Arizona weekly citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Ariz) 1880-1901, 1891-06-20
A Visit to..Where Great Mug
gets are Found.
ONE 1900 POUND NUGGET.
Ancient Mines being Worked
with Good Results.
The Mine One of the Wonder of its
Day-MilIians Taken From it
Early Workings.

|
Blanco l decided to take trip to the
celebrated Planchas Silver Mining Dis
trict, Sonora, about twenty miles south
west OF Nogales.
This is one of the oldest Gs we'll as the
most famous mineral regions of Mexico,
and is unique in history as having furn-
ished the largest Nugget" of native sill
yer ever discovered in the world, its
weight being 2.7C0 pounds. The dis
covery was made in 1736, causing tre--
mendous excitement, and great crush"
to the new diggings. Such masses of
pure silver as were unearthed in the
Planchas canyon was the wonder OF that
| day, and have never been equalled since.
| Numerous specimens of native silver,
weighing from 200 to 400 pounds, were
| picked up here in those early days, and
there is only conjecture as to the
quantity of this metal which has been
| added to the stock of the world from
the Planchas district, but there is good
foundation for the presumption that it
would aggregate many millions of dol
lars. The old shafts and workings of
more than a century ago, and OF more
recent dates, to be seen in this locality,
afford abundant proof of the extensive
operations carried on by the early Next
cans. Even as late as about 1870, &C
cording to Francisco Maraquin, chief of
the Planchas de Plata customs, whom l
met here, piece of native silver, weigh
ing 40 pounds, was found in Planchas
canyon, and sold to Monte Verde, Adj
and still later the better known dis
covery of the silver Ratchet in 1886 by
Mexican cowboy, which was sold to
Chas. Altschul, Of Nogales, for sill
all serve to confirm the traditions hand
ed down to us concerning the marvellous
discoveries of early times, and further
more would tend to justify the predic-
ton of an immense ledge of this treqs-
ure someT here in the district, as we'll
as warrant the largs expenditure now
being made by the Plata Reina de Sa-
pora NJ. & NJ. Co.. under the superin
'endanc. OF Col. Richard A Poreroy
IN the projection of tunnels far beneath
The Old workings. All indications 60 to
show that the early workings with these
mines was On the surface, When the
Ore showed indications OF punching
Jut, work was suspended and again re-
sumed in a Few place. This method
gave rise to belief that the ore attained
no depth, hat the deposits we're mere
~ surface. 1t is TO be regretted that
that Others besides the Mexican gam
businos have pursued similar policy,
leading the world to believe there are
bodies in the Planchas district. Col.
Pomeroy has broken 800 feet of ground
since December 1892, and has demon
strated that each Of the six claims
owned by the company is lode, and
that the most favorable results may be
attained by deep mining.
The ores of these mines consist prin-
cipally of black silver. The company is
now very wisely doing no milling, but
pursuing systematic method of
development, and will soon be in u po-
sition to ship quantities of ore, and
Will have an abundance to treat on the
ground. A brief
DESCRIPTION OF THESE MINES,
might prove of interest to readers Of the
CITIZEN.
In the Ladero mine the method of
working was entirely surface and much
vast rock had to be removed to obtain
the ore. The new tunnel being driven
Will cut 100 feet below the old workings,
where it is expected To strike the ledge.
AS these ore shutes are encountered they
may be followed, leaving the pillars of
non-mineral b5aring ..rock standing.
The rock In the breast Of the tunnel in
dicates close proximity to ore, all run
ming something in silver. 1t is estimat-
ed there are ten thousand tons of min
eralized rock on the dump worth S1l
per ton. First class ore of this mine
averages from 40 to 100 OF.
The HIlo mine, tbs oldest in the dis
trict, was worked more Systematically in
the past than other fof the group. A
we'll defined vein is exposed which dips
into the mountain. A cross cut of the
tunnel at fifty feet, cut the lode in a
good body of ore. Work is now being
prosecuted with viger to get under the
old workings, from which large quanti-
ties of ore were formerly taken. The
vein has been prospected in an entirely
new place, and shows extremely well.
The Guadalupe mine like, the Ladera,
was worked formerly by large surface
cut, from witch great quantities of ore
were taken. The tunnel now being run
TO get beneath the .old workings gives
good indications to soon be in ore.
Another tunnel being constructed is
producing small quantities of rich ore.
In the Mexia mine some years ago q
cross cut tunnel over 800 feet long was
run under the old workings. A body
of rich ore was encountered and stopped
out. From this tunnel level has late
| ly been run east and west. In the east
level rich shipping ore has been found.
Thence thirty-fve foot shaft.
/ sink shows a pay streak nearly all the
way down. Ore from the west level
/ ASSAYS from 90 10 3CU OF. Fest Level
for DO feet penetrates a mass of fine
concentrating ore with punches of good
ship ping ore.
Tie Providencia mine is being worked
by two shafts, and a tunnel on the vein
is started. Shaft No. 2 shows breast
of IL feet of pay streak"
This district certainly bids fair to fur
nish some purposes yet, for there is not
an old dump of discarded ore of either
the claims mentioned that with proper
machinery would not pay to work, while
vast bodies are being unearthed that will
not run less than so OF. per ton.
Col. Pomeroy has reputation as an
expert in minerology, bat has made
development of mines his specially. He
il so we'll pleased with the outlook that
he has purchased considerable stock in
the Planchas.
= The country seems to be considerably