174 SOUTHERN BORDER OF CENTRAL COAL FIELD. 



dryness of the atmosphere of this country water evaporates very rapidly, so 

 that large amounts of salt could be made from these flowing wells with but 

 little expense. The flowing wells at Waldrip and San Angelo are samples 

 of what may be obtained at almost any locality embraced within the Carbon- 

 iferous formation. I have not made an estimate of the amount of water 

 flowing from any of these wells, nor of the amount that it is probable they 

 would furnish by pumping, but am sure there is no lack of water in abund- 

 ance. A few miles from San Angelo salt water is found very near the sur- 

 face. Some of the waters have ingredients that would render them unfit for 

 the manufacture of common salt, but the suitability of water for this manu. 

 facture can be very readily determined by analysis. 



WATER POWER. 



There are a number of places where the water could be used for driving 

 machinery, and where it seems only a question of a very short time until it 

 will be so used. It is estimated that the four springs at Lampasas will fur- 

 nish about 10,000 gallons per minute. The creek below the springs has a 

 fall of fifteen feet per mile, so it will be seen at once that a considerable 

 amount of power could be had within a short distance of the town. This 

 would be a favorable locality at which to establish manufactories of different 

 kinds. It would be a fine locality for a cotton or woolen mill, or for both. 



The fall in the Colorado River anywhere below the mouth of the San Saba 

 is great enough within a short distance to give sufficient power to run heavy 

 machinery, and in many places a dam could be constructed at no very great 

 expense, as the material with which to build such dam can be had in the im- 

 mediate vicinity. 



The falls at the mouth of Falls Creek are 105 feet perpendicular. The 

 water comes from a spring in the vicinity, and in sufficient amount to give 

 large power. 



The springs which flow into Cherokee Creek give sufficient water to sup- 

 ply a large power. At only one place, so far as learned, has the water been 

 used for this purpose. Mr. J. S. White, who lives one mile and a half east 

 of Cherokee town, has put in a dam four feet high across the creek, by which 

 he has turned the water into a race three hundred yards long, where he has 

 a turbine wheel which runs a corn mill and cotton gin. 



Near the mouth of Cherokee Creek there is a fall of 18 feet in 900 feet. 

 With the amount of water usually in Cherokee Creek this would be sufficient 

 to produce a large amount of power. 



Rough Creek, which runs into the Colorado River a few miles above Cher- 

 okee Creek, has enough and constant water to make it a stream of import- 

 ance in a small way. There is now a small mill and cotton gin run by the 



