affluent of the Rio Colorado of Arizona; further south, near the 35th parallel, the Sierra Madre proper, which consists of several isolated mountain chains, with low passes between them. Zuñi Pass and Navajo Pass are the most prominent. The projected line of the Kansas Pacific railroad passes through the latter at an altitude of 7,177 feet above the sea. From Zuñi Pass the Sierra Madre extends in a southeastern direction toward the Rio Grande Del Norte. Here the Madalena Mountains are situated. Another chain passes thence to the west, culminating in the Sierra Blanco near the boundary line, in Arizona Territory. Still further south the Pinos Altos and the unapproachable Burros Mountains interrupt the monotony of the tertiary plains. Between the Rio Puerco and the Rio Grande west of Santa Fé are the Jemez, and still further west the Nacimiento Mountains; north of them, those of the Tierra Amarilla and Abiquiu. All of them are known to be filled with minerals, but in most of them prospecting has not been carried on sufficiently to permit of giving details in this connection iu my present report.

The climate of New Mexico is mild and very healthy, the sky as clear as that of Italy, and the air transparent and pure. In fact, the very act of breathing in this country makes existence in it a pleasure. The soil is fertile wherever water for irrigation is at hand. Most of the plains are covered with a very nutritious grass, (grama grass;) but some of them are waterless, dry deserts, so that artesian wells will have to be resorted to for a supply of water. The mountains are covered with pine, cedar, oak, &c., and, together with the flowery meadows in the valleys, present a very pleasing scenery to the eye.

CHAPTER LV.

THE MORENO GOLD FIELDS.

The total product of gold of this Territory for the year from July 1, 1868, to July 1, 1869, is, according to the best informed sources, $500,000, coin value. There was no silver produced during the year, with the ex ception of the small quantity which occurred alloyed with gold. Although there are rich silver mines in the Territory, which have been worked by the Spaniards and Mexicans during the past centuries, all of them lie idle at present, for reasons which will be given in another part of this report.

The increase over the gold product of last year is mainly due to the discovery and development of the new mines on the headwaters of the Cimarron River, a branch of the Canadian, (not the so-called dry Cimmaron, which empties directly into the Arkansas.) These mines are sitnate under 36° 30' latitude and 105° longitude from Greenwich, around Baldy Mountain, a high peak in the Rocky Mountains, on Ute Creek and Moreno River, both of which are affluents of the Cimarron. The Ute Creek mines lie about seventeen miles from the town of Cimarron, (Maxwell's Ranch;) Elizabethtown, the principal mining town of Moreno district, is situate about twenty seven miles west of the town of Cimarron, and thirty-five miles northeast of Taos. According to Mr. M. Bloomfield's measurement, Baldy Mountain is 12,908 feet high.

The three principal mining districts organized in this region are: 1. Ute Creek district on the east side;

2. Willow Creek district on the south side; and

3. Elizabethtown on the west side of Baldy Mountain.

UTE CREEK DISTRICT.

The Aztec Mine is situate between Ute Creek and the Poñil River, in a range of silicious slate, which extends in an eastern direction from the foot of Baldy Mountain. It was discovered in the spring of 1868, by three miners, Lynch, Dogherty, and Fosley. These men, while prospecting at the base of the range, found some "float" quartz, rich in gold, which they traced to a "slide" forming a depression of the surface partly filled with decomposed vein matter. This material yielded as high as two and three dollars to the pan, (about twenty pounds of "dirt” or aurif erous gravel.) On this "slide" they worked for a while and finally found the lode higher up and nearly on top of the hill, at a point where the present main shaft is located. Two thousand feet east and one thousand feet west of this shaft are owned by the company-L. B. Maxwell Owning seven-twelfths, J. Dold one-sixth, Colonel Bergman one-twelfth, Shelby one-twelfth, and Lynch one-twelfth.

The shaft sunk on the property is ten by seven feet in the clear, and 100 feet deep. It follows the dip of the lode for about 90 feet at an angle of 750 northeast. At a depth of about 35 feet two drifts have been run into the lode in opposite directions, one bearing north 41° west, the other south 36° east. The drift toward the west is 120 feet, and that toward the east 110 feet long. The dip of the vein near the end of the latter drift is 65° northeast; its width in these openings is variable from a few inches to four feet. To within 90 feet from the surface both strike and dip of the lode are remarkably regular, but below that depth the dip changes very suddenly from 750 to nearly horizontal, and the bearing, which in the upper part of the shaft was north 56° west, turns apparently to north 710 west. It must be remarked, however, that correct observations are very difficult in a labyrinth of drifts, the planning and working of which certainly surpasses any irregularity which the lode itself may present to the eyes of men not used to mining on veins and unable to explain to themselves such disturbances, as in older mining countries are perfectly understood.

