13 



hundred feet higher up the mountain. The strata are 

 inclined at high angles, the upheaval having been made at 

 or near the close of the cretaceous period. The dip is to 

 the northwest of the mine, being but slightly inclined from 

 the perpendicular. Iron ores, red hematites, which were 

 dug out at or near the surface, lie around the entrance of 

 the vein. Did not go into the mine, the wooden steps 

 being much decayed, and did not get any good specimens of 

 argentiferous galena from it. 



In the valley, on the the northwest side of the mountain, 

 about one mile distaat from the Padre mine, is a vein of 

 argentiferous galena from two to three feet thick, which 

 seems very promising. It is in hard limestones, which 

 contain large rhomboidal crystals of calcite. Here dig- 

 gings to, the depth of only two or three feet have been 

 made, and good specimens obtained at several places, the 

 vein extending one hundred or more feet. 



The most promising mineral region I have seen in the 

 State for rich ores of silver, lead and copper, is in and on 

 the outskirts of the Chinati mountain, in Presidio county. 



Mr. Williams, agent for the Central Railroad, in the 

 location of lands, says that he has seen more than one 

 hundred veins in different localities, of argentiferous 

 galena and copper there. Iron ore also abounds. Accom- 

 panied by him, I visited that region and examined some of 

 said veins. The Chinati mountains are from four thousand 

 to five thousand feet high, in the southwestern part of 

 Presidio county, the region examined being about twelve 

 miles eastward from Mr. Spencer' s, who has a large farm 

 on the Rio Grande, twelve miles above Presidio. 



The Spencer mine is in a ravine, near a fine spring, on 

 the western base of the mountains. It, like all others seen 

 by us in that region, is a fissure vein, extending across 

 the ravine, exposing a width of ten feet and extends up 

 the hills on both sid^s to an unknown distance. There 

 diggings have been made to a depth of about three feet; not 

 deep enough to see the dip or inclination of the vein. 



About sixteen years ago, Mr. Spencer took several cart 

 loads of surface ore from this vein into Mexico to be 

 smelted. It gave $20.50 of silver to the ton. No account 

 was taken of the lead. Since then great improvements have 

 been made in smelting silver ores. I gave some of the ore 

 from this locality to Mr. McCrary, of Omaha, who had it 

 a;nalyzed at Balbach's gpielting works in that city, who 



