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CHEMICAL DEPARTMENT.

REPORT OF MR. J. H. HERNDON.

AUSTIN, TEXAS, December 14, 1890
.

Hon. E. T. Dumble, State Geologist:

DEAR SIR—I have the honor of herewith laying before you a brief report of the character and amount of work done in the Chemical Laboratory of this Survey during the period embraced between January 1 and December 13, 1890. During this time six hundred and fifteen analyses have been made by Mr. Magnenat and myself. These analyses have been made especially with a view to show the economic value of the various ores and mineral resources of Texas. From the results obtained in the laboratory and reported to you it will be seen that no State in the Union is more blessed in mineral resources than Texas, and when once intelligent home and foreign capital begin to develop these resources, our State will make a gigantic stride towards progress and civilization which will give her the first place in the Union in wealth, power, and population.

The tables of analyses which I have given below only show the most important work done, of which a record has been kept. A large amount of work has deen 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 I have reported all analyses of zinc, lead, copper, antimony, and bismuth ores along with the assays, as in these ores silver and gold is always called for. In this short Report I can not discuss our ores at length, and can only hint at their possibilities.

The East Texas iron ores will make a fine grade of iron, and I have the asassurance of prominent railway men who have tested them, that car wheels made from the iron are longer lived and wear better than those manufactured in any other State. These ores mixed with the requisite amount of magnetic ores of Central Texas will make a fine grade of steel. In the Central Mineral Region we have a fine grade of Bessemer ores unsurpassed by any in the world.

In Edwards County is found a pure white kaolin that will make the finest grade of porcelain ware, and in Eastern Texas clays are very abundant that can be utilized for manufacturing coarse pottery of every description, and a few that will make good fire brick. Our gold and silver ores assaying from one to eleven hundred ounces of silver and from one to ten ounces of gold to the ton. The manganese ores of Mason and Llano counties are very fine.