Arizona weekly citizen., 1893-05-06
TWO MINERAL CABINETS.
Magnificent Specimens of Rich and Remarkable Ores and Metals.

son who are the proud posessors of yalu-
 able and beautiful mineral cabinets
 Thsre IS something attractive, even
 fascinating about specimens of oh ore
 representing fabulous fortunes made in
 short time, small pieces of natural rock which when reduced to bullion are as
 valuable almost as % much gold coin.
 Nothing IS more beautiful to look upon,
 or to have even in one's parlor a5 a
 ornament than an assortment of many
 of the less valuable but glisteni z
 sparkling wolfenites, malachites aud
 crystals mingled with the richer oeci-
 mems.
 The mineral cabinet of Charles O.
 Brown at the Congress Hall saloon is
 probably the most interesting and valu- able in Arizona. It is remarkable for
 the great richness of the ores repre-
 rese ted, there being in silver and gold alone actual intrinsic value of 5000. Another feature of MT. Browns cabinet IS that nearly all tae specimens are the product of Arizona mines. It repre- sents the careful. intelligent collecting of 17 years. For some of the richer specimens, extrRordin rlly high prices have been paid by him while others | equally valuable have been the volun- tary gift of friends.
 Many of the most attractive speci- mems of this cabient and not few of l the rich ones are from the Mammoth in Pinal county.
 1 Especially worthy of notice is a large crystal of lead not white but translucent hke grouod glass, ia fact quite trans pdreDt, outlines of one's fingers being clearly distinguished through as 1t is held in the hand. This crystal upon being smelted IS 90 per cent. pure lead. It Is wonderful natural curiosity. It would be i'm possible in a limited space to enumerate the special beauties or peculiar characterlst cs of tbe hundreds ! of specimens of silver bullion, horn silver, native gold, polished onyx and peirefactlons, crystals, sul ulphides, and ID short almost everything that Arizona has yielded in the way of rich, remark l able or unusual geological productions. And yet Tn the midst of all these mineral wonders, rests a dainty little humming- bird which MT. Brown con- s;ders the greatest curiosity of the lot. It was found a few weeks ago in a cave by an Indian. He bad been in the same place about year before and thought IL somewhat strange to see a hummIng
 ~ANN--FS POiACOOAg AilObAOblCo5 III unusual, dark place upon projection limestone rock. What wa his surprise then to see what was apparently the same bird in the same position in the same spot. He approached carefully expect ng every moment it would fly away. But no. it did not stir. Upon selzIng 1t he thought it was unusually light Of weight and absolutely devoid of life. Upon closer examination the little flesh Of the crea .ure appeared to h ave been dried up, the breast bone pr0trud- llg hard as a rock, the eyes gone and the slender little legs rigldly drawn up like two pieces or copper wire. It was evidently mummlfied Whether by some unaccountable zctIon of the lime stone rock upon the body or other elements Is as impossible to determine as 1t IS how long 1t had been on the spot. The beautiful colors of life are all re- talned Tn the plumage. At first glance the head and neck appear as black ones hat while ID a different lisht all the colors of the raia bow glisten and glInt and dance, radiating from it's little body.
 Charles R. Wores wh3ee sampling works and residence are hard by the railroad depot has one of ths largest and most valub,e mineral cabinets in the city. He has been about dozen years collecting the specimens of which It IS comprised and less tan tW years years ago refused cash offer If 5000 for the lot. His cabi let is remarkable for endless variety of ore. He has ex- changed with many collectors in foreign places and has many beautiful and rare specimens from China, Japan, Africa SOaln and Russia as well as from other States and Territories. EverY piece ot ore IS labeled with number and e whole has been fully catalogued.
 The center piece and queen of the cablnet is an immense white carbonate of lead, beautifully crystallized and weighing over 100 pounds. It WAS found m the Pa'ag mia mountains in Pima county and 1t 1t doubtful if there IS better specimen of crystallized lead carbonate ln existence.
 C1ntending with the latter for the position of supremacy in the cabinet, far surpassing IL in intrinsic richness though not approaching it in beauty is a large chui k of almost solid native silver. It weighs but tn pour ds and contains a trlhe over 100 ounces of silver being IntIinsIcally worth at the pre- ent value of that metal SS3. IL was founds Sin the Bullion mine of Quijotoa.
 Beside the aoove there is piece Of ltaclumite or flexible sand stone from North Carolina which bends like piece of card board; some handsomely polished 8gates from Colorado, a slab of horn silver from Globe Ari, and an ad- mirable specimen of free gold in milk white qusrtz which came from the Southern Belle mine in this Territory.
 Among the Blsbee pieces an octahe- dral or brown crystal of copper as large as ones head is remarkable for beauty and scarcity. A small piece of vaDada- nite is exhibited as one of the rarer and more precious metals. A faint streak of it was encountered in the Mammoth NInine in Pinal county few years ago. This metal is now quoted ae worth 522 B grain or 5350 an ounce. It IS found ln Spain and IS said to be used in fastening the dye in the finest silks
 There is also piece of phos .Jhate of uranium from Montana which in 8 metallic state Is worth $50 pound Another curiosity is specimen of cryalite from Greenland which is the principal bass for the manufacture of aluminium.
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