THE BLOUNT MOUNTAIN COAL FIELD. 59 



out-crop often hidden by the debris of the higher lands, it 

 is no wonder that it has been overlooked, especially since it 

 was in a position where no seam of coal was expected to be 

 found or known to exist. 



It may be confidently looked for above the slates and near 

 the base of the quartzites, on both sides of the high ridge 

 which rises between the head waters of Ponch Creek and 

 the Drury Bynum Creek in S. 19, T. 12, R 3 E., and extend- 

 ing to the Locust Fork of the Warrior, and also for a mile 

 or more northeast of that stream. 



Its position may also be approximately found from its re- 

 lation to the well known Carries, Paine and Smith seam, 

 which lies about 60 feet above it, and is well marked by a 

 lic.-ivv. massive cap-rock that generally shows its position. 



The (V//-//r.s, Sin if li, Paine seam. No. 25 of the GENERAL 

 SECTION. 



This seam is better known than any other in this coal 

 field. It is the only one on which coal mining to supply the 

 market has successfully been carried on. A tunnel was 

 driven in on this seam in S. E. of S. 8, T. 12, R 3 E. by G. 

 B. Games, who supplied the local demand for coal for sev- 

 eral years. Since then other openings have been made on 

 the seam by Smith, Gaitlter, Paine and others. The coal is 

 uniformly good, coking well and working well in the forge. 

 We have no analysis of the coal of this seam, but in all 

 practical tests to which it has been subjected it has given 

 satisfaction. 



The best exposure of this seam that was examined is in 

 the S. W. of N. E. of S. 18, T. 12, R 3 E. It there presented 

 about the following 



SECTION : 



Shale and thin soft sandstones 10 feet 



Cap rock hard, quartzitic, wavy 3 to 8 feet 



Blue slate roof 3 to 4 feet 



COAL, hard, bright, cubical 3 feet 8 inches 



clay, fine, dark 3 feet 



Dip of strata, 25 degrees to southeast. 



