El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-31
MINING NEWS
Description Of Marble Quar-
ries Found in the Por-
'trillos Mountains.
(By L. H. Davis.)

A recent visit to the Potrillos, in
Little Colt Mountains, which rise from
the desert plains like an island. some
50 miles west of FL Paso. in southern
New Mexico. was a revelation % me,
for saw remarkably extensive ne
posits of marbles of various grades and
cOlOrs, which, if developed, as proposed
by the owners, will be of considerable
economic value to the southwest Is
peeialy TO Ell Paso.
The nearest railroad station IS called
Portrillo, Just SO miles west Of IL Paso
over the Ell Paso & Southwestern rail-
road. Thence it is three miles 0rth to
the first outcrop OF the marble, IN the
extreme southeastern end of The main
ridge of the PortrillO mountains.
Gated on these deposits, Of $50 acres
each, making total Of not quite 1000
acres
Mountains Rich in Resources.
The mountains of southern New Mex
leo and Of the Trans-Pecos country are
wonderfully prolific in their economic
resources, non-metalic and metallic, to
an extent perhaps scarcely realized by
the inhabitants Of FL Paso and the
southwest OF marble and metamor-
phosed limestone, -Iirestones there are
a great quantity and variety. There
are five or six such deposits within a
hundred miles of this city, but all OF
them I believe that those Of the Por-
trillos are the most valuable.
Many Varieties of Marble.
Now, when it is stated that nearly all
varieties of marble are found in the
different parts of the Portrillo noun
tains, some idea can be formed of the
value of this remarkable discovery.
These six placer claims have been To-
Gated to cover the visible deposit on
both sides Of the eastern range.
Beginning at the southeastern end of
the range, where it slopes into the plain
q q nil n e
station, is the Amsterdam claim, with
a gray ground with white zigzag
stripes running through il. Adjoining
the Amsterdam on the north is the
Historian, containing a white marble.
with q rose tint running through il.
Adjoining the latter on the northwest
is the Baton. in which is q butte con-
tanning beautiful solid gray marble,
gray granite. also shell or fire fossil
ferrous marble. North of these is a vein
OF onyx on a neighboring hill, twenty
feet wide and $50 long. East of the
Baton lies the Fanbelle, covering the
eastern slope of the range through
which runs a massive stratum of IN
known thickness of beautiful white
marble. At one place an opening has
been made exposing some 25 feet wide
and q vertical thickness of twelve feet
of massive white marble, some of which
is like Parian marble. On the eastern
slope of the mountain the stratum of
white marble appears to be over so feet
in thickness, as exposed. with proba-
biity of being thicker The outcrop OF
this stratum can be traced along the
mountain side three quarters of a mile
from south to north. North of the Fan
belle is the Hardy claim on which is
a finer grained white marble, and on
the north end dark notified Numidian
marble, motled with red, light blue and
grey, the beauty of which is indescrib-
able. West of the Hardy, covering the
western slope Of the hills is the Dun
can claim, on which is found solid yell
low and motley blue and white mar.
BILE.
All these marble deposits are massive,
and comparatively unfractured and un-
faulted and when quarries are ade-
quately opened, stones of largest COM
mercial dimensions can be quarried
suitable for monumental, ornamental
and building purposes.
The Owners.
The locatOrs of these claims are r. I
3. Huston, capitalist of Wharton. Tex !
F. J. Hardy of FL Campo. Tex, pres
dent of the Hardy and Markham oil I
fields Co, L. B. Taylor. cashier of the 4
National Bank and others. 1
among whom are prominent people OF !
NeW York. Mr.. c. z. Baton, president !