PART II.
FUELS AND THEIR UTILIZATION.

CHAPTER I.
CHARCOAL MANUFACTURE IN TEXAS.
BY JOHN BIRKINBINE.

The existence of iron ores in the State of Texas naturally directs attention towards the possibility of smelting them within the State, but the primary requisite of fuel commands first attention, for unless future developments indicate sources of mineral fuel different from what is now known, it may be assumed that there is no immediate prospect of obtaining a supply of this necessary article of a character suitable for iron manufacture within the limits of the State. There is, however, another source of fuel, namely, charcoal. upon which our earlier American iron industry was developed, and which to-day is used in the production of a large quantity of pig iron, amounting in the United States during the census year ending June 30, 1890, to 655,520 net tons. This amount of iron was produced in nineteen States, one of which was Texas; and it is probable that a total of over 75,000,000 bushels of charcoal were consumed in the census year for the production of pig iron alone. In addition, a large quantity was used for other purposes connected with the iron and other industries, for the smelting of silver ores, etc.

Unfortunately, personal knowledge of the iron ore resources of Texas is confined to the eastern portion, as the writer has not yet had an opportunity of inspecting the deposits of Llano and adjacent counties. Although it has been his privilege to traverse the State from Texarkana to Laredo, from El Paso to Denison, and from Denison to Taylor, as well as minor trips throughout the State, the remarks here made will be necessarily confined to the production of charcoal for smelting iron ores in the eastern portion of Texas.

The great Southern yellow pine belt, which extends into Texas, furnishes wood from which excellent charcoal can be produced, and it is from this class of fuel that most of the charcoal pig iron of Alabama is made. The product of Alabama in the census year included 103,964 net tons of pig iron made with charcoal. In addition to the yellow pine belt, the hard woods which form a considerable portion of the vigorous forests of Eastern Texas will produce charcoal of superior quality. The extent and character of the