Mineral Deposits of Eastern Califbrnia.—Fairbanks. 147 
tionecl. The ore is free milling, but stained with iron oxides. 
No iron pyrites are present on the surface. 
The Sacramento terminates this belt of mines on the north. 
Here is a vein in granite dipping less than 30 degrees. The 
quartz is hard but honeycombed, and from the amount of iron 
pyrites and chalcopyrite present it is judged that there will be 
found but little free gold with depth. 
In the mountains west and southwest of Benton there are 
many gold bearing quartz veins. As a rule the gold is asso¬ 
ciated with pyrites and other minerals, which makes its ex¬ 
traction difficult. In some mines there is a notable quantity 
of galena and other silver ores. The country rock is granite. 
A large number of gold bearing quartz veins are found 
scattered along the scarp of the Sierra Nevadas near Mono 
lake. These are mostly in metamorphosed sedimentary rocks. 
The most important mine is the Golita where there is a body 
of ore 50 to 70 feet wide, lying between limestone and a por¬ 
phyry-like rock. Gold and silver both occur here in nearly 
equal proportions. More iron pyrites is being encountered in 
the deeper workings and it is probable that the free gold will 
entirely disappear with depth. It is not definitely known in 
what manner the silver is combined. The deposit appears to 
be chiefly an impregnation of the acid porphyry. A vein of 
copper carbonate separates the gold and silver ores from the 
limestone. 
A very interesting group of gold mines is that on mount 
Scowdan, south of Mill Creek canon and near the summit of 
the Sierra Nevadas. This mountain rises to a hight of 11,500 
feet, being composed of granite except on the northwest where 
there are bodies of quartz porphyry and silicious metamorphic 
rocks. The mountain is seamed by quartz veins on three 
sides. Some stand vertically on its very summit, while oth¬ 
ers outcrop on the steep canon walls, dipping in at an angle 
of 30 degrees or less. While the greater number and more 
regular veins are in granite there are some in the porphyry 
and metamorphic rocks. The ore from all the^veins in the - 
granite is quite similar. The gold is found free in the super¬ 
ficial workings together with a little galena. In the deepest 
workings of the May Lundy mine the free gold disappears and 
its place is taken by iron pyrites. Next to Bodie, this is the 
most important gold district east of the Sierra Nevadas. 
