History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 161

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ill stone of allnost any dimensions. Some
of theil when polished will rival the A ragonite
or Mexican ol yx in delicacy of coloring.
The limees.tones of Texas which are suited
for building purposes are abundant and
widespread in their occurrence. The Cretaceous
formation which covers fully onefourth
of the entire area of the State abounds
in liniestone well adapted for structural purposes.
In addition to this we have the limestones
of the Carboniferous, Permian and
Silurian systems, so that the total area is
largely increased.
The limestones of the Cretaceous occur
both in its upper and lower divisions. In
the Austin chalk there are beds which furnish
excellent stone which is quarried for
use in many places, but a large portion of
it is too chalky and not firn enough for general
use. The best lilnestone of this forumation
is tlat contained in the Fredericksblirg
and Washita divisions of tile Lower Cretaceous.
These limestones are of color varying
from white to yellow, very rarely darker,
and are often somewhat soft when first quarried.
becoming harder on exposure.
Among the materials of the Clear Fork
division of the Permnian formation are some
even-bedded limestones of square fracture,
fine, even grain and good color, that will
prove valuable as building material. These
were observed in the northwestern part of
Shackelford county, and will also be found
north and south of that locality along the
outcrop of these beds. Seymour and Ballinger
show buildings constructed of these
limestones.
Sandstones and Quartzites.-The sandstones
are fully as widely distributed as the
limestones, being found in nearly all districts
in greater or less quantity. In the
Fayette sands are found beds of indurated

sands of light color which have b(e:i used in
various localities along their line of outcrop
for building purposes. Rock has been quarried
froin these deposits for many localities,
principally at Rockland, Tyler county,
Quarry Station, on the Gulf, Colorado &'
Santa Fe Railroad; Rock Quarry, on the
Houston & Texas Central Railway, in Washington
county, and in various parts of Fayette,
Lavaca and other counties to the southwest.

In the timber-belt beds the altered (and
even the unaltered) greensand marls are
sometimes so indurated as to be used for
building purposes. In addition to this
many of the hill-cappings of sandstone,
which at times replace the iron ore, are valuable
building stones.
In'the Cretaceous area north of the Colorado
river there are no sandstones of any
particular value so far as our examinations
lave extended.
The area of the central coal field abounds
in excellent sandstone for building purposes,
some of which has been extensively quarried
and used in the construction of buildings
from Dallas west to Cisco. It is of good
color, quarries well, and presents a handsome
appearance in the wall. It is so generally
found in this district that it is impossible to
name the localities.
In the Permian there are some sandstones
which will be of wide application in the
buildings of the State. East of Pecos City,
at Quito, on the Texas & Pacific Railway, a
company has recently opened a quarry in a
compact, well jointed red sandstone which
is probably of Permian age. It is of a beautiful
red color, uniform in texture and color,
easily worked yet durable, and in every way
adapted to the best uses in building. The
company in boring a well at the place

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