THE NON-METALLIC MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE 
STATE OF TEXAS. 
By W. H. Yon Streeruwitz, of the State Geological Survey. 
Read December 31, 1892. 
Last February I had the honor to demonstrate to the Academy the 
probability of the existence of precious metals in the Central District of 
Texas, which comprises Llano county, part of Burnet, Lampasas, San 
Saba, Mason, Gillespie, Blanco, and Menard counties; and in Trans- 
Pecos Texas, covering about 35,000 square miles between the Rio Grande 
and the Pecos river. I advanced reasons based on the experience of 
centuries, and mentioned that the probability is strengthened, even made 
a certainty, by numerous outcrops and floatpieces; in short, by indications 
which can not be misunderstood by mining experts. Moreover, I stated 
that the existence of workable and successfully worked ore deposits in 
Trans-Pecos Texas is sufficiently proved by some existing mines. I also 
brought forward the more conspicuous reasons why the mining industry 
is so sadly neglected in our State. 
The mineral resources of Texas are not confined to the deposits of ores 
of base and precious metals, but there is in the State an abundance of 
other minerals, not regarded ores, but nevertheless of great value. Some 
of these are partly appreciated and utilized, but onty to a very limited 
degree. The existence of others, and that they might be of practical 
value, is known, but up to the present time they are not utilized; of 
others still, the existence is known, but their value is not even suspected 
by the greater part of the people. 
Among the first class are the stone coal and brown coal deposits of 
Texas. 
The value of stone coal is too well known to make necessary a dem¬ 
onstration; and coal mining in Texas, though in its infancy, is carried 
on more vigorously and in more places than ore mining. 
This is not the case with a fuel next in value to the stone coal—the 
brown coals, or, as they are here commonly called, the lignites. 
It is now pretty well ascertained that the greater part of the Tertiary 
belt of Texas abounds in brown coals, mostly of good quality, many of 
them far superior to such as are used in Europe to great advantage for 
domestic and manufacturing purposes. Since many of our Texas brown 
coals and lignites are superior to the European, there is no tangible rea¬ 
son why they should not be used here as well as in Europe (as I recom¬ 
mended in the August bulletin of H. S. A., 1888,) in their natural con¬ 
dition on the well known Treppenrost, or why they could not be used in 
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