Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-08-07
DAVID sWIcKHIMeR
ACTIVE AT RICO
Rico News.

ough study of all the Horse gulch dis
| trict, David Swickheimer has conclud
ed to systematically develop group
of II claims in Horse gulcn. among
which are the noted Puzzle, Puzzle
Extension, NJ. A. c. and Monawk
properties.
The Puzzle ore body was found In a
block OF ground which had the appear
ance OF having at one time been an
| island In Horse creek, but wdlch in re
| ality was a portion OF an Immense
land slide. The ore was u black oxide
OF iron carrying high copper and sill
yer values, and was accompanied by
blue lime.
The formation in the vicinity of
the Puzzle is sedimentary on the
north. west and east while on the
south It is of an igneous character.
AS the ore body OF the Puzzle was
accompanied by lime, Mr. Swicknei-
mer gave his attention to the tracing
OF this formation, and has succeeded
in getting control OF all of tne
claims on which the lime belt has
been found in the vicinity of the Puz-
zle, and is very confident tnat he will
he able to demonstrate that the Puz-
zle land slide came from the ground
covered by the group he is now work
Ing
In 1892 Joseph Lovett, the original
lnnptn, nf ha pnygta n
cleanup OF some of the old drifts
along the bank OF the creek and in
tne workings IN the Puzzle extension
In the hope that he would discover
the vein and later on he drove tun-
mel into the side of the hill north OF
The creek and some distance below
the Puzzle, but not being able to find
lime in that locality he knew it was
useless to continue operations there
and abandoned the property
During the same year Messrs. A. p
Adams and j. o. Campbell made a
strike of ore on the NJ. A. c.. which is
one of the group of II claims now be-
ing worked, at point about 500 feet
south and east of the Puzzle work
ings. Toe ore ran about $500 per ton
that found on the Puzzle Between
30 and 40 tons of the ore was eX-
tracted when the vein was found to
have been cut on by solid wall OF
porphyry. They again struck body
of the same character Of ore In tun
mel 80 feet lower down the mountain.
but this, like the body of ore above
proved to be only a portion of the
vein which had been dropped over in
the general land slide which had
caused the Puzzle ore body TO be
dumped into the creek bed.
Mr.. Swickheimer now proposes to
operate through a tunnel on the Puz-
zle Extension ground. which was
driven six or eight years ago by Mes
srs. Garren and Luther, and which
is now being retimbered and also
through the lower tunnel on the M,
A. c. ground.
In addition to the probability OF
discovering the Puzzle vein proper,
the two tunnels will crosscut eight
known assure veins on their strike
through the territory covered by the
group.
As the Puzzle ore was found In n
contact vein or overflow from tissnre
vein OF honeycombed quartz, and was
a distance of between 400 and 500
feet above the shales, 1t seems rea-
sonable to presume that tne ores Of
the veins above referred to Will grow
richer as they pass through each sue
ceeding strata OF lime until they en-
counter the shales, when in accord
ance with the history Of the ore
measures of the camp an immense
deposit OF ore may be anticipated
This particular theory Of the ore de-
posits OF the Rico district mas been
thoroughly proven. both In the Black
Hawk and Newman hill properties of
the United Rico Mines company. In
the Black Hawk the veins were work
ed downward toward the shales as
each succeeding strata OF soft lime
was eHcOuuttTeu, lHc Neiu3 WiuthSu
and the vuggs and crevices OF the lime
for considerable distances on each
side of the vein were impregnated
with ore, although the vein Itself
might be OF a lean character. In the
Newman hill properties the same con
ditions we're found to exist. except
that the veins were worked upwards
from a distance Of from 100 to 200
feet below the shales.
AS over nalf million dollars
worth of ore was extracted from the
Puzzle, tho proposition appeals to one
OF Mr.. Swickheimer's mining exper
ience, and there IL no room for doubt
but that he will demonstrate that his
theory as to the ore occurrences oi
that portion of the district is correct
The commencement OF operations
on the two tunnels mentioned viii
give employment TO quite force ol
miners and will lend encouragement
to other owners of mining interests IN
the Horse gulch district.
Hope keeps the heart wholesome
PALMERsTON'S LITTLE JOKE.
o