10 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ALABAMA. 
from a half a mile opposite Blocton to about five miles op- 
posite Bessemer, about three miles opposite Birmingham 
to about two miles opposite Gate City, Shades Valley 
spreading out between them all the way. 
Beyond Red Mountain to the northwest, on the opposite 
side of Jones’ Valley, the Millstone Grit of the Warrior 
Coal Field forms a ridge at the southeast border of that 
field. The above mentioned’ mountains and ridges are 
most of them shown on the accompanying map. 
There are but few good wagon roads in the Cahaba Coal 
Field ; some of them are county roads and have a number 
of hands apportioned to work them once or twice a year ; 
others are settlement roads, and are either worked by those 
living along them, by mutual agreement at times when 
they beconie extremely bad, or, as sometimes happens, they 
are neglected and not worked at all; there are other roads 
that are never worked in any way, and when they become 
impassable by the falling of a tree or a washout in the 
road, they are simply turned to the right or left and the 
obstacle is thus passed, by adopting a new road bed; many 
of this class of roads become just bridle paths. 
The following is a brief notice of some of the best of the 
wagon roads in this coal field. Beginning at the north end 
of it, we find the Branchville and Springville road going by 
David Owen’s place. This road is not much used. Father 
to the southwest is the Branchville and Trussville road 
going by Hickman’s Mill. To the southwest of this is the 
road from Moody’s Cross Roads going by Rock Spring 
Church to Trussville. Still father southwest is the Rowan 
Road from Leeds to Birmingham ; this road keeps within 
a short distance of the Columbus and Western, and Geor- 
gia Pacific railroads a good part of the way, crcssing the 
railroads at several places and going by Gate City. Farther 
to the southwest is the road from Pledger’s Mill to Gate 
City and Birmingham; this erssses the Cahaba River at 
the Glass Ford. To the southwest of this is the Colum- 
biana and Birmingham road ; this crosses the Montevallo 
and Ashville road in Cahaba Valley, at Rufus DeShazo’s 
place, passing by DeLoach and Company’s Grist Mill, cross- 
ing the Cahaba River at the Dodd Ford. Father to the 
