FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GEOLOGICAL AND AGRICULTURE SURVEY OF TEXAS
BY S. B. BUCKLEY, A. M., PH. D., STATE GEOLOGIST
HOUSTON:  A. C. GRAY, STATE PRINTER, 1874


[Page 122]

"...At Horn Hill we found cretaceous fossils in great numbers.  They are in 
limestone rocks, which are imbedded in a black loam sandy soil.

   June 6th - We crossed the Navasota river at the Rockey Ford.  The bed of the
river at this place is covered with rocks which are filled with fossils, such as
we found at Horn Hill.  We camped at night two miles east of Cotton Gin, on the
farm of Mr. Pattison's, an old Alabama friend of mine, with whom we spent the
Sabbath.
   June 8th - This morning I went with Capt. H. P. Davis to examine some 
deposits of coal and potter's clay in the neighborhood.  The latter is found in
the banks of a creek, and exists in great quantities, some of which is very 
pure and white.  The neighbors use it for a whitewash.  I have seen it used for
painting.  It is first put on as a whitewash and after it is thoroughly dried, 
the oil is applied with a brush.  Thus used, it is a good subsitute for white
lead painting.  The coal we found is brown coal.  The first stratum is eighteen
inches thick and about twelve feet below the surface, inches thick and about
twelve feet below the surface, found in the bottom and banks of a creek.  What
I saw was very imperfect, from having been subjected to the action of running
water.  The second stratum which we were enabled to examine, from a well, is 
thirty feet below the surface.  It is five feet thick and of a much better
quality than the first described.  In this neighborhood Mr. Grover pointed out
to me a plant, silphum laevigatum, the root of which, he says is a good remedy
for rheumatism.  The virtue of the root is extracted by putting it into pure
whisky or brandy, after which, it is to be drank.  Mr. Gover says he has seen it
tried repeatedly and never knew it fail making a cure.  I saw acres of land 
covered with this plant in the bottoms of the Trinity, two miles west of 
Dallas.  Afternoon we went on our journey, and that night camped near Fairfield.
   June 10th - I gathered several new plants this morning.  At 10 o'clock, we
arrived at Butler, and called on Hon. H. Manning, who received us very kindly 
and took great interest in showing us his fine varieties of pears, peaches and
plums.  His plums were ripe and I can say, I never tasted better fruit of the
kind in my life.  His pears and peaches were not ripe; but, the trees were 
loaded with green fruit of the most promising character.  I have never seen 
these varieties of fruit grown to greater perfection in any State than that of
which these gave promise in Mr. Manning's orchard.  This is one of the very best
counties in the State for raising fruits of all kinds.  The land is good, 
finely timbered and well watered.  In the neighborhood of Butler, brown coal is
found that does well for warming and culinary purposes; but, not for forge or
furnace, where great heat is required.  Salt and soda springs are found in the
neighborhood, form which salt and soda were made in the civil war.  Today-
afternoon-we crossed the Trinity river at Bonner's Ferry and camped on Sweet
Gum creek, five miles from Palestine.
..."