222 THE IRON ORE DISTRICT OF EAST TEXAS.. 



crops out on both sides and underlies Brooks Saline. It is not a good stone 

 for building purposes, but will make lime. 



I am told that during the war large quantities of lime were made from it, 

 the lime possessing hydraulic properties. In 1885 large quantities of this 

 limestone were used at the State Penitentiary at Rusk for fluxing iron ores, 

 and it was found to answer this purpose very well, though its use had to be 

 discontinued on account of the cost of transportation. 



Below are given analyses of the two limestones mentioned: 



STEEN SALINE. BROOKS SALINE. 



Lime 20.62 Lime 46.66 



Carbonic acid ... 16.20 Carbonic acid 36 . 66 



Magnesia Trace. Water 2 . 40 



Silica 55.00 Silica T.16 



Iron and "alumina 8.30 Iron and alumina 7.10 



LIME. 



The limestone from Steen Saline is too siliceous to make good lime, but 

 the Brooks Saline limestone will make lime of an excellent quality. The 

 lime made from this stone possesses hydraulic properties, which is due to the 

 fact that it contains nearly ten per cent of silica. Immense deposits of clay 

 occur in close proximity to the limestone, and it is probable that by mixing 

 these clays with the limestone in proper proportions a good quality of cement 

 could be made from it. The short time allowed me in which to write this 

 report pi evented me, much to my regret, from testing the hydraulic properties 

 of this stone. 



SALINES. 



Smith County possesses two salines, both of which were quite widely 

 known during the late war for the excellent quality of salt which was manu- 

 factured at them. One of them is situated in the northeastern and the other 

 in the southwestern part of the county. Steen Saline is five miles east of 

 Lindale, on the Carmona headright, and is situated on Saline Creek, just a 

 little north of the point where it forks. Saline Creek runs through the Sa- 

 line and empties into the Sabine River. 



The Saline proper is a small prairie, about one-half to three-fourths of a 

 mile wide by from one to two miles in length. The surface of the Saline is 

 covered by incrustations of salt and is composed of black and lead colored 

 clays. Like many other salines, it is associated with limestone, which may 

 be seen cropping on both sides of it. The Saline' is surrounded on all sides 

 by a chain of low hills which are covered by a dense undergrowth. These 

 hills are from thirty to sixty feet higher than the surface of the Saline. The 



