Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-10-15
ARE INDIANS
AFTER TURQUOISE?
Sheriff Blossoms Aid Is Ask
ed by Manager of Tiff
fany's Mine
MINING BY MOONLIGHT
Indians Have Declared Pale
Faces Stole Their Posses
sions.

J. P. McNulty, manager of the Tiff
fany turquoise mines 90 miles south
of Santa Fe, has appealed to Sheriff
Closson to keep a watch on the mines
which he believes are being entered
at night by Cochiti and Santo Domin-
go Indians for the purpose of remoY-
| ing turquoise very necessary in their
ceremonial dances and estufa ritual
This is not the first time in the past
few years that Mr. McNulty has COM
planned of these Indians stealthily en-
tering the mines by moonlight and
making off with the turquoise which
has made Tiffany famous
| Give War Dance.
Sheriff Closson has been informed
| that a number of Indians have made
! life disagreeable for the McNulties by
encircling their house whooping and
yelling, and doing the war dance,
threatening death to the guardian of
the turquoise mines If they were in
! terfered with. 1t is said that the In
dians in their quest of the precious
stones have descended down an old
shaft more than 100 feet deep on a
rope while sixteen of their number,
armed to the teeth, stood guard
around the entrance of the shaft
Sheriff Closson and Deputy Sheriff
/ Baca hid in an arroyo near the mines
to verify these stories and to make
arrests if necessary but the Indians
evidently have been tipped off, for
! their war dance was not repeated for
the sheriff.
The mines are practically within
sight of Santa Fe and are very valu-
able, for in one year $180000 worth
of turquoise was mined. The stone
j is used today for rings, pins, brooches
and necklaces, and has doubtless been
employed for ages by Indians for va
rious purposes. The mines show
traces of prehistoric workings and it
| is believed that the prehistoric cliff
dwellers got their turquoise which has
been found in their caves by arch
aeologists at these same mines.
The Indians of Santo Domingo and
Cochiti have been informed repeated
ly that they no longer are permitted
4 to walk into the Tiffany mines to re-
move turquoise but the red men have
not understood just how the pale
faces have right to stop them from
their ancient pursuit. They maintain
that these mines are their ancient
heritage and that they are entitled to
continue to get their turquoise there
In speaking of the matter Superin-
tendent Clinton ]. Crandall of the
nothern Pueblo Indians, with Santo
Domingo and Cochiti Indians under
his jurisdiction, said today:
Il have not been informed of any
trouble at the Tiffany mines again,
but | know there was some complaint
a few years ago. | have warned the
Indians to keep away from those
mines but it does not seem to be an
easy matter to get them to grasp the
reason why they have no right to
mine turquoise today as of yore."
Sheriff Closson and Deputy Sheriff
Baca have made several trips to the
mines this week and it is thought
they are on the lookout to see If In
dians are actually mining the works
at night, now that the moon is stead
lily increasing, and furnishing plenty
of candle power" for such opera
tions.
For some time the mines have been
closed down, with Mr. McNulty and
Mrs. McNulty as the only persons
near them. The reason they have
been closed is said to be that over
production was feared and because
Tiffany, the noted jewelers. of New
York, are said to have laid in sup
ply that will last them several years
and they do not wish to cheaper the
stone.
Turquoise.
Turquoise, also known as Callaite
is precious stone which has a fine
sky blue color, but very frequently is
greenish and then is of less value.
Dark blue stones also occur. but most
Oh them are said to be artificially col
ored. The mineral often turns white
on Weathering, and may also lose its
color by exposure to light. It is
Opaque or translucent and never oc-
ours crystallized. In Persia, Turkey.
Arabia and the Levant, also Russia
and India, it has long been in very
nigh favor The principal mines are
at Nlshapur in northern Persia. It is
also found in New Mexico. Arizona.
Callfornla, Nevada and Mexico, and
at one time the mines near Santa Fe
were the most famous in this country,
for the turquoise found there was
equal in beauty to that of Persia and
did not lose its color by exposure to
light 1t also took most beautiful
polish and for this reason was much
praised by connoisseurs.