ransome.] LODES OF CUNNINGHAM GULCH. 167 
Little Giant lode. — This lode, which lies between Big Giant and 
Arrastra gulches, has not been worked for many years, and its chief 
interest at present is a historical one. Discovered by Miles T. John- 
son in 1871, it was the first mine to be opened in the district, and, in 
contrast with the present mines in the vicinity, produced a gold ore. 
Such portions of this ore as were not shipped to Pueblo in the crude 
state were originally treated in arrastras. About 27 tons were treated 
in this way and yielded $150 per ton. In 1872 the Little Giant Com- 
pany was formed in Chicago to work the mine, and in the following 
year the company erected a mill equipped with a Dodge crusher, ball 
pulverizer, and 5 stamps. Power was supplied by a 12-horsepower 
engine. The mill was constructed 1,000 feet below the mine opening 
and the ore was brought down by the pioneer wire-rope tramway of 
the region. About 100 tons of ore were milled this year, producing 
about $14,500. The saving is said to have been about Go per cent of 
the assay value. The mine became involved in litigation, and this, 
coupled with the diminution of the pay shoot, led to its abandonment. 
The strike of the vein is X. 40 \\\, and its dip southwest. The pay 
streak is said to have been about 8 inches wide. 
LODES OF CUNNINGHAM GULCH. 
General. — Cunningham Gulch, named from one of the pioneers of 
Baker's company, is the largest of the various side gulches which 
open on the Animas River above Silverton. At an early date it was 
the scene of mining activity, and then gave promise of a develop- 
ment which has not yet been fulfilled. In 1899 and 1000 a little work 
was in progress on the Pride of the West, but otherwise the gulch 
above its junction with Stony Gulch contained no working mines. 
Above the Green Mountain mine the bottom of the gulch is excavated 
in the Algonkian schists, which immediately underlie considerable 
areas of the volcanic rocks of the quadrangle, but are seldom exposed 
in its central portion. The San Juan and Silverton formations lie 
upon the characteristically uneven erosion surface of the older schists. 
The lodes traverse both the schists and the overlying volcanic rocks, 
and thus afford opportunity for studying the changes, if any, that 
take place in the lodes when they pass from the older to the much 
younger formations. This investigation, however, is unfortunately 
seriously handicapped by the abandonment of most of the old work- 
ings, which lias rendered many of them inaccessible. The general 
course of most of the lodes in Cunningham Gulch is between N. 30° W. 
and N. 40° W. The 1 1 ighland Mary vein, however, is about N. 62° W. , 
and still other lodes run more nearly north and south. 
Highland Mar;/ mine. — This mine has it workings in the ancient 
schists at the point where Cunningham Gulch, rising by an abrupt 
ascent to a higher level, loses its narrow linear character. The schists 
which compose the country rock vary somewhat in mineralogical com- 
position, but the most common facies is an ordinary hornblende-schist 
