PALO PINTO COUNTY. 521 



In a bed of clay above the mouth of the shaft the following fossils occur: 

 Nuculana bellistriata, Stevens; Pleurotomaria sphcerulata, Conrad; Sptrifer pla- 

 noconvexus, Shumard; Chonetes mesoloba, Norwood and Pratten; Myalina sub- 

 quadrata, Shumard; Spirifer lineatus, Martin; Productus prattenanus, Norwood. 



LAKE MINE. 



This mine is situated on the southwest quarter of the same section as that 

 of the Carson & Lewis mine. At this place the openings were made on the 

 seam in two directions. The outcrop is in a hollow and the openings were 

 made in the hills on both sides of this hollow. The Coal Seam is from eigh- 

 teen to twenty-six inches thick. The coal taken out was hauled in wagons 

 to Millsap and sold to the Texas and Pacific Railway Company for use in 

 their locomotives. The work has been abandoned for the reason that it 

 would not pay to transport coal four miles by wagons, and this was the only 

 means of transportation and the railway company the only buyers. 



The following fossils were found in the clay above the coal: Bellerophon 

 crassus, Meek and Worthen; B. carbonarius, Cox; Productus costatus, Sow- 

 erby; Discina convexa, Shumard; Spirifer cameratus, Morton. 



About one mile southwest of the Lake mine a shaft has been driven into 

 the hill on the coal a distance of three hundred feet, but it was found that 

 the seam had been too much exposed to atmospheric influences to pay to de- 

 velop, so the work was abandoned. 



In another place, about one- half mile west of the last place mentioned, is 

 what is known as the Brown mine. At this place a shaft and tunnel were put 

 down to the coal and some coal taken out, but the work there has also been 

 abandoned. 



About one mile northwest of the Lake mine a Mr. Helms put down a shaft 

 to the coal, which he found at a depth of forty feet. Quite a number of 

 holes have been put down to the coal in this vicinity with satisfactory results. 

 Plate No. VIII will show the relative positions of these several shafts and 

 their relation to the railway that has recently been built from Weatherford to 

 Mineral Wells. 



PALO PINTO COUNTY. 

 TOPOGRAPHY AND DRAINAGE. 



This county is traversed from northwest to southeast by the Brazos River. 

 There are several lateral streams of large size running into the county from 

 both sides, notably Palo Pinto Creek on the south and Keechi Creek 

 on the north, as well as many others of smaller size. The Brazos River is 

 very crooked and the hills on either side very precipitous. This county is 



