and
tunnels to the north of the main workings and at different points along
the ledge. In some of these openings the lepidolite was more coarsely
crystallized though less plentiful than in those to the south, and both
gem tourmaline and kunzite were found. Tourmaline occurs in coarse pink
crystals in portions of the vein. In places these crystals have badly
altered to a soft substance resembling pink talc or kaolin in feeling
and consistency. This is doubtless the halloysite clay described by G.
A. Waring" in his paper on the pegmatite veins of Pala, San Diego
County. The occurrence of lepidolite in the pegmatite is quite
irregular. In places the ledge has ordinary pegmatite at the top,
called "capping," and containing much black tourmaline in crystals
through it. The lithia and gem minerals occur in large pockets or
masses scattered irregularly through the pegmatite. Defunct and
unaltered tourmaline and kunzite occur associated with or near masses
of lepidolite. In these places the feldspar and other minerals occur in
large crystals or masses, and graphic pegmatite is common. Crystals of
feldspar 6 and 8 feet long were seen in one of the gem-bearing
portions. The lower portion of the pegmatite is thought to be barren
and is finer grained than the upper.
Tourmaline Queen mine.—The
Tourmaline Queen mine lies near the top on the east side of the same
mountain as the Stewart mine, and about one-half mile northwest of it.
Beautiful pink tourmaline, green in some portions, has been obtained at
this mine, along with the feldspars, lepidolite, black tourmaline,
garnets, etc. The main ledge at this mine is 10 to 15 feet thick,
though at the place opened it appeared to be only a foot or two thick.
The principal work consists of two open cuts of but moderate size.
Pala Chief mine.—The
Pala Chief mine is nearly 1 mile east of the Stewart mine, near the top
of a knob on the opposite side of a valley. The pegmatite ledge at this
mine is from 15 to 20 feet thick, apparently lying on and about
parallel with the surface of the hill. It lias been worked by an open
cut about 100 yards long and from 6 to 25 feet deep in a direction
north of west and south of east. The pegmatite contains considerable
black tourmaline and graphic granite through it. The gem-bearing
portions or pockets contain lepidolite. Both kunzite and tourmaline are
found in some of the pockets, though the openings at the western end of
the cut have yielded more tourmaline than kunzite. A large part of the
kunzite of southern California has been obtained from this mine.
Caterina mine.—The
Caterina mine 'is located at the foot and on the south side of Hiriart
Mountain, about 2-1/2 miles north of east of Pala. There is a large
pegmatite ledge at this mine striking in a northerly direction with a
dip of about 30° W. The lower part of the ledge consists of a
fine-banded quartz-garnet rock. The principal work consists of an open
cut with an incline and drift from it. A large gem-bearing pocket, 6 or
8 feet thick and followed down about 30 feet on the incline, has been
opened. At one place near the bottom the pocket was pinched down by a
mass of crystal quartz to a thickness of 4 feet, but opened out below
it. The pocket contains much crystal quartz, pink clay, and partly
decomposed spodumene crystals. The spodumene crystals were of large
size, and have decomposed to
a American Geologist, June, 1905.
