Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1880-10-02
yielding ten ounces per ton, to be worth

What will be their computed wealth
when tell you that they vary in depth,
and from to 40 feet i'm thickness, en-
bracing the territory of the "Mat Pals"
beds, and adjacent plains Is miles
around them and IS miles in length.
Two theories are in vogue among the
miners, as to the formation of these de-
pOsits. The first is that all came from
the mouth of the Craten, in the shape of
guSses or fumes, and were scattered by
the winds with the ashes and cinders
over the vast plain. The second (sup-
ported by the views of the writer) is that
this was once an inland lake or sea. and
that its vast bottom of silver bearing
gypsum of white deposits, were thrown
by the heat beneath the earth's crust.
This theory is sustained, first by the
heat furnished by the volcano and vast
lava beds; second by the presence of sea
shells found in assessments shafts;
third by the presence of a series of salt
lakes lying 80 to 40 miles distant to the
north, and deposits of pure salt itself,
found in the lava beds; fourth by crys
talized lime being found 60 feet deep
on the plain near the Cratra, and fifth
by Aboriginal tradition handed down to
us by Spanish history, that the seven
cities of the "Grand Quivera" were sit
uated along the borders of this lake,
which were invaded and captured by the
Spaniard about the sixteenth century as
far up as Santa Fe.
The ruins of some of these Aztec cities
one forty miles to the northwest,
another sixty miles further on in the Ma
zatlan mountains are to this day mOnu-
ments of this traditional history of the
Aztec race. The magnitude of these
ruins temples, public buildings, streets,
viaducts for water, etc.-shOw that they
were once inhabited by from fifty to one
hundred thousands souls, and were the
capitals of once powerful states or tribes,
with all the physical evidences of SUI
periOr race. That silver has been held
in. solution and precipitated from the
water in the form Of chloride or some
salt of silver upon the bottom of this
lake, by chloride of sodium, brought up
by volcanic action, or by electric cur
rents, set in motion by heated lava in
contact with chemical reagents in the
water, and caught up by this vast gyp-
sum ocean bed-and.that with crusher
and lixiviatiOn works it can be separat-
ed at a'nOminal. cost of few dollars
per. ton, is patent to my own mind; and
if this vast silver field proves a success,
upon practical development, / am living
to-day in most wonderful age and in a
most wonderful land. The gold and sill
yer belt Of the Rocky mountains crops
out at Los Placitas, thirty miles north
of Santa Fe, in New Mexico, at Las Ceril-
los, old and new placers, Gallinas, Jicar-
lila white Oak City mountains, NOyal
and White mountains, Guadalupe
mountains; thence to the west side of
the Rio Grande via HillsbOrOugh, Silver
City, to Chichuachua, Durango and San
Louis, POtOsi, in old Mexico, where is
found the largest gold lode on earth, five
hundred feet across the vein, rich in gold
and silver.
Beginning at the north end of this
gold belt, Santa Fe was thrown into
sensation August ID, 1880, by the an
that at Los Placitas, thirty
miles distant, Jesse Martin had pounded
and hammered up some rock, from
which he had obtained free gOld-Out of
which the houses were built-with an
assay from it running Sc, 400 to the ton.
Governor Lew Wallace, just returned;
paced off lead eighty-fOur- steps in
width. Jesse Martin located the town
and streets. The town is built upon
this lode, and its length is not known,
nine thousand feet being already lOcat-
ed. Subsequent assays from $1,000 to
$4,000 per ton were obtained at Santa
Fe, and rocks thrown about the streets
are found at $500 per pound.
Over 100000 is now being expended by
President Grants company in build
ing an aquaduct forty miles from the
.PecOs, to wash out the old and new PAGER
gold hills.
Further south, 16 miles south of Balm
on the Rio Grande, prospecting parties
just in from the Manhattan mountains,
where they found and located an old
Spanish mine Called the Holy Cross
reached by a BurrO trail five miles from
the foot of the summit of the mountain,
in which were growing trees larger than
mans body, have shown me splendid
specimens of galena ores, with assay to-
day in White Oaks of $4,000 silver per
tOn-fOund the remains of 20 old smell
tiers, dug into the debris of one, found
the bones of h uman skeletons Showing
that they had idOubtless been murdered
by Indians while at work., visited the
old Aztec City ruins, found walls of pol
ished stone, of an old temple standing
sixty feet high the wood all rotten and
gone, with other induces, showing that
lit musthave been inhabited by 100000
people, Thirty smiles to the southwest
is situated the ManZanares mining dis
trict, with host of rich mines. One,
the Alexander mine, within mile and
half of the Rio Grande, discovered and
located by the writer in January last for
the company, 1 am informed by Col. w.
p. Mcclure yields $19, 1886 assay in silver
per ton, "a solid SPAR, gaiena, four foot
lode, with streaks of native silver all
through it. Twelve miles to the north
west beyond the Rio Grande on the west
slope of the Los LadrOnes in the Hanson
mining district, claimed to be rich in
black sulphurates, and from which /
have no late reports. Thirty miles to
the southeast are the SOcOrrO and Made
lima mines, in which were obtained as
early as February last, assays of $4,000
to $1,000 in silver per ton. At Hills
borough placer gold is obtained from
among grass roots, and rich silver lOdes
exist, with mill runs of from $50 to $6- @
per ton, while the mining glOries of
Silver City and Shakespeare are fully
published to the world.
Returning to my mountain stand at
NOgal, l introduce you to MARY DOra,'
Virginia Boy" and a score of other
lOdes, with assays from 81 to $500
per ton in gold and silver. And now
that l have shown my readers the silver
lining of the picture before me, reserve
for its center an ''apple of gold" The
world renowned 'HOme Stake"-tO-day
beyond question, the richest gold mine
on earth. Last week its tunnel strike of
wire gold ION lode 81 feet in thickness,
granite walls) was published in light
ming flashes to the world. To-day she
wears the palm of grander triumphs,