18 THE IRON ORE DISTRICT OF EAST TEXAS. 



The successful operation of the iron furnace, reported in my biennial re- 

 port of 1 886, lias continued up to the present time. The furnace has not been 

 operated constantly, having had to blow out two or three times for repairs and 

 coal. The product in the two years is reported at about nine thousand tons; 

 the amount on hand twenty-six hundred and fifty-four tons. During the two 

 years there has been sold 6540, and consumed by the foundries at Rusk 

 prison 2389 tons. The records show during the last two years there have 

 been used in producing pig iron ] 8,903 tons of iron ore, '1523 tons of lime- 

 stone, 1276 corJs of wood, and 1,207,761 bushels of charcoal. 



The iron turned out is kept up to a high standard as to quality. Until a 

 few months ago the product was altogether hot blast iron, but recently there 

 has been some demand for cold, or rather warm, blast iron to make car 

 wheels, and a large lot of this kind has been made to supply this demand, and 

 it is giving excellent satisfaction. 



The success of this furnace has accomplished one object of its erection, viz., 

 the development of the iron resources of Eastern Texas, and has thus induced 

 capital and enterprise to come from abroad and invest in similar enterprises. 



The town of New Birmingham has been located and is being built up 

 within two miles of the penitentiary, one or more new furnaces are to be 

 erected, and other enterprises contemplated and promised, which will all, 

 directly or indirectly, benefit the industries of our prison, especially if better 

 transportation facilities are thereby induced. 



The Water Pipe Foundry — This was completed and put in operation after 

 the date of my last report. It is an excellent plant, and from it has been turned 

 out a large quantity of excellent pipe, ranging in size from three to twelve 

 inches in diameter. 



I can not say that we found such a ready sale for water pipe as anticipated, 

 from the fact that high railroad rates have operated against us. With a much 

 more favorable rate, recently obtained, we can no doubt find ready sale for 

 all we can make. 



The pipe foundry gives employment to about seventy-five convicts.* 



The record for the past two years is but a continuation of the success 

 which has attended it under its present management, and pig iron of most 

 excellent quality is made, besides large amounts of iron pipe, etc. 



NEW FURNACES. 

 In addition to the furnaces mentioned, others are now completed or in pro- 

 cess of erection at New Birmingham and Jefferson. One, the Tassie Belle, 

 has just been put in blast at New Birmingham, and is reported as working 

 very successfully. 



TOPOGRAPHY. 



The fundamental idea of the topography of this district is that of a compar- 

 atively level plateau, which has risen gradually and slowly from beneath the 

 waters of the Gulf, in which the various beds of clays and sands of which it is 

 composed were deposited. Its present varied surface; hills spreading out in 



* Reports of the Superintendent and Financial Agent of the Texas State Penitentiaries, for 

 two years ending October 31, 1888. Austin, 1889. 



