kel.1 ARKANSAS. 115 
PORTLAND-CEMENT INDUSTRY IN ARKANSAS. 
A ■ Portland-cement plant was erected at Whitecliffs Landing, on 
kittle River, 1 mile south of Whitecliffs post-office, and a branch rail- 
pad constructed from the river opposite the plant to Wilton, on the 
Kansas City Southern Railroad, in 1895. On account of litigation 
)ctween those financially interested the works have been idle since 
klay, 1900. The members of the company and those involved in the 
itigation were scattered, and it was not practicable to obtain a cor- 
ect history of operations. Operations were resumed late in 1901, 
vith the name of the company changed to the Southwestern Portland 
dement Company. 
Four continuous dome kilns were utilized, and the bricks passed 
ipon cars from the forming machine through the drying plants to the 
levators, which conducted them to the kilns. From the kilns the 
linker returned on cars to the crushing plant and mills. 
The quarry in the rear of the works is elevated, so the chalk descends 
y gravity to the reducing machines. Clay silt from the river bottom 
md near by was utilized as a mixture with the chalk. The use of 
his material, because of its convenient location, instead of clays of 
igh grade was a mistake, it is believed. 
Coal and coke of high grade in large quantity occur in eastern Indian 
erritory on or near the Kansas City Southern Railroad. This fuel 
lay be transported by rail at small cost directly to the cement works. 
Until the year 1900 the nearest cement plant of any nature to the 
Vbitecliffs works was at San Antonio, Tex., a distance of 375 miles, 
n this year a Portland-cement plant was erected at Dallas, Tex., where 
mixture of upper Cretaceous chalk from the southern extension of 
he Whitecliffs formation and underlying clay marl is utilized. The 
>roduct from this plant will naturally supply a large part of the North 
^exas market at least. The Whitecliffs cement should supply all 
Lrkansas, Indian Territory, central Oklahoma, a large part of Loui- 
iana, and possibly western Tennessee and Mississippi. Transporta- 
ion north and south is direct by the Kansas City Southern, northeast 
nd southwest by the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern, and cast 
nd west by the Choctaw, Oklahoma and Gulf and the Memphis and 
hoc taw railroads. 
The chalk deposits at Rocky Comfort arc within 1 mile of the 
Arkansas and Choctaw Railroad, which connects with the Kansas City 
outhern at Ashdown. This road is extending westward to tap the 
lissouri, Kansas and Texas at Ardmore, Ind. T. 
The chalk of the Saline Landing area is more than 10 miles by direct 
ne from the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern and the Arkan- 
m and Louisiana railroads. Saline Landing, however, which is upon 
tie chalk, may be accessible to the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and 
