THE ALABAMA OPPORTUNITY. 181 



The fitness of the white granular variety for statuary has 

 been amply demonstrated by the Italian sculptor, ^^loretti, who 

 uses it in his work to the exclusion of the imported material. 



Of the non-crystalline marbles we have a goodly variety, 

 though our resources in this, as in so many other particulars, 

 are practically undeveloped. Much of the limestone quarried 

 for building purposes in the Tennessee Valley by Messrs. 

 Fossick & Co., takes a good polish, and might well be used 

 for ornamental purposes. In Jones' Valley, a few miles below 

 Bessemer, there is an occurrence of limestone of Trenton 

 age, which is beautifully variegated with reddish spots and 

 streaks. Small pieces of this, taken from the surface outcrops, 

 have been dressed and polished and show as beautiful mark- 

 ings as the most valued of Tennessee marbles, which it entirely 

 resembles. Near Pratt's Ferry in Bibb county, a few miles 

 from Centerville, there are immense bluflfs of limestone forming 

 the river banks for a" mile or two. Much of this rock is va- 

 riegated in color, takes a fine polish and makes a beautiful 

 marble. The quarries which have been opened on this rock 

 are far from railroads, and hence have not been worked on any 

 extensive scale. 



Near Opelika, in Lee county, there is a quarry in a white 

 crystalline dolomite or magnesian limestone, which would 

 undoubtedly take a good polish and be of use as a white mar- 

 ble, but it has never, to my knowledge, been used for any other 

 juirpose than for lime burning. 



Material for Lime Manufacture. — Any of the Limestones 

 and marbles above named may be used for this purpose, and 

 the lime kilns of the state utilize nearly all of them. The 

 main lime fttrnishing formations are the Trenton, about Long- 

 view, Siluria, Calera, etc.. in Shelby county, Rock Springs in 

 Etowah county, and the Crystalline dolomite at Chewacla Kilns 

 in Lee county ; but lime has' been made at many other locali- 

 ties. 



THE .AGRICULTURAL AXD TIMBER DISTRICT. 



As stated above, about three-fifths of the area of the State 

 are here included. This part of the State holds verv little 

 of what are usually included among the mineral resources, 

 yet from one point of view it is of equal importance with the 