In this case a second vein, in places very rich and three and one-half feet wide, joins the lode. This is the true cause of the variation in strike and dip above spoken of. But, under these circumstances, it may be confidently expected that the irregularity appearing so great to inexperienced eyes, will be proved to be of little import by future developments. Although the strike of the lode may remain a different one from that found above, the former dip of the vein is very likely to appear again a little lower down. Some more iron and copper pyrites will undoubtedly make their appearance, and lean streaks may occur; but nevertheless, if the lode is worked according to a regular system, and especially if particular attention is paid to the constant development of new ore bodies in such a manner that sufficient reserves are always on hand for a steady supply of the mill, the vein will undoubtedly deserve to be called an uncommonly rich one.

The quartz of the Aztec contains, like nearly all the gold ores of that region, a large proportion of peroxide of iron, which gives it a brown color, similar to that of the Colorado surface ores. This ingredient is undoubtedly the product of the decomposition of iron pyrites. Some H. Ex. Doc. 207-25

decomposed feldspar, quartz in crystals, and occasionally a little carbo nate and sulphate of copper, are also present. A sean of copper pyrites is found in the bottom of the shaft. The slate, thin layers of which oecur in the lode, is often stained green by copper salts and contains free gold. So far all the gold is found to be perfectly free from any coating, generally finer than common gunpowder, and on an average much smaller in size than that found in the gulch claims below the lode. Wire gold is met with occasionally.

The Aztec mill is owned by the same parties who own the mine. It is situate on Ute Creek, in a well-watered and heavily-timbered region. and, according to measurements made by Mr. Bloomfield, 10,790 feet above the sea. A tramway 1,675 feet long has been constructed to carry the ore from the mine to the mill. The latter contains 15 stamps, was built by the Eagle foundery at Chicago, and cost, including freight, $8,000. The stamps weigh 425 pounds each, and drop at the rate of 33 times per minute. They are propelled by a twelve horsepower stationary engine. Nearly all the gold is amalgamated in the battery-box and a very small proportion only is taken from the amalga mated copper plates. A "clean-up" is generally made every other day. and the plates are washed with a solution of cyanide of potassium. The strained amalgam yields by retorting about half its weight in gold of very good quality. A lot of retorted gold from this mill, sent to the United States assay office at New York, assayed .8354 in gold and .159 in silver; another lot from the same mill, weighing 266.80 ounces, assayed .841 in gold, and .152 in silver; coin value $4,613 43; currency value $6,282 17, less $6 38 taxes=$6,275 79 net. Five men are em ployed in this mill, and one of the owners is the superintendent. Eighteen to twenty men are working in the mine, and keep four drills running in the day-time and two at night. Wood costs $2 35 per cord at the mill. From $2 to $2 50 and board is paid to the men; board is $1 per day. Lumber delivered at the mill costs $30, and mining timbers $15 per thousand feet. Freight from Sheridan, the terminus of the Kausas Pacific railroad, to the mines costs two and a half cents per pound, and from St. Louis five and a half cents.

The mill commenced crushing rock October 29, 1869. Colonel Berg man has kindly furnished me with an account of the work done; the yield of gold bullion is taken from the books of the Aztec Company: October, 1868, to April, 1869.

No. tons crushed

3

14

14

6

16

16

16

71

=

Which yielded 1,678 oz. 7 dwt. 13 grains of gold. This, sold at $22 currency per oz. amounted to $36,823 50.

Oz. dwt. grs. 111 7

327 1 12

May 7, cleaned up.
May 8, cleaned up.
May 20, cleaned up.
May 26, cleaned up.
June 2, cleaned up.
June 3, cleaned up.
June 3, cleaned up.
June 3, cleaned up.
June 4, cleaned up.
June 7, cleaned up.
June 10, cleaned up.
June 10, cleaned up.
June 20, cleaned up:
June 23, cleaned up.

June 27, cleaned up.

Sold at $22 currency per oz., $66,081 67.

Number of working days, 64; number of tons crushed, 960.
Average yield of ore, $63 83 currency.

October 29, 1868, to April 12, 1869.

April 12, 1869, to July 1, 1869.

Total

Average yield per ton of ore, $56 90 currency.

During the month of May, 1869, the mill was run for one week on very rich ore, which yielded at the rate of $3,000 per day.

The above statistics speak exceedingly well for the richness of the mine.

The Big Jackó or Montezuma lode was discovered lately by a miner called Big Jack, between Ute Creek and Black Horse gulch, within half a mile of the Aztec mill. It is reported to be even richer than the Aztec. L. B. Maxwell, the owner of the grant, is the principal shareholder in this claim, which is 3,000 feet long. He is putting up a 30stamp mill, 15 of which will be in operation by the end of October, 1869. The lode has been traced for about one mile. The discovery shaft is 50 and another shaft 40 feet deep. A tunnel, running on the lode, has been commenced, which is intended to strike the discovery shaft at a depth of 300 feet. About 600 tons of ore have been extracted. Two test-runs at the Aztec mill have given a result of $75 per ton, and the balance of the ore is expected to yield fully as high.

Considerable excitement prevails on account of this new discovery, and Colonel Watts, who has seen it, calls it the best lode in America. And indeed, if it does all it is expected to do, viz., if it is able to