The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-04-16
SOME ANALYSES.
REPORT OF MR.. J. II. HERND0N OF
THE GEOLOGICAL CHEMICAL
DEPARTMENT.
Texas Iron Ores Will Make Fine Grade
steeI-GoId and Silver Ores and
Other Valuable Minerals
of Texas.

In the forthcoming report OF Prof.
Dumble of the geological department
the chemist, Mr.. j. H. Herndon, mas
this to say:
REPORT OF MR.. J. II HERNDON.
AUSTIN, Tex, Dec. 10, 1890.
Hon. f. r. Dumble, State Geologist.
Dear Sir-I have the honor OF here
with laying before you a brief report
of the character and amount of work
done in the chemical laboratory OF
this survey during the period en-
braced between Jan. | and Dec. ID,
1890. During this time Gl5 analyses
have been made by Mr.. Magnenat
and myself. These analy seB have
been made especially with a view to
show the economic value of the vari.
Gus ores and mineral resources OF
Texas. From the results obtained in
the labor atory and reported to you 1t
will be seen that no state in the
Union is mere blessed in mineral re-
sources than Texas, and when once
intelligent home and foreign capital
begin to develop these resources our
state will make gigantic stride
toward progress and civilization which
will give her the first place in the
Union in wealth, power and popuIa-
ton.
The tables Of analyses which have
given below only show the most i'm
portant work done, of which a record
has been kept. A large amount of
work has been done in the laboratory,
such as testing of minerals, qualitative
work, special assays and the like, OF
which no record has been kept by me.
In the table under the head OF
assays sometimes as many as four or
five different determinations have
been made. so have reported all an
alyses of zinc, lead, copper, anthony,
and bismuth ores along with the as
says, as in these ores silver and gold is
always called for. In this short re-
port | cannot discuss our ores at
length, and can only hint at their
possibilities.
The East Texas iron ore will make
fine grade of Iron and have the as
assurance of prominent railway men
who have tested them, that car wheels
made from the iron are longer lived
and wear better than those manufac-
tured in any other state. These ores
mixed with the requisite amount Of
magnetic ores OF Central Texas will
make fine grade of steel. In the
central mineral region we have flint
grade of Bessemer ores unsurp used b,
any in the world.
In Edwards county is found pure
white kaolin that will make the fines
grade of proclaim ware, and in East
ern Texas clays are very abundant
that can be utilized for manufacture
ing coarse pottery of every description
and few that will make good fire
brick. Our gold and silver assayine
one to eleven hundred ounces of silver
and from one to ten ounces of gold
to the ton. The manganese ores 81
Mason and Llano counties are very
fine.
The lead ores assay as high as 50
per cent of metallic lead, zinc ores 81
per cent of zinc, copper ores Is per
cent of copper. Bismuth, tin, anti
mony, molybdenum are found in
small quantities.
Analyses made in the laboratory OF
the lignites OF Texas have been COM
pared by you with the German lignites
which are used for making briquettes
and coke, and shown to be superior to
them both as fuel and as steam gen.
orators.
The fertilizers (G:eensands) of Tex
as are not so good as those Of New
Jersey, yet can be used with great
profit on or poorer lands. In fact,
there is hardly mineral of economic
value that is not found in our state.
AS to the monetary value of the work
done by the chemists in the labora-
tory during the yea, at present can
only give approximate figures. Count
ing each analysis as valued at $40,
which is a very low figure, as most
of the ores will far exceed this esti-
mate if regular prices were charged,
it will amount to more than $4,000.
At the end of the year, if careful
estimate OF the work is made, | have
not the slightest doubt but that it
will eyceed X05 000