"At Tubac, the headquarters of the company, where the old Mexican cuartel furnished ample room for storage, about a hundred and fifty thousand dollars worth of merchandise, machinery, and supplies were stored. The Apaches, to the number of nearly a hundred, surrounded the town and compelled its evacuation. The plunder and destruction of property was complete. We had scarcely a safe place to sleep, and nothing to sleep upon but the ground."

CHAPTER III.

EARLY MINES AND MINING.

REPORT OF F. BIERTU -PATAGONIA (MOWRY) MINE DISCOVERY FIRST OWNERS THE EAGLE MINE THE SAN PEDRO MINE-EMPIRE OR MONTEZUMA MINE SANTA RITA MINING COMPANY-MARICOPA MINING COMPANY-SONORA EXPLORING AND MINING COMPANY CAHUABI MINING COMPANY — ARIZONA COPPER MINING COMPANY-SOPORI LAND AND MINING COMPANY-ARIZONA LAND AND MINING COMPANY-COLORADO RIVER COPPER MINE-STEVENSON MINE COMPANYHARRIS MINE-ST. AUGUSTIN MINING COMPANY-JACKSON, QUARTZ VEIN-SANTA RITA DEL COBRE-ABANDONMENT OF MINES CAUSED BY WITHDRAWAL OF UNITED STATES TROOPS. In Sylvester Mowry's book: "Arizona and Sonora," 3rd Edition, published in 1864, is given the report of F. Biertu, metallurgist, on the Mowry mine and others situated in that part of the country, which describes, perhaps better than can be done in any other way, the condition of the mining industry around Tubac and Tucson in the year 1860. The report is as follows:

"My first visit to the Patagonia Mine, now called Mowry Silver Mines, has lasted four days -the time necessary to give it a full examination in all its parts, and to make a careful assay of its ores. But why was it called the Patagonia Mine? Is it because it is situated in a desert inhabited only by Indians? Such were the ques

tions I put to myself while travelling, and which I thought might be answered affirmatively. Great was my surprise, however, when, instead of finding as I expected, barren mountains as at Washoe and Mono, I gazed on beautiful landscapes, and a country covered with trees of different kinds, with fertile lands perfectly watered. True it is that the nearest neighbors, the Apaches, are far from being even equal to the Patagonians; but this, it seemed to me, could not be a reason for giving to such a beautiful spot, which in spring must be covered with flowers, so savage a name. Mr. Mowry was perfectly right to alter it.

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"This property, containing about five hundred acres of land, is situated ten miles from parallel 32° 20′ north latitude, which forms the limit between Arizona and New Mexico, twenty miles from Fort Buchanan, fourteen from the town of Santa Cruz in Sonora, and at an elevation of 6160 feet from the level of the sea; and a good road, 280 miles in length, and which, with a little repair, might be made excellent, places it in direct communication with Guaymas. By this route, freight from San Francisco to the mine does not go beyond five cents per pound. The mine is situated on the last hills forming the eastern slope of the Sierra de Santa Cruz, and is bounded on the northeast by extensive plains covered with mesquit and oak trees, which reach the line of Sonora, whose elevated mountains rise in the horizon. Between these plains and the mine is to be seen the Sierra Espuela, called also Wachuka (Huachuca) Mountains.

"The road leading to the mine from Fort Buchanan crosses a range of hills, and mountains completely covered with oak, pine, sycamore, poplar, willow and hazelnut. The land and the hills around the mine are covered with green oak, cedar pine and manzanitas. The whole country abounds with rabbits, quail, and wild turkeys. It is not a rare occurrence to meet droves of deer and antelopes numbering from twenty-five to thirty. The amateur of more intense excitement may also indulge in bear and Apache hunting.

"About a mile from the mine, and near a little village, called Commission, of some fifteen houses, intended for the peons and laborers of the mines, there is a creek called Commission Creek, which is on the property itself, whose waters never dry up, and which are more than sufficient to run one or several mills. The buildings for residences, and those for stores and furnaces, are halfway between the mine and the small village. Near by there is a spring of excellent water, which also never dries up. There are other springs lost in the hills, and which may easily be turned to some purpose.

"The Lodes and Ores;-The principal lode of the Patagonia Mine is composed principally of argentiferous galena, and runs south 85° E. Its thickness, which increases as it dips in the earth -now eighty-three feet in depth-is of about three feet. Three small veins, excessively rich, cross each other in the main vein, all running in different directions. The size of these small veins varies from ten to nineteen inches. Other veins, whose outcroppings are visible on the top

of the hill, and which run in a parallel direction at a great distance, will, according to all probabilities, be met with as the working of the mine proceeds. No prospects have as yet been undertaken to ascertain the nature of these veins. The galena of the principal vein contains a small quantity of copper and arsenic. It seemed to me that I detected appearances of zinc, but I had no means to ascertain the fact. An assay of the different ores has given results varying from $80 to $706 in silver per ton, and up to sixty-two per cent of lead. Their reduction is of the utmost facility.

"The Shafts and Tunnels;-Unfortunately, all the operations perfected up to this day are, I might say, useless. The labor expended on shafts and tunnels has been conducted so carelessly-the different stratas of earth have been subjected to so little investigation, that while, on one hand unnecessary expense and labor have been incurred, on the other, a quantity of ore, sufficient probably to pay for the whole expense of the establishment, has been thrown aside as worthless. Ores which I have picked up on the creek, being assayed, have given the best results that I have obtained.

"But the actual owners of the mines are not the ones who ought to complain of the bad direction of the works, for, according to my idea, it is principally this bad management which has enabled them to purchase the whole mine at a comparatively low price. However, it will be easy to remedy the evil, either by beginning new works in a more suitable locality, or by modifying those already existing. The quality of the