Born—July 11, 1882 Died—April 28, 1946 COPYRIGHT MCMLI BY CHARLIE L. WHITE & JIM WHITE, JR. GENUINE·CURTEICH·CHICAGO C. T. PHOTO-PLATING CREATION COPYRIGHT MCMLI BY CHARLIE L. WHITE & JIM WHITE, JR. GENUINE·CURTEICH·CHICAGO C. T. PHOTO-PLATING CREATION...

Bats!... millions of black little mammals drifting along the horizon and seeming to fuse into the hazy clouds of a New Mexico sunset! That was the spectacle which led Jim White, back at the turn of the century, to become interested in the colossal phenomenon designated by Act of Congress as Carlsbad Caverns National Park. If you could ask him about it today, Jim’s eyes would probably turn inward as he’d muse and remember. “I thought it was a volcano—but then I’d never seen one. For that matter,

Jim White kept his counsel, waited a couple of days for the opportunity, then gathered together several coils of rope, a kerosene lantern, some wire and a hand-axe. “I got back to the cave about mid-afternoon. You know the opening faces West, and the sun was in the right place to shine down into it. There was enough light so I could see the bottom of the shaft. Off to the right I could see the opening of a huge tunnel, and my imagination started running ahead of me. Where would that tunnel lead?

At the Lucas X-X-X Ranch there was a Mexican boy about fifteen years old who worked steadily and said little. He couldn’t speak much English, and the cowboys were not gifted with much Spanish. Jim White never did know the boy’s real name or what became of him finally, but during those days called the young Mexican, as did the others, the “Kid”. One day, the Kid called the exploring White aside and overcame language difficulties enough to offer his company on that risky trip into the cave! Jim ac

Jim White’s first descent into the cave was in 1901. During the next few years he was unable to convince anyone of the attractions of the cave sufficiently to have them pay much attention to its beauty. But as early as 1903 interest developed in the guano known to be there. In that year Abijah Long filed a placer mining claim to guano and other mineral rights for twenty acres around the entrance to the caverns. This claim is recorded in the Eddy County Mining Records. Again in 1908, and later in

Shortly after the favorable Holley survey was completed, Mr. Richard F. Burges, a prominent El Paso attorney, made a visit to the caverns and was taken through by Jim White. He, too, was greatly impressed with the scenic beauties and the majestic grandeur found here and he began strenuously to exert every effort to bring attention to the cave. He had caught Jim’s enthusiasm for the project and Mr. Burges’ considerable influence, both locally and nationally, soon had effect. He was instrumental i

By 1927 Jim White had begun to see his fondest dreams materialize—those dreams about showing to the world what was to become Carlsbad Caverns National Park. People from literally all over the world were hearing of it, and were arriving in crowds. Early that summer the Government appointed a resident custodian to administer the Monument. During the next two years tourist facilities, equipment and improvements moved so fast it was hard for Jim to keep up with the progress. Approximately three mile