The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1883-04-27
The Mineral Resources of the
Apache Mining District.

Among many wonderful mining sec.
tions opened up in New Mexico within
the past two years, few exceed In prom
Use and surface showing the mineral re-
sources of the Black Range and Apache
districts. These districts surrounding
the mining town of Chloride, are To-
Gated fifty miles west of the Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe railroad, in the south
ern portion Of Socorro county, and Are
an extension of the rich mineral BEL
which extends from the Ilagddlenas
soutward to the southern limits of the
territory.
The first discoveries of prominencein
this section were made five OF six miles
southwest of Chloride, in 80, by Nh.
Pye, who located the rich Pye bde, and
shortly afterward was killed by In
diaDs, failing to realze the reIIard
which his pluck and preseveranceihtiy
mented. In the fall of 1879, Mr.. j. NJ.
Smith and four others prospected Chlo-
ride. Mineral and Dry gulches, and after
locating some good claims were driven
out by the savages. In January of1SS0
, they returned to Chloride gulch, and
shortly after two of the prospectors, were
killed! and the remainder again driven
out, only to return, however, and main
tain their search for lodes. i'll which this
section, appeared particularly generous
1t was not until last spring that the
Apache district begun creating a,puT
pose among prospectors, and sooR the
population of the aourishing country
increased to such numbers that nc
further danger was to be feared from
the Indians. Since then work has been
progressing at a moderate pace, until
at the present time there are some tif
teen to twenty properties, which with
the facilities of treating the ores al
home could be worked to advantage.
The geological structure of the sec
tion, while quite simple, is yet in such
shape that days jaunt over the noun
talns, leaves but very imperfect idea
of details, and local disturbances tend
occasionally to confuse the casual oh
server. Going up Chloride gulch, from
the town of Chloride, the first distinct
geological feature encountered, is a
zone of quartzose rock, deposited in
strata, and having a thickness of one
| hundred feet Or more. There is but .
slight inclination to this formation
which is to the westward. This zont
contains interstratiied seams carrying
COPPER in marked quantities, often as
much as three to five per cent. The
metal occurring mostly rs red oxide
has had the effect of coloring the entire
ledge with deep red STAN. Above this
formation, quite stratum of conglom'
crates, consisting Of fragments of the
various species of porphyrlcs and
trachytes, together with seams OF
sandstone and some lime, attract ones
attention. Advancing, however, fur
ther up the gulch, this disturbed mass
gives place to a pyritiferous feldspathic
porphyry. The Higher mountains on
both sides of tie gulch are capped with
a dalomitic limestone. On the north
ward of Chloride gulch, the prevailing
rocks are trachyte and porphyry, the
latter containing iron and other metal
lie compounds or sulphides dissemin-
ated through it vi very fine particles
The sumpdt of the mountains to the
northwest were also crowned with
limestone, pronfHnced to be of the De
vonian age. fDykes of igneous rocks
are frequenT and as rule, their con
tact with the senior formations dis
closes liberal veins Of argentiferou'
copper ores.
| The first property visited was tht
Buffum, owned BY Messrs Bishop, Dunr