turquoise
lead, so that without the aid of a guide it was difficult to determine
at what places turquoise had been found. About a dozen shafts and a
large number of prospect pits and cuts had been made over a belt of
country about 250 feet wide. Some of the shafts were 40 to 50 feet deep
and around them were open cuts. At one of these a track for a mine car
had been laid through the cut to a platform over the shaft to expedite
the removal of rock. The turquoise is associated with decomposed rock
quite similar in appearance to that on Mount Chalchihuitl. The rock is
porous white to gray, and part is stained with iron oxides. Less
altered phases are gray or drab, and some that has suffered little
weathering is dark speckled gray. The tur-
q
uoise occurs in
seams, veinlets, and segregations, as in the other deposits of this
region. Some good pure blue gem has been found as well as considerable
good matrix associated with brown limonite iron stains. Turquoise has
been worked intermittently at this mine during the last few years, but
little w.as done in 1911. Oxidized copper ores were found in the
workings of the north end of the O'Neil mine.
At
A. B. Renehan's claim several pits, shafts, and open cuts had been
made. Some of these were in part ancient workings. The latest work
consists of an open cut about 75 feet long, 3 feet to 25 feet deep, and
6 feet wide. The rock formation is quite similar to that around Mount
Chalchihuitl. The badly decomposed rock is nearly white and porous and
less altered phases are bluish-gray. Turquoise is found in seams and
veinlets in the decomposed rock. Some very good blue turquoise is
reported to have been found. The claim was worked in a small way during
1911, but no turquoise was sold.
Turquoise
Hill is a low elbow-shaped ridge rising from 100 to 300 feet above the
plains northeast of the Cerrillos Hills. It has four summits—a main
summit and others, about 250 yards S. 25° E., about 300 yards west, and
about 500 yards S. 75° W., respectively. The elevation of the main hill
is about 6,400 feet above sea level. The hills are well rounded and
slope gradually into the plains. Rock outcrops are not prominent, but
the surface is covered with angular blocks and small fragments of rock,
among which vegetation has a slight foothold. Like the plains, the
hills are covered with only a light crop of desert grass, a little
sagebrush, cactus, and a few scattered pine trees of stunted growth.
The nearest water is Alamo Creek, about 2 miles north of Turquoise
Hill, and water for camp use is hauled from Bonanza along this creek.
The principal turquoise deposits have been found in the three lower
hills, but a little turquoise has been found on the northeast side of
the main hill near the bottom. There were rather extensive ancient
workings over the best deposits and in some places the greater part of
the turquoise had been removed.
The
famous mine of the American Turquoise Co., often called the "Tiffany
mine" though not owned by Tiffany & Co., is located in the
southeast hill. Other claims have been located around this mine, but
the quantity of turquoise found has been limited. The old Castilian
mine is located on the westernmost hill, and around it numerous claims
have been located, accompanied by rather extensive prospecting. The
openings on the third hill, lying north of east of this, are small and
may be considered a part of those surrounding the Castilian mine. The
American Turquoise Co. has six claims including those composing the
Tiffany mine and part of the Castilian mine.
