218 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITOEIES. 



The Indians (both those of the mountains and those of the plains) 

 frequently visit these springs, and, riding around them upon their horses, 

 do homage to the Great Spirit which caused them to boil forth at this 

 place, by throwing in oilerings of ear-rings, bracelets, beads, and other 

 objects of value. A gentleman, residing here temporarily for his health, 

 was upon one occasion alarmed at the approach of a large band of Sioux, 

 who, he saw, were in their war-paint and on an expedition against the 

 Utes in South Park. He secreted himself and watched them. They 

 rode around the "Beast Spring," chanting some solemn invocation, and 

 from time to time divesting themselves of some trinket and casting it 

 into the bubbling water. When this Avas concluded they all drank of 

 the spring, and then pursued their journey. It may be*^ interesting to 

 the believers in the virtues of the water to know that this same band was 

 badly whipped by the Utes, and on its return was in too great a hurry 

 to rei)eat the incantation scene. My informant took over a bushel of 

 riugs and trinkets out of the spring. 



CANON CITY. 



Seven miles up the caiion, through which runs Four-mile Creek, are 

 four oil wells, which have been sunk by a Denver company, under the 

 direction of Mr. James Murphy, who resides by and takes care of them. 



The caiion runs through cretaceous sandstones and shales. The works 

 are very primitive as yet. Scaffoldings surmount the mouths of two of 

 the wells, and the oil is got out by pumx)ing. 



One of these wells is three hundred feet deep, but the oil is called by 

 the superintendent surface oil, and he expresses confidence in reaching 

 a much larger supply by piercing some distance down. At present he 

 can only extract a few gallons a day. Some of the oil is stored in bar- 

 rels about the premises. 



An analysis made of the oil by Mr. Murphy gives — 



Per cent. 



Benzine 12 



Good clear burning oil 50 



Nitrogenous mass, containing much paraffine and paraffine oil 25 



Coke and refuse 13 



Total. 100 



Mr. Murphy states that these oil wells have been opened six years, 

 the half of which time he has resided on the ground, and estimates the 

 annual production of oil at about four thousand gallons. 



A quarter of a mile west of Caiion Cityis a soda spring of delicious 

 water which bursts out from between No. 1 and 2 of the cretaceous. The 

 spring is small and its strength diminished by a large acequia, the water 

 of which leaks through an aqueduct, built to carry it around a jutting 

 point of rock, and trickles into the spring. 



The taste of the water is very agreeable, and stronger than that of 

 any similar spring I have ever seen. 



A trace of iodine was discovered in the water of this spring. The 

 salts were — 



NaO . CO2 

 MgO . CO2 

 CaO . CO2 

 Trace — Fe 



AI2O3 

 Trace— I 



