The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-06-14
Golden and San Pedro Camps
The New Placer Mining District
l.SS@~ssgl By B. A. STATE, m. E. M
By B. A. STATE, M. E.


Tho Golden n san Pedro camps
! known as the new placer district, In
Santa 70 county. New Mexico, have
produced a considerable quantity Of
placer gold, and because OF the fact
that most OF this gold was coarse Il
has some to be known as q "coarse
gold district. The question M 10
where the gold comes from forms an
Interesting study. and from the work
already done along this line u scent
quite likely thai Il was derived from
several different types Of ore dcpos-
its.
The rich pockets are found IN a
complex formation. The s~edimcntary
rocks In which The pockets occur
consist Of highly mctamorphic lime
stones, shalcs ana quartzites. intruded
hy and broken up by igneoua rocks,
among which the more basic ande-
site prcdomlnatcs. The gold bearing
veins are often found near the con-
tact Of the andcgite and the meta
morphosed sediments These pockets
have many modes OF occurrence. but
most ~ them may be referred 60 two
e%cncral types, those occurring in CONF
n%ection with .cnscs Of magnetic aud
those accompanying quartz veins The
! characteristic 81 the goiI found in
these pockets So that VI Is often very
coarse. and III Inclined To be smootn.
round and ruttencd Ia shape. Both
fine flakes and solid nuggets are
quite common.
n seems possible that gold segrc-
cations Of the Kind described are
formed under the same conditions as
other basic -scgregRtlous accompany
ing them or occurring under similar
conditions, such as magnetic. pyro-
lite. Chromitc. etc. That Dr. 90 say.
from alkaline solutions under pres
sure and nt depth.
4 somewhat intermediate type 81
pocket Is sometimes found Boz which
the gold is associated with quartz
louecs in veins. This gold Is also
COMMONLY quite coarse. aud is char
actcrizod bv rough. ragged edges pee
culinrltics which ure dIstIrguishnhl"
iu the nuggets found boz the placer
mines 81 tho camp. Another pcrul-
iurity of those veins o. that they arc
usually accompanied hy considerable
pyritc.
Quartz vein pockets are quite com
mon and they are probably tho source
of most ot the placer gold found iu
tho district. The veins iu which they
occur urc for the most part quite
small, ranging from mere threads up
90 Four or five inches lu width.
thnugh occasionally largcr ones Hr"
.reu MANY uf them occupy trIc flf-
surcs but have an of the appearance
~ glsh veins. n is q peculiar fact
thlt most ~ The pockets So FAR dis-
covered have been near tho surface
arH there have h"cn mo- onroH of REQ
ord where They have appeared below
tNe "vidIrod yonc. Tho sulphido ores
nrur1lv mako their n-ppcoHrHuo' at 90
dpfih Of about nflv f.ct. although
o...a unpilv the suluhidr ruu' 7uWs7
% fto surfuce of the ground Con
o.. rs Huenkinr 30 feet would ihor"-
f.r. aupcar o. hr tho oVtrcwo dopfH
iu which ono would have o. rp 'r
follow ne 1 pocket
Scar the surflrc tho pockets c0u-
o. ir % rule of loose. irregular masses
of .pnuey iron oxide flliug cavities
ir the quartz or lying 1lnuFsido OF 10
.n tho gouge The rockets Irn re'nI-
n found 100 the Intersection &C quartz
veins with "Iron seams -eWHll 0s
,u-.s filled with oxide Of iron As o.
rIlr the AVERAGE pocket lf small ny-
Grazing lees than 500 each Thor"
v.s one. however. Tho GOLD STANDARD.
I thrt be- enid to hay" yielded 100000.
Iu % few rare cases pockets rl.'
boom found with the minerals in their
.r.r|uul state tho iron a%ppr0tlua
utf.tr and mHTolsitr, IutcrEruVu with
gold md accompanied ny Hiu'|.
0w.. ts Of rhncopyritc AZ 70 r'u'r.
30 rilc th" quartz connecting pocket
is uf.to barren OF $40 u,uora's NH''
uuJo.nmpn..t tulpn'd's ore ur'.'