Navajo
Indian sheep herder was seen to buy $125 worth of turquoise in a few
minutes' time at a trading store after disposing of some $300 or $400
worth of wool to the trader. It is said that the Indians still obtain
turquoise either from localities known only to themselves or from
well-known mines either not now in operation or under guard.
Many
of the turquoise deposits of the Southwest have been worked
intermittently and on a rather small scale. A few, however, have been
extensively developed, and some have been operated continuously for a
period of years. During some years large outputs have come from a few
mines, and in other years many deposits have contributed to the
production. In recent years turquoise matrix has been in demand, and
large quantities have been mined, resulting in an overproduction.
Consequently the demand is at present limited and many mines are closed
down. In 1909 over 17 tons of turquoise matrix and turquoise were
produced, in 1910 nearly 8-1/2 tons, and in 1911 a little over 2 tons.
In 19C9 the production came from Mineral Park, Ariz., Cottonwood, San
Bernardino County, Cal.; La Jara, Colo.; Esmeralda, Nye, Lincoln, and
Lyon counties, Nev.; Cerrillos, little Burro Mountains, and Hachita, N.
Mex. In 1911, turquoise was produced only in the Little Burro Mountains
and Cerrillos regions, N. Mex.; Mineral Park, Ariz.; and Esmeralda
County, Nev. Of the total production of turquoise and turquoise matrix
in 1911 probably not over 10 to 15 pounds was the best selected pure
blue gem.
NEW MEXICO.
There are two groups of turquoise deposits in the Cerrillos region— one around Mount Chalchihuitl, 2-1/2 miles
east of north of Cerrillos, and the other in Turquoise Hill, about 6
miles east of nortli of Cerrillos. Mount Chalchihuitl is a small hill
lying to the south of east of Grand Central Mountain, of which it may
be considered a foothill. It rises some 200 feet above the valleys on
its east and west, with moderately steep slopes broken here and there
by excavations. Openings for turquoise have been made on the summit and
on the northwest, the southeast, the west, and the south sides of Mount
Chalchihuitl. Turquoise has been found at several other localities in
the neighborhood, and among these are the mines of Michael ONeil, about
three-fourths of a mile southeast of Mount Chalchihuitl, and of A. B.
Renehan, about half a mile west of north of Mount Chalchihuitl. Ancient
workings were found around each of these deposits and, in most of them,
exceed in amount the work done in recent times.
The
workings on Mount Chalchihuitl are historic and there are evidences
that the deposits were operated both by Indians or other ancient people
and under Spanish rule. Rather extended prospecting in modern times
failed to discover any large deposits of good turquoise. In a paper "on
the Chalchihuitl of the Mexicans" * Blake describes the extent and
apparent age of the workings on Mount Chalchichuitl and the occurrence
of the turquoise. The principal ancient working is described as:
An
immense pit with precipitous sides of ani^ular rock projecting in
crags, which sustain a growth of pines and shrubs in the fissures. On
one side the rocks tpwer
i Blake, W. P., Am. Jour. Sci., 2d ser., vol. 25,1858, pp. 227-232.
