Arizona Mining Districts, Part IX

TRINITY, YAVAPAI COUNTY
This recently formed district is located on Turkey Creek, some 35 miles southeast of Prescott. The principal mine is the Tuscumbia which is opened by shafts, drifts, and tunnels in a thorough manner, and has considerable high-grade ore exposed on the dump. The company is now constructing a ten stamp mill at nearby Gus' Springs. The Trinity mine is supposed to be located on the same vein as the Tuscumbia, at a spot some two miles northward. The shaft on this mine is down 70 feet. At this depth three feet of good ore is found. Immediately north on the same vein is also the Sultan, which is now being opened with good prospects of production, some of its ore giving high assays. In this vicinity are also located the Keystone, Kendall, Peerless, Alice, and Imperial, all of which are being opened, and show some good ore.

TONTO BASIN, GILA COUNTY
This is a large section of country which has not as yet been regularly organized into a single district, but it has been prospected to a sufficient extent to prove that it contains many ledges of good ore and interesting potential for the prospector. A shaft has been sunk on the Nash mine to the depth of about seventy feet, disclosing a ledge varying in width from two to four feet. Two arastras are in operation on this property, the gold quartz ore yielding about sixty dollars to the ton. The Tonto Chief, May-be So, and several other claims, are also being developed with what seem to be good prospects ahead. This section affords a good supply of wood and water for mining purposes.

 

 

TUMACACORI, PIMA COUNTY
Tumacacori, an old ruined mission, situated in the mountains on the west side of the Valley of the Santa Cruz, was, like Tubac, the center of extensive mining operations many years since. All over this section may be seen the evidences of old mining, and tradition says that near this place was located the Tumacacori mine of wonderful richness, from which the Jesuit Fathers, with a trained band of Indian miners, for a long time quietly extracted immense amounts of silver. A day came at last when the crafty Apache surrounded the mission, and left not a soul to tell the story of its destruction, or even to point out the location of its rich mines. A recent prospector claims to have found this old mine: but whether he has or not, the search in this rich mineral district, cannot fail to bring to light other mines perhaps as rich as Tumacacori.

TURKEY CREEK, YAVAPAI COUNTY
This district lies southeast of Prescott, and is bounded on the north by Big Bug, and on the south by Peck District. The most noted mine in this section is the Goodwin, discovered in 1864, and named in honor of the person who was then Governor of the Territory. It has well defined croppings, which can be traced a distance of several hundred yards. Upon the original discovery there are two shafts sunk, one sixty and another ninety feet in depth. In a tunnel run from one of the shafts, it is said ore was found assaying two hundred dollars a ton ; but work had to be suspended on account of a heavy flow of water which rushed in at that point. On the Homestead and Morning Glory ledges, near the Goodwin, very high-grade ore has been obtained. There are quite a number of other ledges prospecting well, which when developed will no doubt prove valuable; wood and water are abundant.

 

 

TURQUOISE, COCHISE COUNTY
This district is situated in a small detached range east of the Dragoon Mountains, about eighteen miles from Tombstone. The mineral veins are found in a general formation of limestone. The district received its name from the fact of finding old turquoise workings, which have been attributed by some to the Spanish; while others believe they were worked by the Aztecs, who are known to have admired this gem. Some of these excavations are two hundred feet in length, and from ten to sixteen feet in depth. The silver ores are argentiferous galena, chlorides and carbonates. About one hundred and fifty locations have been made; among which may be named, as most prominent, the Mono, Defiance, Dragoon, Elgin, Contention and Hidden Treasure.

TYNDALL, PIMA COUNTY
This district is situated on the east side of the Santa Cruz Valley, adjoining the Aztec District, and embraces within its limits the lower ranges of the Santa Rita Mountains. It is one of the oldest and probably one of the richest mining sections in Southern Arizona. In every portion of it, especially at Tubac, the Hacienda del Santa Ritas, and at the mission of Tumacacori, are to be found the remains of arastras and smelters, together with large dumps of ore slag, which proclaim this district to have been in former times the scene of extensive mining operations, in what was then Northern Mexico. It is at least sixty years since any of these works were used. The district affords sufficient wood and water for mining and milling purposes, and in the mountains is found a fine growth of pine timber. Among the most noted mines are the Mercer's group, owned by T. L. Mercer, Campbell's group, Neil's group, Megry's group, Josephine group, Black & Casey's group, Devil's Cache, and the Arnold and Surprise mines.

VULTURE MINE, MARICOPA COUNTY
This noted gold mine is located in the northwestern portion of the county, eleven miles east of Seymour. It was discovered in 1863 by Henry Wickenburg, and worked continuously for several years. Two mills were erected at the town of Wickenburg for the reduction of the gold ore, from which a large amount of bullion was extracted. Through bad management on the part of those in charge, and hostility of the Apaches, the company were finally forced to suspend operations, and the property was sold for taxes. It was afterwards re-located, and by misrepresentations sold to Mr. Seymour of New York for a big price. This gentleman finding himself victimized, determined to see the speculation through, and went energetically to work to develop the mine. Water was carried through a six-inch galvanized pipe from the Hassayampa Creek to the mine, a distance of fourteen miles, and an eighty-stamp mill erected. These operations, it is said, cost Mr. Seymour $358,000. When the mill was started, it worked to a charm, and the daily profit from the working of the ore amounted to $1000, which, together with the sale of stock, soon reimbursed Mr. Seymour for the large amount expended, and left him in the possession of a fortune. The ore vein is an immense ledge of low grade quartz, which is run through the mill without assorting.

 

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