Weekly journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1908-1929, 1909-03-24
MAY BREAK RECORD OF
CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS


emit time there has never been a high
" productive mine worked in the CHR
ieahua mountains, but this record OF
in the past bids fair now
TO 90 ont Of history. The Mascot Cop
per Company, capitalized at ten mil
lion dollars, with T. NJ. MeCauley OF
Chicago at the head, has taken up nj
tv-nine claims in the Chirieahua noun
tains directly opposite the rich new
camp at CORTLAND, and for a month
three big tunnels have been driving
through solid copper sulphide of high
grade. For many years the little vii
lage Of Dos Cabazos, comprising about
fftv people. has subsisted on the
struggling copper industry surrounding
the town, which is located on top Of
the mountains, eighteen miles south
east Of Wilcox. But the Mascot Cop
per Company has now entered the field
and has done enough work to demon
strate that tine district has bright pros
pects. The ore body was found on top
of the mountains, and after shafts had
been sunk on top deep enough to
demonstrate that the vein was eontin'
nous. the Mascot Company started
three tunnels from the east slope OF
the mountain, directly towards the In
terseeting ore body. One tunnel IS
now driven into the mountain a DIS
lance of fourteen hundred feet, an
other eleven hundred feet, and third
little over one thousand feet. All or
these tunnels have been in the ore for
more than a month, and every shot -
blasting out ore of high grade.
The Mascot Company now eontem-
plates the building of branch rali-
road from Wilcox, and the erection OF
new smelter at the base or the
mountains near the mines. The work
has been carried on for four years,
without any publicity, and all this
time the mining has been in dry rock
and ore bodies. The ore IS copper
suIphide. the same as is found in the
I.eadviHe shaft. and other mines across
the valley in the detached groups or
the Dragon mountains.
/ On the east slope of the same ridge
on the Chiricahuts the Overland Gold
and Copper Company has nineteen
claims. The Overland company IS
largely controlled by George Pence OF
FL Paso. who not long ago ineorporat'
ed a stock company, with FL Pasoans
As the minority stockholders also
When the company saw that the Mas
cot company was drifting tunnels d.
rectlv towards their property from tAe
other side of the mountain, they de-
eided 70 suspend operations till the
stronger company had demonstrated
the value of the or beds, as the Mas
cot tunnels are separated only 1900
feet from the claims of the Overland
company. and both are on the same
ledge. The ledge dips towards the base
Of the mountains. is the form of TIT
cd slab. and once the tunnels have
, been driven through the mountain
crosseutting and drifting will be car
ried on.
Pence is now diverting his energies
r towards the development of the Cow
e how. or Snowstorm group, about SIX
: miles south of Wilcox. 1t will be re-
e membered that this month year ago
5 Theodore and Ted Waffle, two COW
o pupehers. discovered free gold on the
T. ton of a detached ridge at this point
e The latter was killed by a bolt OF
4 lightning soon after and Pence bought
+ ont the claims in June. A shaft was
Y driven down on the ore from the top
@ of the mountain, and later tunnel
& ras started into the mountain to cross
e cu+ the vein of gold ore twelve hun
/ dred feet down the mountain side
It This tunnel will 90 directly through
,e the range. and will be twelve hundred
lie and fftv feet long. Pence IS now
10 tawiuq out ore, and has contracted
e with a band of Mexieans from Pima
ID IN carry the ore on burros to the bas'
Of the mountains, whence carload
will be shipped in a few days to tn
Douglas smelters, being hauled iron
the base of the producing mountain
10 70 Wilcox in wagons. The vein o
gold quartz is eighteen inenes on t0l
Of the mountain, and its creates
known width at this time is four an
er one-half feet.
no Eight other outfits have been estat
bt Iished in this little gold district. Nv
he of the camps are from Texas, at VIVA
no is known as Mineral Wells, and a
70 these claims show good grades OF goi
be ore.