5P>2 GEOLOGY OF NORTHWESTERN TEXAS. 



FINCASTLE MINE. 



This mine is situated about one and a half miles southeast of the Texas 

 and Pacific mine and is on the same seam of coal. 



They have several thousand acres of land surrounding the mine under 

 which the coal seam extends. For some reason the mine was not running at 

 the time of my last visit,, but the suspension was only temporary; yet it pre- 

 vented me from getting the facts as fully as I wished in regard to their op- 

 erations. 



The railway switch that was built out to the Texas and Pacific mine has 

 been extended to this place, so that their means of transportation is as good 

 as from the other mine. 



The general surroundings of this mine are about the same as those of the 

 Texas and Pacific. Their shaft, of which they have but one, was put down 

 nearer the eastern edge of outcrop, and the coal has oeen colored a little by 

 the oxidation of the iron, but is of as good quality as the other mine. A 

 shaft put down far enough to the westward from their present working will 

 furnish coal free from the stain of the iron above mentioned. The property 

 has recently changed hands, and the present owners propose to develop their 

 property to its fullest capacity. 



GORDON MINE. 



About three miles northeast of the town of Gordon is the locality of the 

 old Gordon mine, where a few years ago was a thriving town and hundreds 

 of miners, with an output of coal of more than six hundred tons per day; but 

 the mine has been abandoned and the houses all or nearly all moved away. 

 Various causes contributed to this result. The principal reason was for want 

 of proper management on the part of the owners of the property. 



The mine was developed by driving three different openings into the hill 

 on the coal seam, one of which passed entirely through the hill, coming out 

 on the eastern side. The other two tunnels were in another hill across the 

 hollow from the one first mentioned. The coal is found outcropping for 

 several miles to the northeastward along the sides of the hills. It is very 

 evident that the place where the old mines were located was not well selected. 

 The coal was too near the outcrop, and had all been injured by atmospheric 

 influences to a greater or less degree. 



This is the same seam of coal as is being now so successfully mined at 

 Thurber. The seam of coal can be traced along the hills southward for a 

 mile and a half to the line of the Texas ana Pacific Railway, and from thence 

 eastward along the hills on the north side of the railroad for two or three 

 miles, where it finally lies at the very tops of the hills. 



