402 GEOLOGY AND GOLD DEPOSITS OF THE CRIPPLE CREEK DISTRICT. 
of quartz as confused masses of tubular rods. The rock near the vein contains much 
fine-grained pyrite, and is said to carry values in places. 
The veins exposed on levels 4 are oxidized sheeted zones with large vugs filled 
with smoky quartz. Much of the surrounding rock shows distinct silicification, 
and opal is probably being deposited at the present time. 
The ore shoot is confined chiefly to the Pharmacist vein, east of the inter¬ 
section, up to the Pharmacist line, though some ore wa§ also mined on the upper 
levels of the Zenobia vein. Very little stoping has been done below level 5 on the 
incline; a small shoot was, however, found on level 8, 50 feet northeast of the foot 
of the incline. The veins exposed on level 4 of the vertical shaft contain poor 
values, though reports indicate that subsequent prospecting has developed ore of 
better tenor. 
MERCER MINE. 
The Mercer mine is located on the Wilson claim, just south of the main street 
of Altman. It lies between the Pinto and the Deadwood mines and is owned by 
the Free Coinage Company, though worked under lease to Mr. D. N. Mercer. The 
production is estimated at $200,000. The underground development consists of an 
incline shaft 350 feet deep and about 600 feet of drifts. The workings are entirely 
in latite-phonolite, though the 550-foot level of the Pinto mine, directly beneath, 
is in breccia. 
The shaft is sunk on the Wilson vein, which strikes N. 35° E. and dips very 
steeply to the northwest, with local variations. A crosscut to the southeast on 
the 50-foot level discloses a vein of practically parallel strike 15 feet from the Wil¬ 
son vein and dipping toward it. The two veins come together just above the 120- 
foot level, the junction being approximately horizontal. The two veins appear to 
merge into one and to so continue to the bottom of the workings. 
A small bunch of ore was found on the main Wilson vein above the junction, 
the screened ore of which yielded 10 ounces per ton. No ore has been found on the 
branch vein. At the junction of the two veins a good body of ore was found. The 
united vein consisted of a 7-inch band of fluorite and many narrow seams in the 
oxidized latite-phonolite, all carrying rusty gold and a very little telluride. The 
fluorite decreases below and finally gives out, but the values continue. Near the 
junction some of the ore held gray copper and contained up to 15 ounces of silver 
per ton, but very little tetrahedrite was found below this point. About 10 per 
cent of the rock broken passed through a one-fourth inch screen, giving values of 
13 to 62 ounces per ton. One-third of the total passed through a 1-inch screen 
and ran from 14 to 5 ounces per ton. The stope averages 4 feet wide, 180 feet long, 
and 150 feet deep and continues to the line between the Mercer and Murphy mines. 
The deepest point is on the 300-foot level near this line, and the 550-foot level of 
the Pinto failed to find ore. In sinking the shaft from the 210- to the 250-foot point 
a rich pocket in the ore shoot was found, which produced $11,000 This entire 
ore shoot was taken out by underhand stoping, as in that way more fines were pro¬ 
duced and a better saving of values effected. 
A small stope is now worked on another ore body above the 250-foot level and 
180 feet northeast of the shaft. The values here are confined principally to dark, 
