GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TEERITOEIES. 9 



tlie surface, but in small quantities. All the salt water that comes to 

 surface from this basin unites in one stream, and we estimated the en- 

 tire amount of water that flowed from this basin at from six to eight gal- 

 lons per minute. The second salt-basin lies between Oak and Salt Creek 

 and covers an area of two hundred acres. The third basin is on Little 

 Salt Creek, called Kenosha Basin, aud covers two hundred acres. Nu- 

 merous small basins occur on Middle Creek, which occupy in all about sis 

 hundred acres. Between Middle and Salt Creeks are several small basins, 

 covering forty or fifty acres. From the surface of all these basins more 

 or less springs ooze out. In former years great quantities of salt have 

 been taken from the surface and carried away. During the war as 

 many as sixty families at a time have been located about these basins 

 employed in securing the salt. 



Besides the numerous basins above mentioned, Salt Creek, Hayes's 

 Branch, Middle Creek, Oak and Little Salt Creeks have each a dozen 

 springs coming out near the water's edge. One spring on Salt Creek 

 issues from a sand-rock, and gashes forth with a stream as large as a 

 man's arm, at the rate of four gallons a minute. 



This is the largest spring known in the State. The geological forma- 

 tions in the vicinity are of the Upper Carboniferous aud Lower Creta- 

 ceous age. The salt-springs undoubtedly come up from a great depth, 

 probably from the Upper Carboniferous rocks, and are the same in their 

 history and character as those in Kansas. The Cretaceous sandstones 

 occupy the hills and high ground, but do not go deep beneath the w^ater- 

 level of the little streams. We settled an important point for the citi- 

 zens in this county, that no coal-beds of workable. value can possibly 

 be found at a less depth than 1,000 to 1,500 feet beneath the surface, 

 which renders further search for this mineral useless. 



Much time and money has already been spent prospecting and dig- 

 ging for coal in this region, and the almost entire absence of timber 

 would render the presence of coal here a matter of vital importance. I 

 would be glad to find a workable bed of coal for the good people, but it 

 cannot be. The farmers must jjlant trees, and in a few years the de- 

 mand for fuel will be supplied. Two methods have been used to some 

 extent in this region in preparing the salt — boiling and evaporation. 

 The only method which can be employed profitably in this country, 

 w^here fuel is so scarce, is solar evaporation, and this can be carried on 

 more eHectually than in any State east of Nebraska. The unusual dry- 

 ness of the atmosphere, the comparatively few moist or cloudy days, 

 the fine wind which is ever blowing, will render evaporation easy. The 

 surface indications do not lead me to believe that Nebraska will ever be 

 a noted salt region. It seems to me that if all the brine that issues from 

 all the basins and isolated springs were united in one they would not 

 furnish more than brine enough to keep one good company employed. 



What will be the result of boring can be determined only by actual 

 experiment. Some large springs may yet be found in that way, but I 

 saw no brine that was much stronger than ocean- water. I will forward 

 specimens of the salt and two bottles of the brine, which ought to be 

 carefully analyzed. I shall collect "more of the brine at a later and 

 more faVorable season. The rains have been so frequent this spring that 

 it is much diluted with rain-water. The Nebraska Salt Company made, 

 from July to November, 1866, 60,000 pounds of salt. Another company, 

 at work at the same time, made about the same amount. Good working 

 days 6,000 pounds have been made in a day. The kettles used for boil- 

 ing are very rude steam-boilers split into two parts. In a vat 1-5 by 24 

 feet average evaporation was 125 to 130 pounds per day. An extra day 



