Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1897-04-02
TuRou Disc MINING.
Very Valuable beds Being Worked In New
Mexico

Turquoise Is found In Persia. sax
ony and New Mexico The Saxon.
product Is OF an inferior grade, d
found IN red sandstone and is so sen
sitlve that most OF IL Is ruined on tbi
lapidary's wheel. Practically all oil
the turquoise Of the world has beer
taken from the mines OF Persia and
New Mexico The Mexican name for
his stone Is chalchnitl. and how long
the mines OF New Mexico were Oper-
ated prior 10 the Spanish conquest Is
mere matter Of speculation. That
the work was extensively carried on
IN "A dozen different locations Is at
tested by the implements uneafthed
In recent years which were used by
the Indians before the advantage Of
steel or iron tools were known TO them
Near Cerillos. In the southern part OF
Santa Fe county. there Is section OF
mountainous country over two hun
dred acres In extent, every foot OF
which has been worked over IN search
OF TURQUOISE Here II was that the big
Chaichuitl mine cayed upon It's work
men and buried alive half hundred
natives who were worked In slavery
by Spanish masters. II was this In
cident that caused the revolution OF
N'ff NHfH fA' f'iAhtnh WIZ 'tff
ont of the territory and forced to re-
main away for a period of sixteen
years. Striving to ohliterate all mem-
DRY Of their hateful slavery. the natives
filled up every mine in the territory.
destroyed churches and even whole
towns In their endeav0rs to wipe out
the work Of their oppressors. This |
WAS the largest turquoise mine In New |
Mexico In the old days, ana so II is at |
the present time.
Out Of some sixty or seventy tur
quoise claims In New Mexico, about
dozen mines are In operation. The to-
tai output OF turquoise In the territory
was $4,000 IN 1891. $l73.OO0 in 1892.
$500. 900 In 1893, S250.O0O In 1891. $780,
900 In 1895 and $4,000 in 1896,
These figures are taken from official
sources. hut no doubt greatly underes-
timate the true value Of turquoise
mined since 1890 Why this is so will
appear from the following incident:
Last year the owners of the largest
turquoise mine in the territory put In a
Of their property amounting
TO $3.50. The county commissioners,
that the mine had been in
operation, considered the val
lation absurdly low and set about an
Niltn ItNbtAth III iAiNiiN .
he valuation from $3.50 TO $4,000, up
)n which the owners cheerfully paid
he levy. This same mine sold I'm 1893
'or $25O.O0O and, according to the
statement of a former owner. has paid !
! million and half year since that I
line. In 1895 one stone was taken I
ut that sold for $4,000. This stone Is I
low owned by a New York jewelry I
l0use that also controls four of the
rest mines In the territory.
Recent discoveries have been made, :.
the existence of valu-
BILE turquoise deposits, notably In the :
lurro mountains near Silver City,
bout the llachitas and in the Jar
las as far south as Las Cruces. As
efOre stated the oldest aud best
nOwn mines are located In the south
rn part OF Santa Fe county. near the
,wn of CerillOs. Most Of the claims
cling worked In this section are the
"a filled-up mines OF slavery days,
rough several have been opened of
te on virgin ground. The greatest
crecy Is maintained. both ms TO the
cation of mines and the method Of
Orkng them. No one is allowed "a
spect turquoise mine. and EN-
Dyes are warned against giving any
formation concerning operation up
pain of immediate discharge Some
ne since Governor Thornton, who is
ny fond OF turquoise, asked permits
IN to inspect one OF the mines az
rillos He was refused.
Most of the New Mexican turquoise
es to New York. very little being cut
the territory. The average Mexican
rquoisc miner gets $3.50 day;
ne.icans get $3.50. The larger
mes work only seven to ten men
IN. and In good rock this force can
Sc out from eight 10 ten thousand
liars daily This was the record Of
2 OF the mines near Los CerillOs for
month and half last year then the
y streak petered out and there was
zee months OF dead work There is
ioubtedly great future for tur-
)ise mining In New Mexico. hut
se now engaged In this industry
owing that they have a good thing.
10 create the impression that the
les now In operation are being con
ted at a loss. This causes them TO
intain the stricteSt secrecy In ev.
thing relating TO the business. They
not allow photographs 20 be made,
consent 10 allow any one to inspect
mines: neither viii they give any
concerning the subject In
eral. There are not half dozen
pie On New Mexico who have ever
turquoise mined outside of those
aged In the work.