62 MINERAL RESOURCES OF ALABAMA. 



brought them from Missouri or other lead-producing states. 

 There is not a county in Alabama where there is not a tradition 

 of a "lead mine," said to have been worked by the Indians or 

 early settlers, and the details of these traditions are infinitely 

 varied. 



Mineral Paints. 



These are mainly the iron ores, the red, brown, and yellow 

 ochres, and barite. 



Ochres. In the soft leached ore beds of the Chilton or Red 

 Mountain formation, there are deposits of soft ore of greasy 

 feel, free from grit, which makes a strong and most durable red 

 paint, extensively used in the Birmingham Paint Works, and 

 shipped from Attalla to Chattanooga to the extent of about 2,- 

 ooo tons a year. 



Some of the argillaceous shales of the limonite banks yield 

 good yellow and red ochres ; a fine red ochre of this kind occur- 

 ring a few miles northeast of Talladega, 



In the great clay formation of the state, viz., the Tuscaloosa 

 of the Lower Cretaceous, are numerous deposits of both yellow 

 and red ochres. Some of the yellow ochres have been mined 

 and marketed from Autauga and Elmore counties, and a fine 

 red ochre deposit of the same formation is known near Pearce's 

 Mill, in Marion county. It must be borne in mind, however, 

 that the above mentioned are only a few typical occurrences of 

 these materials, selected out of hundreds that might be men- 

 tioned. 



Overlying the St. Stephens limestone of the Tertiary, beds 

 of good yellow ochre have been tested in Clarke county, and in 

 the Grand Gulf territory of South Alabama also fine yellow 

 ochre occurs in Barbour and other counties. 



Barite. The usual mode of occurrence of barite or heavy 

 spar, is in boulders or irregular masses imbedded in the resi- 

 dual clays derived from the Trenton limestone, and in loose 

 pieces on the surface. The most important localities are near 

 Tampa, in Calhotm county, near Greensport in St. Clair, near 

 Maguire Shoals on Little Cahaba River, at the "Sinks" on Six 

 Mile Creek, and near Pratt's Ferry in Bibb ; in all cases near the 

 contact of the Trenton limestone with the Knox Dolomite. 



