El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-26
THAT TEXAS
QUICKSILVER
A Report from the Geolgi-
cal Survey Expert.
1T is QUITE UNUSUAL
For the Government To Report OF
Commercial Propositions, and
the Report Probably Indicates
More Than Its Face Implies.

The discovery of quicksilver in Tex
as in paying quantities is a matter
taken up at some length in the report
of the United States geological sur
vey. which has just been sent to the
printer, and which will appear shortly
The report has been edited by Mr..
Edward Parker. an admitted authority
on mineral deposits. Taking into
consideration the well-known conser-
vatism of government scientists in re-
porting on matters which may be de-
veloped commercially. the reference
in the report by Mr.. Parker to the
Texas field is taken to indicate much
more than appears in his words In
his general introduction to the report
AIT. Parker says:
THE production of quicksilver in the
United States in 1899 amounted to 80
454 TASKS of 1871 pounds. valued at
sl.452 .745. against 81 .092 TASKS. val
ued at 81 1SS.627 in 1898. The amount
of quicksilver produced in 1899 was
less than in 1895. or 1898. while the
value exceeded that of any year since
1882. when the product was 52.732
TASKS. or about 30 per cent more than
in 1899. The value of the 30. 49, TASKS
produced in 1892 was 81. 4S7 .042. only
S24.297 Tor less than 21A per cent?
more than that of the &c. 454 TASKS pro-
duced in 1899. The past year was one
of steadily advancing prices from jan
uary l to December 81. At the close
of the year the price for local delivery
was $3.50 and for export s47 per
flask. These were the highest prices
obtained since 1890.
THE most interesting feature of the
year. apart from the notable increase
in value was the development of the
cinnabar deposits in Brewster county.
Tex. which resulted in n production
- -. 8 -tvr,s. ~<Tr-
1000. TASKS.
In taking up the Texas deposits Mr..
Parker gives the credit for the origi-
nal discovery to Prof. William p.
Blake. who read paper setting forth
the facts in relation to the Texas field
before society of scientific men in
1895. Taking the field up himself. Mr..
Parker says:
Parker's Description.
THE deposits are located in Brew
ster county. about siXty-eight miles in
direct line southwest from the sta
tion of Marathon on the Southern Pa |
cific railroad. The country is sparsely |
populated and presents few attractions |
for immigrants apart from the mineral |
prospects.
Scarcity of fuel and water. as we'll
as the distance from transportation.
We're pointed out by Prof. Blake as
difficulties in the way of working the
deposits and concentrating or smelt-
ing the ore. and to these difficulties is
probably due the length of time five
years. which has elapsed since the de-
posts were located and before any
marketable product was obtained.
H. W. Turner of the United States
geological survey visited the region
(now termed the Terlingua quicksilver
mining district. in the spring of the
present year $4,000. Mr.. Turner also
notes the difficulties presented in the
scarcity of wood and water. The chief
firewood at present is mesquite. but
even this is scarce. and is not suitable
for mine timbering. At the time of
Mr.. Turner's visit considerable
amount of development work had
been done. and the ore extracted had
y'e1ded about 1000 TASKS of quicksilver.
All of this ore had come from surface
workings or shallow shafts. and the
prospecting work had not been carried
far enough along to determine the
depth of the workable ore bodies. Mr..
Turner states. however. that as the
limestone in which the cinnabar &C.
ours is at this point at least 1000 feet
in thickness and as the cinnabar IN
comes from a source be-
meath the limestone IL is more than
probable that the ore bodies will be
found to depth equal to the thickness
Of the limestone. with a good chance
Of extending still deeper
Cinnabar Area Limited
The cinnabar mines lie in a COM 7
limited area. four miles long
by two wide. though IL is probable that
the mineraliZed area will be found to
extend a mile farther both ways. The
general trend of the main lodes is in g
an easterly and westerly direction The J.
limestone of this district contains 3
numerous veins composed of caIcite
and oxide of iron. The cinnabar &C.
.urs in these veins as stringers or
pockets. many of the veins showing Q
10 trace of mercury. and then when
.innabar is present IL often can not
DO seen until the rock is broken. owing
O the discolored weathering of the
surface.
Among the mines which are now q
,eing worked are the Lindheim and O.
Devices. owned by Louis Lindheim and II
DELL Devices. of Del Rio: the Mariposa q
belonging to Normand and Galley. of u
the California. owned by a u
california company. and the Excelsior
'wned by j. j. Hess. of Marathon At
he time of Mr.. Turner's visit the ore
vas being retorted at two points. At
me piece only a single retort was u
worked. and at the other place there q
we're four. Only the high-grade ore "
vas being retorted. Since that time IL
furnace has been constructed by the e
larfa and Mariposa Mining company ID
nd. in Mr.. Turner's opinion. the out D
mt for 1900 will be considerably more 81
han that of 1899 u