XC1V REPORTS OF GEOLOGISTS. 



But before we can arrive at safe final conclusions with regard to the older 

 rocks, the study not only of this part of the West Texas mountains, but also 

 those of Mexico, New Mexico, and Arizona, will be required ; they belong to 

 the same system, and can and will be understood only after careful compara- 

 tive study of the whole system. 



As far as the economic part is concerned, it can be safely said that the 

 mineral resources, if developed, will put the mountainous country of West 

 Texas on equal footing with the best mining districts of the United States, 

 and that the variety and excellent quality of the building stones and the facil- 

 ities to transport them to railways are hardly equalled anywhere in the United 

 States. 



From observations of the climate continued during two summer and two 

 winter seasons, from the general lay out of the ground and the quality of the 

 soil, I came to the conclusion that the conditions for a future use of the soils 

 for agricultural and horticultural purposes are anything but hopeless. True 

 it will take time and money, but it will be done as soon as the drawbacks 

 which I mentioned in my last and this year's reports, and the prejudice which 

 stamps Trans-Pecos Texas as a valueless and hopeless desert, shall be removed. 



Hundreds of thousands of acres of public school and university lands are 

 located in the country west of the Pecos River, and it is in the interest of the 

 public in general not only to ascertain but also to acknowledge publicly the 

 value of this part of the State, by taking legal steps to remove drawbacks 

 and to facilitate the development. 



W. VON STREERUWITZ, 

 Geologist for Trans-Pecos Texas. 



REPORT OF MR. THEO. B. COMSTOCK. 



Austin, Texas, December 31, 1890. 

 Hon. E. T. Durable, State Geologist, Austin, Texas: 



Sir — Herewith is respectfully submitted the administrative report of the 

 work performed since April 1, 1890, under my direction as Geologist of Cen- 

 tral Texas. 



In accordance with your instructions, I joined Mr. Cummins in the field 

 early in May, and made with him an exploration of a district in Indian Ter- 

 ritory (the Wichita Mountains) for the purpose of gaining a better under- 

 standing of certain difficult problems relating to the structure of the Central 

 Mineral Region. Devoting a few days only to this work, I returned to Aus- 



