37 



hay is mixed with, the mud, and then it is moulded into 

 the proper shape. The price of adobes (1875) at El Paso, 

 was $7 per thousand, hence building there is very cheap. 

 Roofs are also made with first a layer of clay, above which 

 is sometimes spread a thin layer of ashes, and above this 

 is placed a thick layer of cement made of clay, gravel and 

 lime ; about two-thirds clay and sand, and one of lime. 

 These roofs are nearly flat, only having inclination suffi- 

 cient to let the water run off. The roofs of the old 

 mission churches near San Antonio were made of cpment, 

 and are still in a very good state of preservation. Adobe 

 houses are very cool in summer and warm in winter. 



Cement floors are also used in the adobe houses. The 

 mortar is evenly spread to the thickness of three or four 

 inches over a layer of broken limestone. When the mor- 

 tar has stood about twenty-four hours, and its surface is 

 quite dry, it is pounded all over with a block of wood 

 about twelve inches square, and three to four inches thick, 

 having a handle in the middle. This makes the floor 

 smopth and moist, and when it becomes dry it is again 

 pounded until very little moisture comes to the surface. 

 In some of the best houses, a thin layer of red ochre is 

 then sifted on the flooi-, and it is thoroughly rubbed in 

 and polished with a smooth, flat stone. 



WATEE POWER IN TEXAS. 



The great objection to utilizing the large and varied 

 water power of the State, has been that heavy rains some- 

 times caused the sudden rise and overflow of streams, 

 doing more or less damage to mills and factories. In seme 

 instances, factories and mills have been swept away, as 

 was done a few years since at New Braunfels. 



It is now demonstrated that power can be transmitted to 

 great distances by wire or raw hide ropes. In Europe this 

 has been done extensively — Pirn being the inventor. In 

 one instance by a combination of ropes and pullies, the 

 power of a waterwheel was transmitted to distance of 

 several miles. 



A good illustration of this method was lately given in 

 '.'Mines, Metals and Arts" of Saint Louis, where there is 

 a view of the mills of Messrs. Smyser & Milton, at the 

 falls of the Ohio river, Indiana. There the wheelhouse 

 is two hundred feet distant below and across a race or 



