220 
Transactions Texas Academy of Science. 
346. Schmitz, E. J. 
Copper Ores in tihe Perniiian of Texas. 
Trans. Amer. Inst. Mining Eng., Yol. XXVI, pp. 97-108. 
Pittsburg Meeting, Feb., 1896. 
“The existence of copper ores in the Permian measures of Texas has 
long been known, and these ores have been, from time to time, the object 
of geological researches and mining developments. The most important 
of these efforts was made about ten years ago by the Orant Belt Copper 
■Company of Texas, but it ended, after several years of fruitless labor, with 
an entire failure. 
“The ore appears principallj'' in two zones of the Permian rocks, namely, 
the iRed River zone in the counties of Archer, Wichita, Alontague, Harde- 
man and Wilbarger, and the Brazos River zone in the counties of Haskell, 
Baylor, Stonewall and Knox. The above mentioned company prospected 
mainly through Hardeman, Haskell, Knox and Wilbarger counties. 
“From information collected by me, it seems that the geological 'adviser 
of the company assumed the copper ore (or at least the copper) to be of 
plutonic origin, and was directing his efforts towards the depths for the 
mother-lodes or deposits. The diamond drill was employed for this pur- 
jjose, and at one point, in Knox county, a hole was sunk to the deptli of 
1000 feet. How an engineer could conceive the idea that these copper ores 
of the bedded Permian, which is bare of all plutonic lodes, dikes or inter- 
sections, must 'be of eruptive origin, is rather hard to understand. I have 
been told that indurated water-worn clay, mistaken for volcanic scoria, 
suggested or supported the In^pothesis. 
“The Permian copper ores appear in several horizons in each of the 
above mentioned zones. In the Red River district, the lower horizon is 
reported near Belcher, in (Montague county. It belongs to the lowest Per- 
mian, and lies not much above the line of contact with the underlying 
iCoal Measures. The upper horizon of the Red River district is repre- 
sented in Archer and Wichita counties, etc. 
“The lower copper horizon of the Brazos River zone appears in the 
counties of Haskell and Baylor, and the upper horizon in Stonewall county, 
etc. 
“It should be remembered here that these horizons are not sharply 
bound to one continuous stratum or to the same level, as will easily be 
understood from the fact that the stratification of the Permian measures 
is somewhat irregular and non-persistent, and that the beds change rather 
abruptly. 
“Of the above mentioned zones, that of Archer county, etc., is one of 
the most developed, and has been considered as one of the most promising 
territories; and having had occasion to investigate this district on a short 
trip during last summer, I hereby lay the principal results before the 
institute: 
“The face of the country is very level, showing only small differences 
between the flat land and low hills, and the low bluffs (never more than 
100 feet high) of the ravines and beds of Wichita River and its branches, 
the latter being piincipally the results of erosion during the wet season, 
while otherwise mostly dry. 
“The Permian measures consist of comparatively soft sandstones, clay- 
