richardsOn.]      SALT,    PETROLEUM,    ETC.,    IN    TRANS-PECOS    TEXAS.      583 
The  heavy  oil  has  a  very  low  viscosity,  due  to  the  fact  that  the 
(•rude  oil  decomposed  rapidly  during  the  distillation.  A  sickening 
odor  was  given  off  during  the  entire  fractionation. 
Judging  from  the  analysis,  this  oil  appears  to  be  similar  in  some 
respects  to  the  Beaumont  product.  The  Toyah  sample  has  not  been 
studied  enough,  however,  to  determine  many  of  its  characteristics. 
Its  Hash  point  is  rather  low.  but  it  has  a  good  calorific  value,  and,  if 
found  in  profitable  quantity,  its  chief  use  probably  will  be  as  a  fuel. 
In  the  fall  of  1903  a  well  was  sunk  by  a  California  company  about 
1^  miles  southwest  of  the  Leatherman  well,  with  poor  results.  The 
log  of  this  well  is  as  follows: 
Log  of  California  company's  well  No.  1. 
Material. 
Surface,  mostly  gypsum 
Gravel 
Coarse  gravel,  water  at  base 
Blue  clay 
Hard  sand . 
Blue  clay  _ 
Brown  clay  
Thick- 
ness. 
Depth. 
Feet. 
Feet. 
27 
27 
40 
67 
4 
71 
9 
80 
45 
125 
14 
139 
95 
234 
Nevertheless,  it  was  decided  by  those  in  charge  to  make  a  decisive 
test  in  this  vicinity,  and  winter  quarters  were  erected  and  a  new  site 
chosen  near  the  other  wrells.  Work  is  said  to  have  been  in  progress 
during  the  early  part  of  1904,  but  little  information  has  been  made 
public  beyond  the  statement  that  some  oil  was  found.  In  January, 
1905,  it  was  reported  that  the  well  had  been  abandoned. 
The  Leatherman  and  California  oil  wells  are  situated  in  the  Toyah 
basin,  in  the  midst  of  a  broad,  very  gently  undulating  fiat.  Cotton- 
wood Draw,  occupying  a  scarcely  perceptible  sAvale,  is  near  by.  In  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  wells,  and  extending  far  eastward  in  both  a 
northern  and  a  southern  direction,  pulverulent,  earthy  gypsum  covers 
the  surface.  At  the  wells  this  gypsum  is  from  18  to  27  feet  thick. 
In  this  immediate  vicinity  the  gypsum  is  impregnated  with  native 
sulphur,  which  will  be  referred  to  below.  Outside  of  this  gypsum 
area  the  Toyah  basin  is  covered  by  loose  detritus  of  igneous  rock, 
sandstone,  and  limestone.  This  material  is  wash  from  the  adjacent 
highlands,  the  igneous  rock  coming  from  the  Davis  Mountains,  to  the 
southwest. 
At  about  1J  miles  southwest  of  the  wells  is  a  small  area  of  broken 
gray  limestone,  and  from  5  to  7  miles  west,  extending  in  an  approxi- 
