212         CONTRIBUTIONS   TO   ECONOMIC    GEOLOGY. 
that  time  it  has  been  operated  continuously.  The  coal  bed  is  42 
inches  thick,  with  no  continuous  partings,  and  it  dips  20°  E.  The 
mine  consists  of  one  main  gangway  400  feet  long,  two  entries,  and  eight 
rooms,  and  is  equipped  with  small  coal  cars  which  are  brought  to  the 
surface  by  a  cable  wound  on  a  drum  driven  by  horsepower.  One 
man  is  employed  during  the  summer  months  and  five  in  winter.  It 
is  estimated  that  this  mine  has  produced  5,000  tons  of  coal,  which  has 
been  sold  to  local  ranchmen  along  Grey  Bull  Valley  and  in  Meeteetse 
at  $2.25  per  ton.  The  coal  is  a  moderately  hard  black  subbituminous 
variety  which  ignites  readily  and  makes  an  excellent  fuel.  It  slacks 
when  exposed  to  the  atmosphere,  hence  can  not  be  stored  in  large 
quantities  or  for  long  periods  of  time.  To  the  northwest  along  the 
strike  the  bed  is  exposed  at  intervals  for  more  than  a  mile  before  it 
passes  beneath  the  gravel-covered  terrace  which  forms  the  eastern 
part  of  the  Meeteetse  Rim,  but  in  the  opposite  direction  it  is  covered 
by  valley  wash  a  short  distance  from  the  mine  and  is  not  exposed 
again  between  this  place  and  Grey  Bull  River.  At  the  river  44  inches 
of  good  coal  is  exposed.  Farther  southeast,  beyond  the  river,  the  bed 
is  thinner  and  can  not  be  traced  more  than  2  miles. 
Erskine  mine. — The  Erskine  mine  is  situated  on  the  south  side  of 
Grey  Bull  Valley,  across  the  river  from  the  Blake  mine,  in  sec.  13, 
T.  48  N.,  R.  101  W.  The  mine  is  on  a  bed  of  Eagle  coal  which  dips 
12°  NE.  It  consists  of  a  main  gangway  500  feet  long,  one  entry  300 
feet  long,  and  a  small  room.  About  4,500  tons  of  coal  has  been  mined 
and  sold  for  $2.25  per  ton  at  the  mine.  The  mine  is  near  the  river,  and 
within  a  short  distance  the  dip  of  the  strata  carries  the  coal  bed  below 
water  level,  so  that  considerable  difficulty  is  encountered  in  keeping 
the  mine  dry.  The  bed  contains  5  feet  of  coal  with  a  number  of  soft 
shale  partings.  A  section  measured  at  this  mine  is  shown  in  No.  19, 
PI.  XI.  The  coal  is  a  medium-hard  black  subbituminous  variety, 
well  suited  for  domestic  purposes.  As  mined  it  includes  a  consider- 
able quantity  of  dirt. 
The  workable  coal  in  this  bed  seems  to  be  restricted  to  the  river 
valley  and  the  area  immediately  north.  Within  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
to  the  south  from  the  mine  it  thins  below  workable  thickness  and 
to  the  northwest  a  short  distance  beyond  the  Blake  mine  it  is  not 
minable. 
Prospecting. — North  of  Grey  Bull  River  prospecting  has  exposed  a 
bed  of  workable  coal  on  Meeteetse  Creek  near  the  mouth  of  Horse 
Creek  above  Gray's  ranch  and  at  the  same  horizon  on  Antelope 
Creek  west  of  Meeteetse.  Though  not  worked  at  present,  it  is  expected 
that  these  beds  will  be  developed  in  the  future  to  supply  a  small 
amount  of  coal. 
South  of  the  river  conditions  are  favorable  for  development  at  sev- 
eral places.     Southeast  of  Meeteetse  the  Laramie  (?)  contains  a  coal 
