 
  town, 
  a 
  layer 
  

   of 
  calcareous, 
  light-colored 
  sandstone 
  is 
  found, 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  

   quarried 
  to 
  a 
  slight 
  extent. 
  It 
  is 
  but 
  a 
  thin 
  stratum 
  and 
  can 
  

   never 
  be 
  of 
  any 
  considerable 
  economic 
  importance. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  west 
  of 
  the 
  Ouachita 
  the 
  land 
  is 
  very 
  hilly 
  and 
  broken, 
  

   and 
  most 
  beautiful 
  views 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  had 
  from 
  these 
  high 
  hills 
  for 
  

  

  *ist 
  Report, 
  1869, 
  pp. 
  83-84. 
  

   f 
  Lerch's 
  2d 
  Report, 
  p. 
  83. 
  

  

  