E. T. DUMBLE — SOME TEXAS OIL HORIZONS. 
91 
miles around obtain their only supply of lubricating material from these 
springs. And yet the boring made in one of the most promising spots, 
to obtain a more abundant flow of oil, was almost entirely unsuccessful. 
The oil was at one stage of the boring obtained in considerable quantity, 
but was soon exhausted. The well was continued still further down 
into the bowels of the earth, and instead of more oil the marvelous de- 
posit of sulphur now so well known throughout the State was discov- 
ered/ * The sulphur is of unequaled thickness and purity, and the gyp- 
sum, which is over five hundred feet thick, is also pure. 
“The existence of similar areas and conditions in East Texas, and the 
discovery of rock salt underlying Grand Saline, in a deposit nearly a 
mile in length and over two hundred feet thick, are ample encourage- 
ment for the expenditure of the jnoney necessary to sink trial wells in 
every such locality known in the State.” 
And I hope yet to see such trial wells sunk in many places, believing 
that the results will be the finding of deposits of salt, oil, and sulphur 
which will richly repay the prospectors and owners. 
The next horizon which claims our attention is the Eocene Tertiary, 
in which are found the heavy deposits of brown coal, now just beginning 
to be utilized. 
As has been pointed out by Harris, during the period of the deposi- 
tion of these beds there was direct communication between the Texan 
waters and those of California, as proved by the occurence of marine 
fossil forms in both localities which are not found in the waters of the 
Atlantic coast deposits of the same age. And it is now proved that in 
these beds in both areas are productive oil horizons. Whether the de- 
deposits of Texas, like those of California, are “primary deposits,” is 
yet to be determined, but the probabilities are in favor of such being 
the case, with a part of them., at least, since it is found at practically the 
same geological level in two or three widely separated localities. 
The first prospecting of which we have record was in Nacogdoches 
county nearly thirty years ago, when the oil was proved to exist at Oil 
Springs, some 15 miles south of Nacogdoches. Later, wells were dug 
and a good supply of oil was secured. Seventy-five or more wells were 
sunk in this region, and oil found at an average depth of 100 feet. 
Very few of these were flowing wells. The first well yielded, according 
to report, 250 to 300 barrels of oil the first day, but did not flow after- 
wards. The wells were bailed and pumped, and the oil barreled and 
shipped to Nacogdoches. A pipe line 14 miles in length was built to 
connect the oil wells with the railroad, and a storage tank with a capa- 
* Second Annual Report Louisiana State Geological Survey, F. V. Hopkins, 
M. D., p. 39. 
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