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PRECIOUS STONES.
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as
to obtain the Y was made possible through a split turquoise veinlet,
and shows the possibilities or turquoise matrix in yielding
occasionally appropriate souvenir gems.
The
principal work of the Southwest Turquoise Company has been on the
Ithaca turquoise claim on the steep eastern rough slope of Ithaca Peak.
The mountain side has been stripped in a northwest-southeast direction
for about 75 feet for the face of an open cut. It is probable that all
the rock will be quarried and the turquoise cobbed out as at the other
mines, though up to the present the work has been directed toward
certain richer portions of the working face. The turquoise occurs in
seams in the decomposed silicified quartz porphyry. Certain well-marked
seams or veinlets had a strike north of east with a nearly vertical
dip, while others crossed these at various angles. W. J- Tarr,
superintendent of the mine, stated that the cross seams were richest at
the crossing of the main seams. Quartz veinlets cut the rock in
different directions, and some carry patches of turquoise. In some of
the quartz seams small crystals of quartz with a rough comb structure
occur. Pyrite was seen along certain veinlets which were much stained
with limonite by its weathering. The turquoise is often
greenish near the rusted pyrite. The grade of turquoise obtained is
much the same as at several of the other mines. There is considerable
soft, pale-colored turquoise besides the better grades.
James
Uncapher, of Mineral Park, owns the Ithaca claim extending N. 70° W.
over the top of Ithaca Peak. No extensive mining has been done on this
claim, though good turquoise has been obtained from the several
prospect openings. The turquoise is associated with both decomposed
silicified quartz and granite porphyry. Turquoise has been exposed at
three places on the claim, and indications are found at other places.
At the prospect at the west end of the summit of Ithaca Peak turquoise
seams and vainlets are plentiful. Quartz seams, both alone and with
turquoise, also cut the rock in various directions, while brown
limonite stains are prominent in many of the gem and quartz veinlets.
Only small veinlets have been left exposed, though large ones are
reported to have been found during the prospecting work. The color of
the turquoise at this prospect seems to be good, and with the brown
stained quartz furnishes a good matrix stone. The deposit is well
located for quarrying on a large scale, with facilities for disposing
of the waste.
On
the north side of Ithaca Peak, on the Ithaca claim, turquoise has been
found over an area of about 50 by 100 feet in the rock outcrops and in
a few small test pits. Still farther down the mountain side and below
the Los Angeles Gem Company's mine, two cuts with smaller openings have
been made for turquoise. The latter has also been found in the rock
outcrops close to the pits. The rock is cut by many quartz veinlets at
this point, and some of these veinlets trend toward the workings of the
Arizona and Aztec companies higher up the mountain. The turquoise
exposed in the openings occurs in seams or veinlets and in irregular
splotches of variable size; the color of part of it appeared to be good.
The
claims of the Mineral Park Turquoise Mining Company are over a mile
west of Ithaca Peak, near the summit of a rough ridge. Three openings
have been made by W. J. Wilson, manager of the company. The rock is decomposed, silicified granite porphyry, cut in places by
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