exception only of the few days needed for repairs at the mill. The ore in the lower level is reported much richer than usual, and many tons of it have been worked. From information received, I conclude that the yield of this mine in gold during the year has been somewhat larger than last year, but official information, for which I have applied, has not yet come to hand. There are still various schemes spoken of for the purpose of effecting a reduction in the cost of handling and crushing the ore. The plan of conducting water from the Hassyampa River to the mine appears to have been dropped, and, in conformity with the prevailing idea of the times in regard to cheap transportation, a narrow-gauge railroad from the mines to a point on the Gila River, and a transfer of the mill from Wickenburgh, to that point is now spoken of. I am not familiar with the distance from the mines to the nearest point on the Gila, nor with the peculiarities of the route, but judging of what can be seen of the country to the west from the road between Wickenburgh and Phenix, I should think the undertaking to be not only feasible, but even easy of accomplishment, at a moderate cost. It is highly probable that the road can be laid over an almost level mesa for nearly the entire distance, and there will.certainly be no mountains to cross. An important discovery has been announced as having taken place in the Weaver district. This is the Sexton lode, a vein which is considered almost as valuable as the Vulture. No thorough test of the vein has, however, as yet been made, and the value of the ledge is so far only deduced from its size on the surface, and a test made of several tons at the Vulture Mill. The placer-mining interest in Central Arizona has, according to all accounts, suffered severely from the protracted drought, and no more gold has been extracted in this manner than during the preceding year, which was also remarkable for an extraordinary scarcity of water. Hualpai or Sacramento district, which, it will be remembered, was favorably spoken of in last year's report as a district in which mines might be profitably worked at the present time, has greatly gained in importance by new discoveries and the developments made during the year. While in the fall of 1870 there were not a dozen white men in the district, there are now nearly five hundred men reported to be at work there. A great many new discoveries have, of course, been made, the Cerbat Range having been prospected north and south of the veins Most of the later diswhich are mentioned in last year's report. coveries carry argentiferous-lead ores, like those described in my last report; but there have also been located several veins which carry amalgamating-silver ores, and at least one lode, the Vanderbilt, which carries a heavy percentage of gold. The work done during the year has principally been prospecting, and on many claims shafts of from 15 to 60 feet have been sunk, and selected lots of ore have been shipped to San Francisco for experiment. Several of these shipments have given very flattering returns. Mineral Park and Parkerville are two new settlements in the district, in which a large number of veins have been discovered. In fact, the whole Cerbat Range seems to be filled with veins from its southern to its northern extremity. A mill is reported in the course of erection, and Mr. W. J. Fee, an intelligent gentleman, who was the first to enter the district after the abandonment of the old Sacramento district in 1866, is about erecting a smelting-furnace. From personal reports of my deputy, Mr. Eilers, concerning the ores of the Cerbat Range, it is evi dent to me that the smelting process is the one for which they are best. adapted. There is no doubt that another year will witness important results of mining in this district. Concerning the production of gold and silver in the Hualpai mining district, Mojave County, Arizona, for the year ending December 31, 1871, C. A. Luke reports as follows: There is one steam 5-stamp mill in the district, located at Silver Park, and owned by Meacham and Hardy. This mill is not fully completed, but will be soon. The ore's are at present shipped to San Francisco, and yield from $200 to $800 per ton. Over 100 tons have been shipped. One shipment of 20 tons yielded $800 per ton. Exhibit of producing mines in Castle Dome mining district, Yuma County, Arizona, on the 1st day of January, 1872. Reported by George Tyng. Many other claims not worked. Deepest shaft in the district is on the Castle Dome mine-160 feet-showing much ore. Mexican laborers. Hoisting all' done by hand-windlass. Whims, &c., to be erected from proceeds of ore now en route to San Francisco and Truckee. Freights from Colorado River near mines to San Francisco, $12.50, coin, per ton. Ore assays (in bulk) 50 per cent. to 65 per cent. lead, 7 ounces to 182 ounces silver per ton. Galena-ores average 60 per cent. lead, 35 ounces silver, and sell for $60 coin, about. The Castle Dome district has been organized since 1863; worked only by prospectors without capital until October, 1870. Not $300 invested January 1, 1872, in buildings or other permanent improvements. Parties now working are cautious, and work no lodes that do not pay their way from the top down. In the Castle Dome district and about Gila City mining has been carried on most of the time during the year. From the former locality the lead-ores are shipped to San Francisco, and at the latter the capacity of the