202 



THE IRON ORE DISTRICT OF EAST TEXAS. 



it consists of a clay which can also be sold at a price even higher than the 

 sand. 



Large quantities of this sand are shipped to Dallas and Fort Worth, where 

 it is used for mixing with lime to make a fine grade of finishing plaster. 



LIGNITES. 



The greater portion of the central and western portion of the county is 

 underlaid by lignitic deposits. These lignites outcrop at various places in 

 the neighborhood of Athens. When first taken from the mines the lignite 

 forms a solid block with a subconchoidal fracture and slightly coal-glossy 

 lustre, but upon exposure to the air for a few days it loses its gloss and be- 

 comes a dead black and in a short time breaks into small cuboidal fragments. 



The Texas Fire Brick and Tile Company mined and used as a fuel for 

 steam purposes lignite from an outcrop on the southwest corner of the C. M. 

 Walters headright. The following is a section of this opening: 



(Iray sand . 

 Yellow clay . . 



Lignite 



Dark blue clay 



Total 



6 feet. 



6 feet. 

 4 feet. 



2 inches. 



16 feet 2 inches. 



In mining this lignite the overlying sand and clay were taken off and 

 thrown into the hole left by the extraction of the coal. The product ob- 

 tained was used as a fuel for some time, and is reported as being a good 

 steam producer when carefully watched, but the utilization of this coal has 

 been abandoned. 



ANALYSES. 



The following analyses of these lignites made in the laboratory of the Geo- 

 logical Survey were made from two specimens from the same bed, No. 1 

 being a freshly mined specimen, and No. 2 from a specimen taken from the 

 Survey Museum, in which it had. been kept in contact with the air for more 

 than two years: 



Locality. 



Moisture. 



Volatile 

 Matter. 



Fixed 

 Carbon. 



Ash. 



Sul- 

 phur. 



No. 1, C. M. Walters headright 



No. 2, C. M. Walters headright* 



6.80 

 5.70 



50.65 



57.45 



37.00 

 29.85 



5.55 

 7.00 



0.52 



0.87 







Analyses by J. H. Herndon. * Collected by Dr. R. A. F. Penrose, Ji 



Lignite also occurs in a bluff on the north side of the S. Calderon head- 

 right. The following is a section of this bluff: 



