Part 1

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OLD MINES OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

_Desert-Mountain-Coastal Areas_ _Including the Calico-Salton Sea Colorado River Districts and Southern Counties_

1965 Frontier Book Company Toyahvale, Texas 79786

_Reprinted From_ _The Report of The State Mineralogist 1893_ _Limited to 1000 copies_

LOS ANGELES COUNTY.

By W. H. Storms, Assistant in the Field.

The mining industry in this county is not as extensive as that of some of the neighboring counties, but there are mines in Los Angeles County of unquestioned value, and others which have a prospective value, dependent to a great extent upon the success achieved in working certain base ores, which occur in comparative abundance.

THE KELSEY MINE.

One of the most interesting mines in the county is located in the rugged mountains about 8 miles from the town of Azusa, in the San Gabriel Cañon. It is commonly known as the Kelsey Mine, and has become famous as a producer of silver ore of fabulous richness.

The country is made up almost entirely of metamorphic rocks, having schistose, gneissoid, and massive structure. Both hornblende and mica occur in these rocks abundantly, the former being frequently altered to chlorite, or by further change to epidote. Dikes of porphyritic rock have been intruded into the crystalline schists. In the immediate vicinity of the Kelsey vein are intrusions of a dark green, much decomposed, and shattered rock, probably diorite. Faults, great and small, are numerous throughout the region. Within a few hundred feet of the mine is a great fault, which may be plainly seen cutting the mountain. The displacement must reach many hundreds of feet. It has resulted in bringing in contact on a horizontal plane rocks of entirely different character. On the south side of the fault the rocks are made up of quite regularly bedded micaceous sandstones, more or less schistose, and having a prevailing buff or light gray color. These rocks dip east at an angle of 20° to 30°. On the north side of the fault the rocks are harder, of a dark gray color, and containing considerable hornblende. These rocks are more gneissoid and massive than schistose. The dip is much less regular than on the south side of the displacement. Large, lenticular masses of quartzose and feldspathic rock are of frequent occurrence in the hornblende gneiss, evidently the result of the segregation of the contained minerals. On the whole there is much more evidence of the disturbance on the north side of the fault than on the south side. It is in this area of greatly disturbed strata that the Kelsey vein has formed.

The vein is of the fissure type and occupies the line of a fault plane, that at first, perhaps, was a mere crack, but which has become enlarged by the movement upon themselves of the rock masses forming the walls, resulting in a grinding and crushing of the rocks by the attrition and pressure incident to this movement. Into this crevice mineral waters found their way, carrying in solution the minerals now constituting the vein.

_The Ore._—The silver occurs as native and as glance (argentite), possibly partly as chloride and in combinations with sulphur, cobalt, and arsenic. The associated minerals are cobalt bloom (erythrite), a hydrous cobalt arsenate, nickel arsenate (annabergite), carbonate and silicate of copper (chrysocolla), iron oxide, and black oxide of manganese in a gangue of baryta (heavy spar), with calcite (lime spar) and some quartz. A clay selvage usually separates the vein material from the wall, this feature being well developed in places on the foot wall side, as though open crevices had occurred and the finely divided material which was carried by the percolating waters had found a resting place when an open space was reached, the absence of any current permitting the material to settle.

The clay may have been derived in part from the decomposition of the overhanging wall, the fine silt settling by gravity on the foot wall side of the vein. In places a soft, clayey gouge constitutes the entire vein filling, suggesting that the clay selvage and gouge are also partly due to the attrition of the walls. Galena occurs sparingly in small disseminated crystals, but the occurrence is so infrequent as to be scarcely worth mentioning. In width the crevice varies from a thin seam to over 4 feet. A banded structure is not uncommon in the vein.

The rocks inclosing the vein differ in various parts of the mine. A much decomposed rock, containing iron in the form of carbonate, occurs frequently, while a chloritic, more or less schistose, sometimes massive, rock, also plays an important part in this connection. The dike of dark basic rock, resembling diorite, previously referred to, is exposed at numerous places throughout the workings, often in contact with the vein, or close to it. Since its formation the Kelsey vein has been subjected to severe torsion, which has resulted in abrupt fracture and displacement. To me it seemed very probable that the vein was the result of chemical precipitation, and no doubt, to some extent, the replacement of country rock along the line of a fissure or fault plane; that subsequent to the filling in of the vein the region was subjected to further violent disturbances, which fractured the rocks along an east and west course, and causing the turning of a large mass of rock formation lying south of this fault to the west. The vein being included in the general movement, was deflected from its natural course north and south. I came to these conclusions from close observations taken along the surface of the ground on the course of the vein, and in all accessible underground workings.

