THE ALABAMA OPPORTUNITY. 175 



Broivn hematite or Uuionite. — This most valuable ore of iron 

 is found in largest quantity in the Coosa, Murphree's and Jones' 

 Valleys, though deposits of it also occur in the Tennessee Val- 

 ley, notably in the vicinity of Russellville in Franklin county. 



Some of the most important of these ore banks are to be 

 found about Baker Hill, Bluffton, Rock Run, Langdon City, 

 etc., in Cherokee county; near Piedmont, 'Jacksonville, An- 

 niston, Talladega, Ironaton, in Calhoun; near Shelby and Mon- 

 tevallo in Shelby ; about Tannehill and Woodstock near the 

 borders of Jefferson, Bibb, and Tuscaloosa counties'; and near 

 Oneonto in Blount county. This ore has been worked at the 

 places named, but there are numerous other localities where 

 the ore is known to occur in quantity, though as yet undevel- 

 oped. 



Ochre. — In connection with some of the banks of brown ore, 

 are beds of yellow and red ochre, none of which, however, in 

 Alabama, have come into notice by actual use. There is one 

 bed of red ochre' of remarkably fine color and measurably free 

 from impurities; near Talladega, from which a considerable 

 quantity has been obtained by way of samples, but as yet not 

 for commercial purposes. The price paid even for the best 

 ochres is small,' and this circumstance has deterred the owners 

 of ochre beds from making any expensive developments in 

 this direction. 



Kaolins and Porcelain Clays. — Associated with the brown 

 iron ores in Cherokee and Calhoun counties, there are some 

 beds of soft white clay very closely approaching kaolin in 

 composition and quality. These have not as yet been utilized 

 in the manufacture of fine stone ware, though apparently well 

 suited thereto both in regard to quantity and quality. 



Near Valley Head in DeKalb county there is a bed of hard 

 white porcelain clay, close to the mineral haUoysite in com- 

 position, which has been worked for a number of years. Some 

 china ware made from it has taken prizes at many of the ex- 

 positions of recent years. This is the best known and most 

 thoroughly tested of any of the deposits of fine clay in the 

 State. In the Tennessee A^alley near the Mississippi line there 

 are great beds of white clay which have also been used in the 

 manufacture of fine stone ware as well as of fire brick and tiles, 

 but there is no systematic work now being carried on at any 

 place in this section. 



