El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-12
MEXICAN MEERSCHAUM
An Alleged Discovery OF Vein In
COdhuijd.


"Mining, yes; but not for gold, nor
for silver, nor for precious metals,
said Henry F. Bledsoe of the City of
Mexico, to a ma who had asked him q
question at the Albany hotel, Denver,
in words which carried SO slight an
English accent that one could not guess
whether he were a native OF Great
Britain or BostOu.
THE stuff tnat 1 dig out is this, - he
continued, picking up package which
lay near where his arm rested on the
clerks desk. He unfolded the paper
and brought to view a cube of yellow
isb chalky su bstance that was sapon-
aceous to the touch and nearly as light
al air.
"Take it over near the light and
look at it, said Mr.. Bledsoe, land
tell me what it is."
The person addressed, according to
the Denver Post, was much interested
and did SO. Uuder the stronger
light, the smooth surface seemed full
of infinitesimal pores. One face of the
surface until it had taken fine
polish.
st looks like meerscbsum, was!the
verdict of the Denver man.
"That's what 1 call it-Mexican
meerschaum," said Mr.. Bledsoe,
smiling, land If anybody cen distin-
guish between that stuff aud the me-
terial of which the expensive tobacco
pipes are made, I'll give him a half
interest in my mine, or quarry, or
Whatever you call it. I'm on my way
to my home in England. I've only
sojourned in Mexico for the past nine
months"-he added psrentheti
cally-''But L shall return
shortly ready to develop my meer-
schaum vein. All need is the capital
and L know I'll not have to show that
company formed and plenty of stock
Sold"
"But do you think it is the genuine
meerschsum?'' the discoverer was
asked.
Eyes, I am certain that this is the
real thing; in fact, L believe that the
only resl, compact, extensive body of
this material in existen nee is that which
L have found.
You see," Mr.. Bledsoe proceeded,
| "most of the meerschRum heretofore
| used has been found in Asia Minor,
particularly in the plains of Eski
Sheh, Ehere it appears in small Jumps
or nodules imbedded in layers
s found clay Y. sm msn . I0suiss here
and there, and are gouged oat of the
clay by the natives.
Nov. what do you think when tell
you that in my quarry, as 1 call it.
| there is vein of this stuff-just like
| that you have in your haud-a vein
| five feet in depth and extending, horiz-
ontally, goodness knows how far
But how did you discover this ledge
and where?" asked his excited listener.
shrewd .smile, 81 don't care to tell
very much about that part of 1t just
DOW, but can cay this much, the loca-
tion is in Coahuila, on the banks of
| Q little dry arroyo called 'El Lobo, q
watercourse ttas runs right down
through . nearly level plain.
"The way l came to discover 1t was
of the country last June and 1 lost my
way. l have q habit Of riding horse
back whenever I can, in taking notes
on a country, and 1 had followed thie
watercourse for several miles, trottinR
along q cattle trail. hoping every
minute to come in sight of some kind
| of ranch.
ABOUT O'Clock in the afternoon 1
became SO thirsty that l picketed my
horse and went down to the bottom Of
the gulch distance of some thirty
feet; to see If there was not some
water underneath the willows that
| grew there.
| II found a small puddle of water and
as PUT my hands down on the brink
when 1 bent my head forward t,
drink, my fugers came in contact with
the singular, soapy substance you see
| here.
"Only foot or so of the ledge was
exposed and the Willows overhung that.
1 took out my penknife and chopped
out q small chunk of it, merely out of
idle curiosity, but when 1 had look
at it and found how light and compact
it was and at the same time porous,
opened my eyes, marked the place and
dete' mined to come back.
"Well, to make the story short,
did return and this time With a spade
found the depth of the stratum wa
five feet and that vas enough. l toof
out few more specimens, took the
initiatory steps for obtaining conces
sion from the government, and here
am pushing the proposition to perfec
tion.'i|
well, SIR" said the Denver man
giving the satiny cube farewell pat
81 believe this will make you rich"
81 know it WILL" said Mr.. Bledso
81 positively know it -