TEXAS. 



757 



and Tenth Districts) and seven Democratic 

 Congressmen were elected, but the Democratic 

 majority in the Third District was only 68. 

 The Legislature of 1885 consists of 19 Demo- 

 crats and 14 Republicans in the Senate, and 

 63 Democrats and 36 Republicans in the 

 House. 



Minerals. Coal covers 5,100 square miles, all 

 of which has at least one coal-bearing seam, a 

 large proportion more than two, and a consid- 

 erable area five or more. There are twenty- 

 three coal-mines in operation. Complete re- 

 turns for 1884 are wanting. In 1882 fifteen 

 mines reported an output of 850,000 tons. 

 Copper is mined at Ducktown, Polk county. 



In iron-ores Tennessee is greatly favored, and 

 often coal, iron-ore, and limestone are found in 

 close proximity. The black magnetic, hematite, 

 and limonite appear at intervals throughout East 

 Tennessee. West of Nashville, in the counties 

 of Stewart, Montgomery, Houston, Dickson, 

 Humphreys, Perry, Hickman, Lewis, Wayne, 

 and Lawrence, limonite, a hydrate ore with yel- 

 low powder, extends over an area forty miles 

 wide, from Kentucky to Alabama. This was 

 the most extensive field for the making of char- 

 coal-iron before the war. As many as eleven 

 furnaces in those days were in full blast in the 

 single county of Montgomery, but to-day only 

 three are running. 



Zinc is being mined in the counties of Jef- 

 ferson, Union, Knox, and Olaiborne. A very 

 rich deposit of zinc-ore has been recently dis- 

 covered near Union Depot, Sullivan county. 



The white and variegated marbles of Haw- 

 kins, Knox, Blount, and Bradley counties, East 

 Tennessee, have become quite celebrated. Dis- 

 coveries of variegated, gray, and brown mar- 

 bles have recently been made in Franklin, 

 Lincoln, Lawrence, and Maury counties, Mid- 

 dle Tennessee ; and also in Decatur and Henry 

 counties, West Tennessee. 



A very rich deposit of ochre has been dis- 

 covered near Ripley, Lauderdale county. 



Timber. No State in the Union possesses a 

 larger area of forests of hard-wood, in propor- 

 tion to its aggregate area, than Tennessee. 

 Nashville has the credit of exporting more 

 hard-wood than any city in the Union. The 

 cottonwood, found in great abundance in the 

 bottom-lands of West Tennessee, offers an in- 

 viting field to paper-pulp manufacturers. 



TEXAS. State Government. The following 

 were the State officers during the year : Gov- 

 ernor, John Ireland, Democrat ; Lieutenant- 

 Governor, Marion Martin ; Secretary of State, 

 J. W. Raines ; Treasurer, Frank R. Lubbock ; 

 Comptroller, W. J. Swain ; Attorney-General, 

 John D. Templeton ; Superintendent of Public 

 Instruction, B. M. Baker ; Commissioner of 

 Lands, W. C. Walsh ; Commissioner of In- 

 surance, Statistics, and History, H. P. Brew- 

 ster ; State Engineer, James H. Britton. Judi- 

 ciary, Supreme Court: Chief- Justice, Asa H. 

 Willie ; Associates, J. W. Stayton, 0. S. West. 



Financial. The close of the fiscal year end- 



ing Aug. 31, 1884, gives the results of two 

 years' operation of the State government with 

 the rate of taxation at 30 cents on $100, of 

 which 22 cents was for general purposes, and 

 7i cents was for public free schools. In 1882 

 the rate of taxation was reduced from 40 cents 

 on $100, and a revenue poll-tax of $l,.to 30 

 cents and a poll-tax of 50 cents. At the be- 

 ginning of the first year under the reduced 

 rate there was in the treasury a revenue sur- 

 plus of $526,545.26 ; at the close of the year 

 the surplus was reduced to $345,154.23 ; and 

 at the close of the second year, Aug. 31, 1884, 

 the surplus was further reduced to $145,298.26, 

 showing that the expenditures during the two 

 years ending Aug. 31, 1884, exceeded the re- 

 ceipts during the same time $381,247. 



The transactions in the general revenue ac- 

 count for the year were as follow : 



Balance, Sept. 1, 1883 $345.154 28 



Net revenue receipts 1,538,918 28 



Total $1 ,884,06T 51 



Expenditures 1,738,76" " 



Balance of revenue Aug. 31, 1884 $145,298 26 



The Comptroller thinks that the issue of rev- 

 enue deficiency bonds will be necessary. He 

 recommends that the appropriation year, which 

 now ends on February 28, be made to coincide 

 with the fiscal year, which ends on August 31. 

 The special warrants (other than on the gen- 

 eral revenue account) drawn by the Comp- 

 troller on the Treasurer, for the year ending 

 Aug. 31. 1884, amounted to $3,831,516.63. Of 

 these there were, on account of the available 

 school fund, $1,484,490.54; available univer- 

 sity fund, $123,171.88 ; permanent university 

 fund, $207,929.80 ; permanent school fund, 

 $1,744,869.43 ; the balance, on account of oth- 

 er special funds. The bonded debt of the State 

 Aug. 31, 1884, amounted to $4,119,898.82, of 

 which the special funds of the State hold nearly 

 two thirds and individuals about one third. 

 The cash balances in the treasury to the credit 

 of the various funds, Jan. 1, 1885, amounted 

 to $552,142.73 (general revenue account, $106,- 

 364.31). The balances in bonds aggregated 

 $6,309,939.25, of which the permanent school 

 fund held $5,409,084.75 ; permanent university 

 fund, $513,761.63 ; Agricultural and Mechani- 

 cal College fund, $209,000. The assessed value 

 of property in 1880 was $311,470,736 ; in 1881, 

 $357,000,000; in 1882, $419,925,476; in 1883, 

 $527,537,390 ; in 1884, $603,060,917. 



Education. While the usual increase in the 

 number of children of scholastic age has been 

 largely augmented by the Legislature at its 

 extra session adding two 'years to the scholas- 

 tic age, the fund at the disposition of the Board 

 of Education has grown in greater proportion. 

 There has been the most marked improvement 

 in the character, attainments, and efficiency of 

 our public-school teachers. The Sam Houston 

 Normal Institute (at Huntsville) began its sixth 

 session on Sept. 15, 1884, and will close it on 

 June 10, 1885. At this time it has 1 65 students. 



