El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-08-26
Continued From Page One.)

veinletS derived. it is thought, from the
eXcrements Of bats. rats, etc, as the
cave afforded indisputable evidence OF
having been used by these creature:
for many years"
Caracristi's Report.
C. T T. Caracristi, mining geologiSt
a high authority on economic geology
has made an examination and report or
the nitrate deposits on the Mexican
side of the Rio Grande opposite the
deposits of Brewster and Preside coun-
ties, Texas. for governor Enrique c
Creel on the Orientales ranch owned
by him, a little west and south OF La
jitas, Tex. and 80 miles south OF
Preside del Norte. The products ex-
posed on the Texas side below Shafter,'
said Mr.. Caracristi, follow what ap-
pears to be a volcanic silt south of q
dyke that has q course southeast and
northwest. There is nitrate of sodium
and nitrate of potassium, and calcium
nitrates associated with volcanic silt
that lies south of the dyke at a dis
ance of so to $50 yards. The same sub
stance is likely to be found in the
sandstone of the upper Cretaceous and
Laramie beds Also there is found on
the Orientales ranch. belonging to
Creel. a deposit of calcium phosphate
running from 80 to 60 percent of phos-
phoric acid.
Mexican Deposits.
THE nitrate is also found on the
ranch known as La Consolation" at
the foot of Sierra Rica, chihuahua,
which is the same deposit as is found
on the Texas side.
These nitrates " ere discovered. not
by human agency. but by the cattle
that use it. the same as the salt ticks
were discovered and used by the deer.
THE nitrate material is easily leach
ed the same as the "caliche' of the
desert of TERRA Paca in Chile, South
America. It carries from eight to %
percent of sodium, potassium and CAL
cium nitrate. Owing to the fact that
the total rainfall of that region is only
nine Inches a year. and the evapora-
ton is Il quarter Of an inch every "a
hours during the dry season. the nitrate
could be easily separated from its as
sociate minerals by teaching and evap-
Grating, by exposing it TO the suns
rays in open tanks. that could be made
10 cover many acres at a very small
cost This is the process used in
Chile.
Water Plentiful There
Ample water is found near some of
these deposits for teaching purposes
The only objection that might be offer
that 1t carries from one and a half to
three percent mineral substances In
solution.
For the process Of separating the
nitrate. / might call attention to nv
publication by the bureau Of American
republics, United States department of
state entitled, Nitrate in Columbia and
South America in 1894
Both of the nitrate deposits I have
mentioned belong to the owners of the
land, the same as would deposits of oil
ana coal, and are not denouncable un-
Ger the Mexican mining law
Discovery of Nitrate.
The nitrate industry of the world
continued Mr.. .'Caracristi, las it exists
today, was started by Col. North. of
England. who was known as The nj
trafe king of the world 1t was he who
organized the company that began and
continued the development of the nj
trate beds CT Chile The company CON
structed railroads, established an in
bank and invested s15O.OOO.-
600 in Chile. This nitrate territory at
one time belonged to Peru, and the dis
covery of nitrate brought about the
war between Chile and Peru, as a result
OF which, this territory was ceded to
Chile.
The present available nitrate supply
Of South America is conservativeIy es-
timated as capable OF lasting for a pc
Rod of 20 years only
High Priced Commodity.
THE price OF this product has BEEN
Increasing from year to year and it
has reached so high a point already.
that nitrate of potash is being pro
duced extraordinarily in Belgium. Nor
way, Sweden and other countries, from
ri.
continue, from the fact that the de-
oreasing coal supply CT Europe will so
greatly enhance the value OF wate~
power that it will TO longer he eco
nOmic, but the industry of artificial
Will be transferred to the
mountain range of. the
southern states. where there is untold
water power that can be cheaply de-
veloped.
VIII always Re Vrlpab!c
The reason why nitrate will always
continue be be Of value. is due tn the
fact that the Caucasian race that dom
mates the world. derives and maintains
its existence from nitrocenous foods.
and these can only be had by the use
Of nitrate as component part of the
fertilizers. When we consider tie vast
ness Of our corn and wheat fields and
the fact that these fields. are yearIg
becoming exhausted, and the conse-
quent need of fertilizers. we NAV well
appreciate that the demand for nj
trates will Increase from year to year.
Now if the deposits of tie Rio
Grande valley are continuous. they NAV
be operated in successful competition
with either the Chilean deposits or ;he
article.
1T is impossible n the present time
10 state the extent of these Texan and
Mexican deposits as no DEVELOPMENT
has been done. Previous TO the dis.
ccverv Of the Chilean Ideposits. all Of
the nitrates were the product of caves
an Industry that has long been aban-
Toned. Five years ago I went to Nor
way TO investigate the nitrate indus
tTy. and the Manufacturer Record
published my report
WORK HAS STARTED on
THE GRANITE GAP MINES
General manager John F. Bowling
Of the Granite Gap Mining con,oanv