stamp-mill for working the gold-ores is reported to have been increased. It is also reported that a stamp-mill is being erected by Mr. Booger, near La Paz, to work the ores from the Constantia, a vein which is described in my last report. On the whole, the immediate prospects for mining in Arizona are more favorable at the close of 1871 than the year before. CHAPTER VII NEW MEXICO. My limited means have not enabled me to visit this Territory during the year, or even to keep a paid agent there. For the information I have received from that quarter I am principally indebted to persons residing there, who take sufficient interest in the mining resources of the country to undertake the trouble of communicating information gratuitously. Among these, thanks are principally due to Mr. R. B. Willison, surveyor-general of the Territory, Dr. Hilgert, Messrs. M. Bloomfield, Eugene Goulding, and A. H. Morehead. In the Moreno mines the placers have been worked with moderate success during most of the year, as will appear from the following statement. The Aztec mine has also been worked, and produced bullion. The Montezuma has only been prospected, and the mill has remained idle: Exhibit of producing mines in Moreno mining district, Colfax County, New Mexico, on January 1, 1872. Reported by M. Bloomfield. REMARKS.-Aztec mine idle since October, on account of water in mine. Montezuma Mill idle; but twenty H. Ex. 211——————22 five or thirty miners at work the whole year developing a lead of 30 inches of quartz, which will probably pay from $15 to $20 per ton. Chester Mill ran several weeks in May and June, but failed to pay expenses. A company had been formed in January, 1872, to work the Moreno Creek by machinery, and it is thought that they will succeed beyond doubt. There are some five or six miles of good mining ground, which have been secured by this company, and which they will divide to run about three claims to the mile. The plan is to employ steam-shovels to dig and hoist the dirt; the dirt to be washed on the surface, or rather in sluices, some 8 or 10 feet above the surface of the ground. This does away with the inconvenience occasioned by the slight grade of this creek, which is only about one in one hundred. The ground has heretofore been worked entirely by hand and wheelbarrows, a process which is expensive and slow. This creek averages about 50 cents or 15 grains of gold to the cubic yard. The company calculate they can work the ground for 25 cents the cubic yard, and work 400 yards per day. Their enterprise seems entirely practicable, and may be the means of increasing the production of gold by $300,000 per year. The general prospects of the district are good, owing to the heavy snows of last winter. From Silver City I am informed that the district still suffers on account of a lack of capital invested in the mines. Still it is reported that about $90,000 worth of silver slabs have been shipped from there since the mines were discovered. Most of this was smelted out by Mexicans in their primitive way. No mills or smelting-works are as yet erected. In July it was reported that about sixty miners were at work here taking out ore from the various silver-lodes. The Sophia lode, owned by the Spring Hill Mining Company, had a shaft 25 feet deep, and showing a splendid vein of rich ore. The vein is from 4 to 5 feet wide. The Reinhart lode, owned by Mr. William Kronig and others, was 8 feet wide at a depth of 16 feet, and very rich ore. The Colfax lode showed 3 feet of good ore at 10 feet in depth. The Great Eastern lode, owned by the Eureka Mining Company, showed a splendid vein of rich ore 4 feet wide. The Abbey lode, and a great many others, showed also good ore. There has been a great drawback on these mines by reason of the miners being compelled to lie idle on account of not even having proper tools to work with. As a general thing they came to the district without means. In January, 1872, there were over three hundred lodes located, some of which have shafts on them of the depth of 60 feet. It is asserted that none of the lodes, by practical tests, produce less than $50 to the ton. The area covered by these silver-lodes is about thirty miles square, and it is believed that these mines will, at some day, whenever capital comes to the country, prove far richer than is now supposed. From Pinos Altos I have no reliable data as yet, beyond a general estimate of the product, which has been small. There has been some activity again in the Organ Mountains during the year, but lack of capital is here also in the way of a speedy development of the mines. Exhibit of producing mines in Organ mining district, Doña Ana County, New Mexico, on January 1, 1872. Reported by A. H. Morehead. INDUSTRY—NEW MEXICO. Exhibit of producing mines in Organ mining district, &c.—Continued. 339 REMARKS.-The Stephenson is the oldest mine, having been discovered about thirty years ago, and worked successfully for about twenty years. Upon the breaking out of the rebellion in 1861 labor was suspended, and since that time but little has been done. Work will begin again shortly, and every indication shows that it will prove remunerative to the owners. There have a great many new discoveries been made within the The locations, however, are in the past six months, but I am unable to give the names of the mines, &c. Organ district. The bullion produced has been extracted by the crude Mexican method. There are no regu. lar smelting-works or mills. |