STEATITE QUARRIES. 
Steatite is a soft, tough, talcose rock 
commonly called soapston© which occurs In massive 
bodies in connection with other metamorphic rocks. 
It was much used by the Indian tribes north of Mexico 
in their arts. It was employed for the manufacture 
of cooking utensils,lamps, tobacco pipes, amulets, 
ornaments, and various missel 1 aneous sculptures. It 
'■‘.H 
has the very desirable quality of resistance to the 
act on of fire and is readily carved and susceptible 
of a high finish. The color when fresh is usually 
a somewhat greenish gray but when polished and sub¬ 
jected to long continued handling it becomes almost 
black, presenting an attractive appearance. 
The aborigines in their search for materials 
capable of serving them in their simple manual arts. 
