Arizona citizen., 1875-03-27
Letter From Col. Hodge.

Col Hodge has ouF thanks for the fol- lowing Interesting letter. descriptive of the present condition and. prospects of the mines in Truman distrietand in the Pata- gonia and Santa Rita rnountains;
 TUcsoN, ,sAIarch 24; 1875.
 EDITORS CITIZEN: My late visit to the santa Rita and Patagonia mountains, was very interesting, pleasant and satisfactory brief account of which may be of some interest to your readers. Leaving out all incidents on the route, l will state that ! first visited the new mining camp or Boyle iston at the Salero hill and mines, in the Truman district. Work is progressing there well under the charge of Col. Boyle, and the openings on every lode worked thus far, show good veins of rich mineral mostly argentiferous galena. The lodes which are numerous, seem to center in and about. SaIero hill, which is a south spur of the Santa Rita mountains. The rock is granite, with some porphyry and occasionally little hornblende. The Sa- lero lode has a northeast and southwest course, and most of the others of which there are twenty or more, run. nearly due east and west. both on the east and, west sides of SalerO hill which is elevated above the surrounding valleys about 1900 feet. The lOdeS are mostly porous quartz black ened or cOlored eithJr with the oxide of manganese or iron. The ores are of two classes, am gamating and smelling, and none that I saw Of the refractory classes so common in Nevada, Colorado or Utah. One lode, the Serena, shows well in both gold and silver, giving by assay Sl51 in gold and SIS in silver per ton. Most of the other lOdeS are rich in SUI DhuretS or salts of silver, and assay well up in the hun dredS.- Several of these lodeS were Work~ ed by the old Jesuit fathers in the past and preceding centuries, and by most lmper- fect.system, were very remuDerative, and by the present perfected system of work ing silver mines, will no. 0Oubt prove eX- ceedingiy, valuable. l challenge an in stance in inc whole mining history of the United States, where at the same depth Of working, so many rich and extensive silver veins have been found within @ like extent of country as may now be seen'.in and around SalGro hill. If it is not push ed to grand success, enriching the pres ent locatorS, it will not be for want of rich mineral, for it is there sure.
 The Trench mine in the Patagonia mountains is a very large and Tich' lode of -argeiiitilerous galena with some car bonate Of lead; iff3tfrgSneSe; fi3. r-snar, c;it- heavy depOsitS of iron ore close by, carry ing ten to twelve dollars of silver per ton. This mine has all the elements of success, it being easy Of access, fine wood and water and all the necessary minerals near at hand for good fiuXeS. The assay of the I number of THE CITIZEN and is no doubt true and reliable. The width of the vein which is solid ore is at q depth of six feet, four inches; at twenty feet, fourteen inches; and at thirty feet, tWenty-two inches, and no doubt a true Assure vein.
 The old "MOwry" mine, now in the possession of the " Patagonia Company" is five miles south of the Trench on the southeast spurs Of the Patagonia noun tainS. The rock is granite and limestone and the indications at the bottom or lower drifts from the main shaft, 260 feet deep, is that the vein matter is running in between granite walls which will no doubt insure it's permanency and make it extremely valuable. II took me nearly four hours tO fully explore this mine with MT. D. A. Bennett, to whom I am under many ob- legations for kindness. The assay of the ore from this mine has already been given in THE CITIZEN. The ores are argentifer- ous galena, carbonate of lead, lead sul- phuretS, iron, manganese, etc., giving all the material for perfect f1uX. Wood and water are abundant. The altitude is over 6 000 feet.
 Directly east of the Patagonia mine, IS the splendid valley Of the Santa Cruz, an elevated plateau, and the finest grazing section l have ever seen in any or the States and Territories. Hundreds of thou sands of horses, cattle, sheep, etc., could be kept here and flttened in Summer or Winter, on the rich gramma grass which covers, the ground like a mat.
 On my return, 1 visited the new. Smith mining district' in the east spurs ot the Santa Rita mountains, which is very promising, embracing both placer diggings and rich gold and silver quartz lodges. A bright prospect is open for the "boys " in this new district Truly yours, etc.
 H. c. HODGE.