The Wichita daily eagle., 1903-11-22
CEoLOCIST ON
WICHITA COLD
Norman University Is Seeking
Mountain Facts.
PEOPLE INVEST MONEY
Now Is Gold There in Com
mercial Quantities.
PEOPLE INVEST MONEY

article of some new discovery Of another
a relief 20 find that there are few who
investigate this subject and who are will
ing to make known their views and dis
cuss the subject from scientific stand
point. Among these are number of stu
dents and biologists that are taking work
at the University of Oklahoma.
At a recent meeting OF the Oklahoma
Geological Society held at Norman last
week several papers were read before the
society. and among them the following
article which was presented by Mr.. H B.
Tosh, a gentleman who lives near the
Wichita Mountains and who has spent
considerable time among them. He is a
geologist of good repute and one who is
always very conservative in his view
upon the subject. Coming as il does
from an entirely dsinterested party, and
vet from one who is fully qualified to
speak upon the subject. it is OF more
than ordinary interest. The article is as
follows:
In parallelogram ten by thirty miles
in size, cornering northeast at Mt. Scott
and including the greater portion of the
Wichita Mountains, from a thousand to
two thousand prospective miners have
staked claims TO mine for gold. silver
copper and lead. For more than fifty
years stories Of rich mineral deposits in
the Wiehitas have led fortune hunters
to penetrate these granite solitudes in
search OF wealth. Hostile Indians in the
early days made prospecting dangerous
and later United States soldiers at Fort
Sill drove out all intruders. Now that
the county is open to settlement every
ravine shelters white tent and every
ledge bears the mark of hammer.
Heaps of dirt and stone in seemingly in
accessible places mark the improvements
made TO comply with the mining laws
There are enough stakes now standing in
the Wichita Mountains to fence a good
sized cattle ranch. Many of these pros
pectors have been in the mountains for
three or four years and nothing save
dynamite could remove them. u is es-
timated that not less than 100000 have
been invested in the Wichitas in the last
three years. Promoters from as far east
4 as New York are exploiting the country
and forming mining companies.
Gold is the most widely distributed of
all minerals. 1t is found in all ages from
Algonkian to Pleistocene, and in all rocks.
crystalline. metamorphic and sedimentary.
Analysis show that every three cubic
miles contains three hundred dollars
worth of gold. To begin with. il will be
admitteu that gold is present in the
Wichitas. but does it exist in CONNER
cial quantities?
~ specific answer to this question by a
competent person should be made as
quickly as possibl prevent wholesale
frauds by grafters or to establish upon
a positive and reputable foundation the
claims of promoters. If the statements of
promoters are true. Oklahoma is one of
the richest mineral regions in the west:
If false IAN organized scheme is under
way to perpetuate gigantic frauds upon
credulous investors.
The gold product of the world comes
in the main. from native gold. 1t is
found chiefly in three ways; in mineral
veins, in gravels and associated with
other minerals. The most important
mode of occurrence is in auriferous
quartz found in fissures filled with min
ersl deposits. There seems TO be two
types of the occurrence. the one connected
with eruptive rocks. the other with sed-
t
ton appears TO be the method Of accumu-
lation. The second mos important mode
Of occurrence is in the gravels Of tertiary
of recent age. and is formed by the dis
emigration of gold bearing rocks and IS
accumulated by reason Of the greater
specific gravity and dura bility OF the gold.
The thru most important method is fur
nished as a by-product in silver and cop
per mining and also smaller quantity
from mines OF other minerals.
We might look for a moment at the
geological formations and structure OF
the Wichita Mountains to see whether OF
not we might expect bonanzas. Are the
indications fayora BILE? DO they compare
with fields that have been explored? Are
the rocks or gravels present which might
carry ore? The range consists chiefly Of
three classes of igneous rocks: granite.
gabbro and porphyry. The granite pre-
dominates greatly and composes probably
nine-tenths Of all OF the rocks OF the
range Let US first look for gold bear
ing quartz. Now rose quartz IN black
granite is a very good indication Of gold.
and here is where the dispute arises are
they true mineral veins. or are they
dykes OF red granite in black gabbrO?
+ There are a few places where quartz is
found. but as yet none has been dis
covered containing gold IN paying guam
tites There are no evidence whatever Of
volcanoes or volcanic eruption On the
other hand the mountains as we now see
them are very. very old and are the last
vanishing remnants Of a once larger
range. As for the gravel containing gold
We can say little. Some beds Of black
sand may have been found along the
streams near the mountains. but on close
examination OF them they are found 20
be nothing but dislniegraisd gsboro
rocks The third most common way n
which we might expect = End is In ssso-
ciztion with other minerals Bat hare
again we are az ioss, as there are no
other minerals mined n these mountains
except perhaps copper and iron
For fifty years report. q Minerals have
hsen consIag out os IN. N'ichitzx. Tnfo--
;ssnzfely 50 far the reports are ali that
have beea fort5couing. LATHE d@cend-
4 eucs can be placed f. the theory % the
"a srarsst mines DevfTs Canon Is re-
uortes 20 - q rich gold Tnlae from which
he Span.zr,1s we're driven by ths TndizHs
These spa-sa-5s nay have looked so-
rold there. zs that IL What tbsT were
looking for. but 10 rscord shows TIA;
,hev were Eu-r>zzfus Hundreds ot
rni-ers and prospectoEs have ban q;
work ln iAe rzou.txins fsr nezriy r~S
Z ~ezrs R5ch deposits sre reported = s>r-
Z erzi places. bit 40 - no. rnCch Soid
hss been r.isc~ss o. the rnsrkst
At VIle=szns samples have b.e- sos11.
u~re the god IL fond n quartz ey-
f u-oess~. =. eorp~- std of iron. aa6 tk~rs