200 THE IRON ORE DISTRICT OF EAST TEXAS. 



the pit is stored in a shed, where it is allowed to dry for some time. When 

 required for use it is ground in a dry pan, at the same time being mixed 

 with the necessary amount of "grog" or calcined clay. From the pan the 

 mixture is raised by an elevator to the pug mill, where, after being thor- 

 oughly mixed and worked, it passes down through a funnel to the press. 

 These bricks are made in a Bennett brick machine having a daily capacity of 

 fifteen thousand bricks. After being taken from this press the bricks are 

 repressed by a Raymond hand press and dried under cover, care being taken 

 to allow as little handling as possible after repressing. 



The fire bricks and linings are burned in a series of four round dome- 

 shaped down-draft kilns, having a capacity of forty thousand bricks each. 

 These kilns are set in the form of a square and united to a single smoke stack 

 which rises from the center of the area between the kilns. In burning the 

 bricks three days are allowed for water smoking and four days for burning 

 off, and the whole burn is generally completed in seven or eight days. The 

 fuel used is altogether wood, and half a cord is allowed for each one thousand 

 bricks. Large quantities of this clay are dried and ground and shipped to 

 various points, where it is used as a mortar for setting fire bricks, a pur- 

 pose to which it appears to be admirably fitted. 



The works are run by steam power, and when in full operation employ 

 from twenty-four to thirty men. 



The Athens Pottery Company. — This is a small pottery recently com- 

 menced (July, 1890) by Mr. M. K. Miller. The clays worked are from a pit 

 on the J. B. Attwood head right, and the articles made are mostly jugs, jars, 

 churns, flower pots, and earthenware dishes. Most of the ware made is 

 glazed with the -'Albany slip 11 black glaze, and only a small quantity of salt- 

 glazed ware is made. The machinery used for preparing the clay at this 

 factory is very simple. The clays are placed in a small pug mill operated by 

 a horse. From this mill it passes into a pit, where it is spaded over and taken 

 into the factory as required. The newly turned ware is dried on an artificial 

 dryer before slipping. The kiln is a round up-draft kiln and has a capacity 

 of thirty-five hundred gallons. 



In burning the ware twenty-four to thirty hours are allowed for complet- 

 ing the burn, and the ware is usually removed on the third day after the 

 commencement of the firing. Longer burning, it is said, causes the ware to 

 "craze," or air check, on being brought into the air, and often causes a consid- 

 erable quantity of the articles to break in the kiln. Six cords of wood are 

 usually required to burn a kiln, or about two cords to every one thousand 

 gallons of ware. 



This pottery employs five men. 



Southern Pottery, Tile, and Brick Company. — This company has ceased 



