The Benson signal., 1916-06-17
THE MOTHER LODE

In the distant past far beyond the knowledge OF
man, at a time which the geologsts of the present
day estimate by the ages of the soidified deposits
of the earth's crust, with which they are familiar to
depth of several thousand feet the minerals which
man uses in the industries and commerce, were de-
posted by the action of certain chemicals in the
matrices where they are tou I'd today.
These ore bodies or deposits are generally of
irregular widths and of various degrees of depth
and length; the surface outcrop being usually taken
as an indication of their lateral and longitudinal
tent, but their depth is determinable only by the
sinking of shafts or the use of the churn or da-
mOnd drill.
These ore deposits, in their ramitlcations, can be
kened to a tree and its limbs or brancheS the
trunk representing the mothcr lode and the limbs
the smaller veins
The offshoots of the mother lode, however, do
not always take the form of veins, because some OF
them are thrown off horizontally thereby becoming
blanket formations, whereas vein is perpendc-
uar deposit, or nearly SO.
Generally speaking the great mines of country
are located on the mother lode, and it is by their
subterranean work that this fact is usually Conclu-
Sively proven, and with a chain OF these mines
strung across wide area of territory, with conSd-
erable regularity as to trend or direction and SINH
lary of formation, the location of the mother lode
becomes established beyond the question of
doubt.
This being so, and Arizona being one of the
greatest mineral producing states in the Union,
is led to ask: Is there mother lode in Arizona :
To any one who has access to map OF the state
and fair knowledge of the mneraogical formation
in which the large mining companies are pursuing
their work, it becomes relatively easy matter to
answer in the affirmative and to trace the mother
lode across the state. Unfamiliarity with the ore
bearing deposits of the great producing mines need
not, however, preclude person from determining
the location of this lode.
Mining men who have thoroughly examined the
geological formations and closely investigated the
character of the ores of these mnes have in nearly
every instance ascerained that they bear remark
able resemblance to each other Character in ore
is similar to that attribute in man, viz: in it's Wis
ibty
The knowledge obtained by these investigators
warrants them to make the assertion that the mother
lode is located in zone that has an approximate
width of fifty miles, that its ''strke is northwest
erv and souheasterly across the state and that it
passes through Cochise county in its course into
Mexico.
Upon the authority of those possessing this
knowledge it may be stated that Bisbee lies nearly
midway between its side lines, and having this in
formation to proceed on in drawing the lines across
the map of this state we are faced by mineral
ogical diagnosis that admits of no uncertainty, for
within it's confines, with Bsbee, appear the names
of Tombstone, johnson, Ray, Globe. Superior, Sill
yer King Jerome, Prescott and score or more of
mining camps which are famed throughout the land
as producers of mineral wealth.
F. NJ GAUEN,