SALT. 101 



Feet. 



1. Soil 15 



2. Rusty sand (some oil) 3 



3. Chocolate-colored hardened sand 6 



4. Alternate strata of sand and clay 34 



5. Sand impregnated with oil 14 



6. Clay and sand 43 



1. Quicksand and water 6 



8. Blue lignitic clay 159 



9. Loose sand. 30 



1. Rusty clay 15 



2. Quicksand 15 



3. Light colored clay 22 



4. Sand impregnated with oil 36 



Oil-bearing sands were passed through in all the borings, and oil is occa- 

 sionally seen in the creeks and springs of the neighborhood, but in none of 

 the borings was it found to flow in any quantity. The reason of this is 

 doubtless due to the fact that the oil-bearing stratum has been cut through 

 by numerous creeks, and the oil, if indeed it ever did exist in any quantity, 

 has been drained off. 



The asphalt is probably due to the oxidation of the residuum of oil left in 

 the sand. In many places the summer heat has softened it and caused it to 

 run out of the sand, forming small pools on the hillsides. 



This is especially true where the bitumen-bearing bed has been exposed on 

 the surface, as it often is, and subjected to all the atmospheric influences. 

 The amount of asphalt which could be obtained in this locality is not very 

 large, and the asphalt-bearing sand is apt to run into oil-bearing sand, so that 

 the quantity in any one spot is very uncertain. There is, however, enough of 

 the material t'o be used for paving in the surrounding towns of Palestine, 

 Jacksonville, New Birmingham, Rusk, and other places, and if the asphalt 

 sand was used in its natural state on the streets and pavements it would 

 greatly increase the welfare and comfort of these towns. 



SALT. 



The subject of salt and salines is also left for future discussion, as the time 

 at the disposal of the writer has not permitted a full examination of the va- 

 rious localities. It may be said, however, that salt is found in many places 

 in East Texas, and the future possibilities of a large product of that material 

 are excellent. The deposits in Yan Zandt County are described on pages 

 35, 36, and those in Anderson County on pages 33, 34. Besides these locali- 

 ties, salines have been found and worked in Freestone, Smith, and other 

 counties. In all of these places, except in Van Zandt County, the salt was 

 .gotten from the brine of shallow wells. 



