COAL   ON   SOUTHWEST   SIDE   OF   BIGHORN    BASIN,    WYO.  211 
where  the  coal  is  locally  thickened,  is  the  most  favorable  undevel- 
oped deposit  in  the  Cody  district.  To  the  southwest,  on  the  opposite 
side  of  Frost  Ridge,  there  will  probably  be  very  little  mining. 
MEETEETSE    FIELD. 
The  Meeteetse  field  lies  mainly  in  Grey  Bull  Valley.  It  extends 
from  the  Meeteetse  Rim  on  the  north  to  Gooseberry  Creek  on  the 
south.  Unequal  erosion  of  the  complex  folds  has  greatly  extended 
the  outcrop  of  the  coal-bearing  beds  by  bringing  them  to  the  surface 
around  a  number  of  synclines  and  anticlines.  Coal  is  mined  in  the 
Eagle  and  Fort  Union  formations  and  has  been  prospected  in  the 
Laramie  (?).     It  is  a  good  variety  of  subbituminous  coal. 
The  Black  Diamond  and  Erskine  mines  are  operated  throughout 
the  year  to  supply  the  local  trade  in  Grey  Bull  Valley,  and  other 
small  mines  at  various  places  furnish  coal  to  adjacent  ranches. 
Gonie  mine. — The  Conie  mine,  on  an  isolated  portion  of  the  Mee- 
teetse Rim,  in  the  NW.  \  sec.  4,  T.  49  N.,  R.  101  W.,  is  now  aban- 
doned after  unsuccessful  attempts  at  operation.  The  coal  lies 
between  beds  of  soft  shale  and  is  difficult  to  mine.  Section  No.  14, 
PL  XI,  was  measured  at  this  mine. 
Orr's  Horse  Creek  mine. — A  mine  formerly  operated  by  Mr.  Orr  is 
situated  on  Horse  Creek,  about  3  miles  northwest  of  Gray's  ranch,  in 
the  NE.  \  sec.  7,  T.  49  N.,  R.  101  W.  It  consists  of  a  well-timbered 
drift  about  200  feet  deep,  from  which  entries  have  been  turned.  At 
the  time  this  mine  was  examined  it  was  not  in  operation  and  was 
partly  filled  with  water,  hence  the  extent  of  the  workings  could  not 
be  determined.  It  is  known,  however,  that  several  hundred  tons  of 
coal  have  been  mined.  The  coal  bed  is  in  the  Eagle  formation,  dip- 
ping 21°  E.,  and  contains  48  inches  of  coal  in  two  benches  of  about 
equal  thickness,  the  upper  bencli  being  22  inches  and  the  lower  bench 
26  inches  thick.  The  coal  is  a  brownish-black  subbituminous  variety 
typical  of  the  Eagle  coals.  When  fresh  it  has  a  bright  luster  and  well- 
developed  joints  and  makes  a  desirable  domestic  fuel.  If  a  market 
for  the  coal  were  accessible,  this  mine  could  be  extended  and  a  large 
amount  of  coal  taken  out. 
Blake  mine. — The  Blake  mine  is  about  2\  miles  above  Meeteetse  on 
the  north  side  of  Grey  Bull  River.  It  is  now  abandoned  and  caved 
to  such  an  extent  that  a  representative  section  could  not  be  obtained. 
It  consisted  of  a  main  entry  about  150  feet  long  and  several  side  entries. 
It  is  estimated  that  several  thousand,  tons  of  coal  have  been  taken 
from  this  mine  since  its  opening  in  1892. 
Black  Diamond  mine. — During  the  summer  of  1904  the  Black  Dia- 
mond or  Wood m IT  mine  was  opened  at  the  base  of  a  small  hill  near  I  he 
Cody-Meeteetse  stage  road,  o  miles  northwest  of  Meeteetse.     Since 
