Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-02-15
COCHITI GOLD CAMP.
Plain Statements of Fact About the
New Gold Fields West of
Santa Fe.
Indications That There Will Be Big
Mining Town Before Next Win
ter-Chicago Capital Inter
ested in the Camp


ested in the Camp.
Correspondence New Mexican.
Santa Fe, Feb. Ion Monday morn
ing I left the city in company with
Messrs. Thos. Herlow and Levi Miller to
visit the new mining camp which is on
the eastern slope of the Jemez noun
tains, about twelve miles northwest of the
village of Cochiti. Although the snow,
which lies about three or four feet deep
over the district, prevented US from going
further than the village, ascertained
there some facts of interest. 1 might
have gone through the snow to the min
ers' tents, but, as all the prospect holes
are drifted full and nobody is working,
such trip would have been wholly use
less and would have procured no more
than obtained from miners
who have come out from camp and are
now in Cochiti.
To begin with, the stories told about
the rush to the camp and the number of
prospectors in there are much exagger-
ated. There are not more that thirty
five Americans In the camp, and proba-
bly, about fifteen or twenty Mexicans.
The amount of work done is not suffi-
cient to show with certainty the value of
the leads, and the prospectors do not
assert that they are working mines as
yet. They have sunk some prospect
holes and have done only their assess
ment work. The prospects are encourag-
ing, and SO far as anything can be de-
termined by so small an amount of work,
there is reason to believe that the veins
carry gold and silver in paying quanti-
ties, and that big mining camp will be
established on the lead. The men are
sanguine and confident that they have
struck it rich, and they talk like men who
believe what they say. All statements in
this letter relating to the veins and as
says are made upon the authority of
prospectors, and while have no reason
for doubling their accuracy, have no
other evidence of the facts.
LOCATION OF THE LEADS.
The mineral-bearing lodges or veins
now being prospected run nearly north
and south along the slope of the noun
tains at an altitude of from 1000 to $500
feet, parallel to the general trend of the
range and cutting the canons at right
angle. In a width of mile and half,
there are about dozen we'll defined
parallel veins varying from four to ten
feet in thickness. These have been traced
without break for five miles in length
and there are Indications that they con.
tinue unbroken to the southern end oil
the range, three to five miles more. The
country rock is soft porphyry, an6
the veins are true assures.
Beginning at the north end, the first
camp or group of prospect holes is in
Pine canon, where the original discovery
was made by Messrs. Eagle and Dorsey
of Jemez, who have been prospecting in
the vicinity since 1890. Here are Mr.
MAY and partners, from Albuquerque, Mr.
T. B. Mills, of Las Vegas, Mr.. Dougine
of Chicago, Eagle and Dorsey, of Jemez
and Mr.. Mcdonald, eighteen men all told
May has been at work since October or
the Crown Point claim, and has about zoo
tons of ore ready for shipment as soon al
1t can be packed or hauled out. Most o.
the others have been on the ground only
about ak weeks.
| On the mesa between Pine and Cole
canons is the Washington claim owned b!
| Fagley and Pike. This is one of tn,
best prospects on the lead, and consider
able ore has been taken from it, but ther,
is some disagreement between the owner
that is delaying work. Messrs. Rogers
Brown and others, known as the Colorado
crowd, also have claims on the mesa.
In Collie canon several Mexlcans hav,
located claims and done assessment
work.
| In Peralta canon are Major Beaumon
and James Smith, of Jemez, and severa
Mexicans.
The three canons named, With thu
mesas between, comprise the prospectet
district commonly called the Cochit
camp.
There has been some desultory and su
perfcial prospecting northward from
Pine canon, ana Mexicans have brought
from Cochiti canon specimens of gold
bearing rock. It seems very probable
that leads may be found in that direction
but no prospecting can be done at pres
ent because of the snow.
CHARACTER OF THE ORE.
There is no free gold in any of the ore
yet found, although native silver is plain
ly visible in much of it. The metal occur,
in chemical combinations having the ap
pearance of chlorides, eulphurets ant
manganese. The quartz has what minel
calls 'lively" look, and the gold seems
to be carried in black and dark-red mat
ter. Assays vary greatly, ranging from 6
trace to $500 per ton. he miners are
not yet thoroughly familiar with the ore
and in sampling they make mistakes
Some of them never have seen ore of that
character before, and they can not select
the gold bepring rock with any certainty
by its appearance. Much assaying and
mill-sampling will have to be done be.
fore the miners can know just what they
are doing.
An illustration of this is to be found in
the experience of tho Jemez men. They
found some good specimens on the sur.
face, but when they began work they left
their lead about twenty feet to one side
and put in their time on an iron-stained
quartz ledge When miners more skillful
came into camp, they detected the mis-.
take and set the Jemez men right.
Reports from Denver reduction works
on samples from the Grown Point say
that the ore is milling quartz, but that
better results can be obtained by smslt-
ing. Mr.. May, of the Grown Point, is evil
IDENTIFY an experienced miner. He has
his ore assayed and milled systematically,
and he now thinks he knows its character
pretty we'll and can sort it with certainty.
u;. 1aIno 10 o,pht font v,1.. kokuaap tho