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in San Saba county. All these afford material for the manufacture of saltpetre, which, in a crude state, is quite common under overhanging limestone rocks in San Saba, Llano, Burnet and other counties. Tons of bat manure are in these caves, which, if not wanted for making saltpetre, would be equally as useful as guano as a fertilizer. Even the refuse heaps left from the manufacture of saltpetre would be useful to feed the growing crops.
PAINTS, OCHRES, ETC.
In the northern part of Cherokee county, not far front Young's Iron Works, are beds of a fine grained, very white clay, which has been used to some extent in painting dwellings and outbuildings. At Rusk, we were shown the woodwork of some rooms, which had been painted with this clay, and, 'gad we trot been told, we would have supposed it to have been done with white lead. The clay was mixed in water and applied to the wood with a whitewash brush, and when dry the whole coated with oil, which sets the paint and prevents it from rubbing off. It is probable that most of the fireplace in the State can be thus utilized. For a whitewash, mix flour with glue dissolved in water; to this mixture add the white clay. Wash does not rub off, Where clay forms a large proportion of some of the iron rocks of the tertiary as in some parts of Bastrop and other counties, ochres often result, yellow, red and brown of various shades. All these can be utilized in painting houses, agricultural implements, etc., etc.
Such are the minerals and mineral products of the State known to the survey, a large portion of which now lie dormant, waiting for capital and labor to move then. It is an inviting field, a rich field, which will give large fortunes to prudent, enterprising, industrious men.
MINERAL SPRINGS.
Chalybeate springs are common in the iron region of the tertiary-so common that they attract little or no attention.
At Lampasas, in Lampasas county, are some of the finest sulphur springs in the world. On one side of the town are two or three large bold springs of white sulphur water, so strong that the rocks overflowed are coated white. Another large spring is in the northeastern part of the