Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-04-12
MISTAKES OF MINERS
Many Prospectors Often Overlook
Valuable Ore Deposits Search
ing for Free Gold,
ASSAYS SHOULD BE- MADE
No Gain By disappearing the Value of a
0laim-The Prospector Should Look
For More Than One Kind
of Rock.

quest OF Tree BOld, overlook valuable
claims by placing too much dependence
upon the mortar and pan. While, as a
general rule, ores in gold-bearing dis
tricts show some free gold, it does not
follow that all the values lie in that por-
ton that is obtained in the horn.
Ores containing silver values may at
the same time contain enough gold that
is not free to justify terming them gold
ores. Again there are a great many ores
in which the gold, though practically
free, is in such a fine state Of division as
to show not even a color by the horn
test.
Some ores rich in gold would not be
noticed by a regular prospector, for the
reason that it has more the appearance
OF country rock than rock hat would be
supposed to carry gold.
Some Of our richest mines have as
gangue rock ordinary brown or IRON
stained limestone. Some have as matrix
nothing but common brown or iron
stained porphyry, which may be in the
shape Of small lodges a few feet in
width or in large bikes or reefs so to 100
feet wide or even wider, still they carry
good paying mines-in fact, almost any
kind OF rock may carry gold in profit
able quantities.
Another class of mines that the pros
.aatA. 1nn1ripn fa. gold urntll hn tpnrp
| apt to pass by as beneath his notice are
those of such magnitude that the very
idea of their being worthy Of investiga-
ton would be considered by him as pre-
tanning numerous streaks and lenses of
quartz, although apparently barren,
may contain gold enough to make them
veritable bonanzas. The gold may be
nearly so, in small particles of sulphu-
rets widely disseminated through the
rock, both in the quartz and country
rock or in either. The majority Of the
dividend-paying gold mines of to-day
are just such propositions. They are, to
be sure, mostly very low grade, but
| they are the kind Of mines that capital
Is looking for.
There are also waiting to be discov-
cred and opened base propositions that
most prospectors consider as worthless
simply because they are base.
If the ~prospector Is of the free-gold
UNA lr ,.tll rnt D,yr. 1ra., Hlu .t.A,,
contain gold at all, but will let them lie
and move on to some section where the
ores are not base. If he happens in
stead to be a mar who considers 1t
worth while to have the ore assayed, he
will know that the bases carry values
high enough perhaps to make them
profitable, providing they were free, but
as the ore Is base he passes on. Where
the latter makes his mistake is in not
considering the fact that in this age of
machinery and improved appliances so
called base ores are made to pay a prof
1t, whereas a few years & We're the
same values in the shape of free gold
they could not be handled at a profit.
II is well for a prospector, before
starting out, to consider that a mine
will pay:
First-Though small IL rich enough,
though Of low grade If large enough.
The exercise of a little judgment will
enable him to determine the medium of
the two extremes. He must leave a large
margin in determining the relative limit
in size and richness of his ore body. Bet
ter far to be prejudiced against the
probability Of his undertaking proving
valuable II he desires to be on the safe
side.
SecOnd-He should not rely upon a
horn test, but consider that although a
few assays will cost him q certain
amount of money, It is nevertheless far
cheaper to know definitely the value of
his ore than to spend his time upon
something 1t We're better to let alone, or
to leave something valuable and not
know it to look for something better.
Third-Let him realize that IL there Is
anything in his line of which he Is ig-
norant and in doubt, in the matter Of
actual economic value of certain classes
Of ores. there are hundreds of men who
can and will enlighten him If he will
but inquire.
T%ourth-In seeking to sell a prospect,
or in trying to interest capital, he
should by all means state the facts as