ANDERSON COUNTY. 315 



"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 to 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." 



CLAYS AND LIGNITES. 



These materials exist in quantity and of excellent quality in Anderson 

 County, but the Survey has not yet made any detailed investigation of them. 



MINERAL SPRINGS. 



''Elkhart Wells are one mile southeast of the town of Elkhart, in Ander- 

 son County. They vary from thirty to sixty feet in depth, and have been 

 sunk for the sake of the mineral waters they contain. A hotel is being built 

 here and a health resort started. Some of the waters are comparatively free 

 from mineral matter, while others are strongly impregnated with iron, alum, 

 and sulphur. Some of the old wells here are said to have smelled so strongly 

 of sulphur as to have been obnoxious, and were filled up. The surrounding 

 country is flat, low, and underlaid by sand and clay. These are brown from 

 the presence of vegetable matter, and contain iron pyrites, lime, gypsum, and 

 sulphur. It is doubtless to the mutual decomposition of these materials 

 that the mineral matter in the water owes its origin. Some of the waters 

 have a strong sulphur taste and others have the pungent effects of alum and 

 iron salts.'' 



THE ANDERSON COUNTY SALINE. 



The description of this saline was given in the First Annual Report, page 33, 

 and another statement of it will be found in the description of the strati- 

 graphy of the county at the beginning of this paper. 



It is only one of a series of these deposits of salt which seems to extend in 

 two or more lines from northeast Texas in a southeasterly direction toward 

 the Gulf. 



