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cedar and other timber, the best of water in abundance, a delightful, healthy climate and fertile soil.

The largest deposit of iron ore yet known in Llano county is on a creek near a Mr. Epperson's, about twelve miles west of the town of Llano, and from six to eight miles southeast of the Smoothing Iron Mountain. It is an immense and apparently solid mass of iron of an oblong, oval form, surrounded by granite, having evidently been raised up from below with. the latter. It has a length of about 800 feet, a width of about 500 feet, with an elevation of from 25 to 30 feet above its visible base. Loose masses of ore, some of which are of several tons weight, lie scattered over the surface of the iron hill and on its, outskirts. There is no ore known in any country which gives a larger per cent of metallic iron than this, nor any which will make a better quality of iron.

A large bed of iron ore of a similar character to the preceding is distant from it about eight miles, in a northwesterly direction. It lies between two granite ridges, and is traversed by veins of quartz in all directions. Here, too, there is ore enough for all practicable purposes to make metallic iron for ages.

On the road from Honey Creek to the town of Llano, about eight miles from the latter, the magnetite ores are in beds, extending across the road and into the adjacent mountain.

Northward, in the carboniferous region, in the southern part of Stephens county, iron ores are reported as rich and abundant.

Lime and timber, to make charcoal, for the manufacture of iron, abound in Llano county; nor are beds of good stone coal far distant, at the north, those of Coleman county being less than one hundred miles.

We know of no State which has greater advantages for the manufacture of iron than Texas, both in its eastern and western portions, taking climate, quality of ore and its availability, it being at or near the surface, fuel, both charcoal and stone coal. Only think what a saving to the State it would be to manufacture our railroad iron. Much more is paid out in this direction than would pay for the manufacture of the iron at home. Taking everything into consideration-people, as permanent citizens, added to our population, capital added to its available wealth, increase of trade, given to the farmer and merchant-all these things,