BUILDING STONES. 461 



LIMESTONES. 



In the Albany Beds, which occur at the top of the series everywhere in 

 Texas south of the Brazos River, are the best limestones for building pur- 

 poses in the formation. These limestones are generally blue when first taken 

 out of the quarry, but after long exposure to the atmosphere change their 

 color to a whitish-gray or buff, according to the different beds used and the 

 different localities from whence they are taken. These beds furnish the 

 building stones of Coleman, where several of the buildings have been con- 

 structed of this material. It lies in beds from a few inches to two feet thick, 

 and is very even-bedded, is easily quarried, and receives an excellent finish 

 under the workman's hammer. The uniformity of texture throughout an en- 

 tire bed makes it a very desirable building stone. 



Baird, in Callahan County, is another locality where this building stone 

 has been used extensively, and has given general satisfaction. It has been 

 used both for finished and rough work, and has proven equally satisfactory 

 for each. 



At Albany, in Shackelford County, there have been several beds opened 

 and used extensively in that town for buildings. It lies in beds generally 

 about eighteen inches thick, and gives slabs as large as the quarryman de- 

 sires to handle. The best quality there is bluish on first being taken from 

 the quarries, but changes to a lighter color on being exposed to the action of 

 the atmospheric influences. The mention of these localities is sufficient to 

 call attention to these beds, which are just as good at other localities occupy- 

 ing the same geological horizon, a mere mention of the beds being all that 

 can be done at the present. 



There are limestones in other divisions of the Carboniferous strata besides 

 those of the Albany Beds that make good building material and have been 

 extensively used. Mention of the quarry at Jacksboro is made in another 

 part of this Report. The beds in the vicinity of Crystal Falls are excellent, 

 but have not been used very largely, for the reason that there has been no 

 local demand for them. 



The limestones in the vicinity of Palo Pinto are good and very abundant, 

 and have been used with satisfaction in that town. 



The hard blue limestones along the line of the Texas and Pacific Railway 

 in the vicinity of the Brazos, in the south side of Palo Pinto County, are be- 

 ing used as macadam on the streets in the City of Dallas. These stones are 

 very hard, and when broken and compacted with sand and gravel make very 

 desirable material for street improvement. The limestones in the vicinity of 

 Brown wood would make excellent building material, and have been used to 

 some extent in that place. 



The limestones of the carboniferous would propably have been used more 



