Personal and Scieiitiiic News. 279 
examine more carefully into these matters before further confounding 
the conglomerates of the upper Archaean metamorphic schists with the 
granite breccias of the Laurentian or lower Archaean. Having done 
so I may be permitted to make my bow and, wrapping myself in 
" glory" and " immortality," as the professor hath it, disappear from 
the " scene." 
ANDREW C. LAWSON. 
PERSONAL AND SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 
Mr. U. p. James, the well-known paleontologist of Cin- 
cinnati, died at his residence near Loveland, Ohio, on Mon- 
day morning, Feb. 25, in his 78th year. In a future number 
the Geologist will give a more extended notice of his life and 
scientific work. 
Burning-gas was encountered at San Antonio, Texas, in 
sinking a well, at the depth of 373 feet. Water and gas burst 
up together with great force, through an eight-inch pipe, ris- 
ing ten feet. The gas burns steadily. The strata passed 
through were gravel and cla3^ J. L. Tait. 
The geological survey of Arkansas has now completed 
two years of work and Prof. Branner has submitted a volumin- 
ous report of four volumes, only one of which has yet come 
from the press. 
The General Assembly of the State now in session appointed 
a committee to examine into the work done and advise as to 
its continuance. This committee has made an investigation 
and in their report state that six typical areas of the state 
have been carefully examined and mapped. These include a 
part of the coal region — the formation in which gold was sup- 
posed to exist — a preliminary examination of the silver de- 
posits and paitial studies of the lead, zinc, antimony, man- 
ganese and iron ores. In the making of maps the State was 
assisted by the United States Survey. 
The Committee say that "the report on the gold mines of the 
state is of very great negative value, for much of the area 
examined contains no mineral of any commercial importance 
and this information saves the expense of seeking what does 
not exist." '' Of positive value, however, are the discovery of 
fertilizing marls, chalk and gypsum and calling attention to 
our undeveloped manganese fields and to our silver ores ; and 
the analyses made of our mineral waters." 
Among the resources of the State enumerated at some 
length by the Committee's report is an area of 2,080 square 
miles examined for coal, 1,027 square miles of which are 
found to have workable beds of coal. The State of Arkansas 
owns about 5,100 acres of this land estimated to contain 
