232 THE IRON ORE DISTRICT OF EAST TEXAS. 



GREENSAND. 



In crossing a little stream which flows from a chalybeate spring on the 

 Menifee tract, Daniel Martin headright, at the waterline in the bottom of the 

 gulley, about fifteen feet below the surface, was seen a small tongue of rusty 

 color, about six inches thick, which on excavation proved to be greensand, 

 having some dark glauconitic specks through it. A similar deposit was seen 

 on the Alex. Carter place, Wm. McKnight headright. Both these specimens 

 changed color on drying, becoming reddish yellow or orange in hue. A 

 specimen taken for analysis gave: 



Silica.. 48.30 



Sesquioxide of iron 34. 19 



Alumina 8.81 



Lime : 2.06 



Magnesia ' 1 . 44 



Potash 2 . 48 



Soda 1.58 



Sulphuric acid : 0.89 



Phosphoric acid ... ... . . Trace. 



Total 99.75 



No beds of the later calcareous greensand marls were seen in this county. 



SILIC1PIED WOOD. 



Fragments of this material were seen in various parts of the county. On 

 Mineral Spring Ridge, four miles north of Beckville, a portion of a large 

 trunk of a tree was taken out of the lignite bed. It was partly silicified and 

 partly lignitized, with incrustations of quartz crystals stained with carbon. 

 Specimens were taken and are now in the State Museum. 



OIL. 



On the surface of several small ponds along the line of the Texas, Sabine 

 Valley and Northwestern Railway were seen thin films of reddish brown oil. 

 These were attributed to the lignite bed, which is apparently in close prox- 

 imity. 



FRESH WATER SILICEOUS LIMESTONE. 



At several places this limestone was observed. On Six Mile Creek, or 

 Cypress Bayou, M. Payne headright, at the waterline were seen two exposures; 

 one shaly or laminated, with micaceous sand interstratified ; bed about two 

 feet thick. Within fifty yards, on the opposite side of the creek, were large 



