History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 162

BIISTORY O TEXAS.

have passed through more than 100 feet of
This red sandstone, thus proving its unlimited
quantity. It will compare favorably in
every way with the sandstones formerly imported
into the State for the fronts and
trimmings of buildings.
Beyond the Carrizo and Diabolo mountains
there is a fine-grained red sandstone which is
destined to be one of the finest building
stones of the State. It is a little darker in
color than the Quito stone, finer-grained,
firmer, of even texture, and will lend itself
to almost any character of decoration.
In this trans-Pecos region there are many
other sandstones and quartzites which will in
time come into use for strfictural purposes.
Slate.-The two areas in which the older
rocks are found both give promise of furnishing
slate suitable for roofing. In the
central mineral district several localities have
been examined which on the surface give indication
of furnishing good roofing slate, and
in the vicinity of the Carrizo mountains, El
Paso county, similar indications are found.
It will of course require some actual work
in opening the quarry sufficiently to ascertain
the condition of the material below the
surface to fully decide the value of the deposits,
but the indications are very favorable
and warrant such an attempt at development.
Thus it is readily apparent that in building
stone there is no lack of variety, as well
as an ample supply of all that can be made
useful.
Clay suitable for brickmaking, terra cotta
and drain tile are found in all the different
formations occurring in the State. All are
not of equal value, and indeed the brick
made from some few are quite inferior, but
the majority produce good, serviceable brick.
The colors of the brick vary from/yellow or
cream color, such as are made at Austin,

through various shades of browns and reds,
according to the character of the clay. In
eastern Texas, as well as in the carboniferous
area, the brick are usually mottled from the
amount of iron in the clays. Selected clays,
however, in these localities produce brick of
excellent color. The importance of this industry
will be seen by the following statement
of the aggregate of brick production
for the year 1889, which was received from
the operators of the brick kilns in answer to
inquiries, namely, 95,000,000.
Many of the clays of the Tertiary examnined
during the past year are well suited
to the manufacture of terra cotta and drain
tile. These are found in the region covered
by the timber-belt beds, as well as among
the Fayette clays. Those of the other areas
have not yet been examined fully enough to
determine their availability for these purposes,
but it is probable that many carboniferous
clays will prove well adapted for
them.
Lithographic stone is found 'in several
places in Texas, but it is too much fractured
for use.
Lime.--As is well known, the lime made
from the rocks of that horizon of the Cretaceous
formation known as the Caprina limestones
(which is the most persistent bed of
all the forniation) is unsurpassed for quality.
The fame of the Austin lime is well established.
Other beds of the cretaceous will
answer well in lime-making, although some
of them contain too much clayey matter, or
are otherwise unfitted for this use. Lime is
also made from the limestone of the other
deposits, but none of these have been so successfully
operated as those above mentioned.
The reports received for 1889 gave a total
production of 190,000 barrels.

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