Most of the ore extracted from these workings has been high grade, usually running over $200 per ton, small lots often assaying several thousand ounces. The property, at the time of my visit last spring, was under the management of Dr. Endlich, E.M. This gentleman was making every effort to systematically open and recover a vein that had been as systematically and outrageously gouged. The workings were in bad condition and at some points were positively dangerous. The mine was gradually assuming an improved appearance and promised to yield better returns than ever before. A good mill has been erected at the foot of the mountain, in the San Gabriel Cañon, where a large stream of water flows during the entire year. An office, boarding house, stables, corrals, etc., had been built for the accommodation of men and animals. In addition to this I found a complete assay office and chemical laboratory, and here Dr. Endlich was experimenting with the rich cobalt and nickel ores. As a result of his labors in this direction he exhibited several bars of cobalt speiss containing a very high value in silver. The assorted ore contains from 7 to 15 per cent in cobalt, 2 to 3 per cent nickel, and from 1,000 to 1,400 ounces silver per ton.

Dr. Endlich thus describes his methods: “The ore is crushed through a twenty-mesh sieve, mixed with sufficient litharge to produce an 8 per cent charge, and enough borax is added to take up the gangue (quartz, heavy spar, carbonate of lime, magnesia, and iron). Carbonate of soda and flour are mixed with the charge. If the percentage of arsenic in the ore is sufficiently high to produce speiss none is added; otherwise some metallic arsenic is mixed in. Some sulphides in the ore and reduced sulphur from the heavy spar are utilized to produce mattes. The mixture is melted in large Dixon crucibles; the slag poured off, and the metallic product allowed to cool. The bars obtained are composed of lead, silver, cobalt, nickel, arsenic, and sulphur, principally; the lead being in the form of sulphide, the cobalt and nickel in the form of arsenides. The bars contained from 4,500 to 7,000 ounces silver per ton. The slag contained a trace of silver, and averaged about 0.75 per cent cobalt, which can be worked over by arsenizing, if desired, and the cobalt obtained in the resulting speiss.”

At this writing about 560 pounds of ore has been treated in this way and the product shipped to Balbach’s works in Newark, N. J., for refining.

THE VICTORIA MINES.

This property is situated but a short distance from the Kelsey Mine. The Victoria Mine was operated under English management for an English syndicate two or three years ago. Lately all operations have been suspended. The property, whatever it may be worth, is a monument to mismanagement of the worst sort.

THE LORDSBURG STAMPEDE.

In the month of March, 1892, the report went abroad that rich silver and gold-bearing rock had been found in the mountains north of Lordsburg, 28 miles east of the city of Los Angeles. So glowing were these stories that a general stampede for the new mining field ensued. Farmers left their homes, merchants and clerks in some instances temporarily closed their stores to join in the rush to Lordsburg. Unfortunately the stories proved to be unfounded, and, after three weeks of excitement, all had left the mines excepting a very few, who still had hopes of making a find.

CEDAR MINING DISTRICT.

Fifty-five miles by rail northeast from Los Angeles, on the line of the S. P. R. R., is the Cedar Mining District, the principal village being about the railway station called Acton. In the low hills about Acton, which rise out of the valley that skirts the northern base of the San Gabriel range of mountains, are located the gold mines which have been worked for many years by Mexicans and Americans.

THE RED ROVER.

This is the name of the principal mine in the district. It was located and worked many years since by Mexicans, but has during the past eight or ten years been in the hands of Americans. The vein strikes northwest and southeast, dipping to the southwest at an angle of 50° from the horizon. The rock is a white, fine-grained, saccharoidal quartz, showing in places bluish bands. It contains free gold in variable amount, with some iron sulphuret. A very large amount of quartz has been stoped from the vein and crushed in various mills.

The Red Rover is quite extensively developed, the new vertical shaft being down over 400 feet. The old inclined shaft, which is sunk on the vein, is down 220 feet. Several levels are run out from both these shafts, which are 200 feet apart. The new shaft was sunk between the main vein and a spur which branches from it. A crosscut was run out toward the spur, which is opened on the surface, but it was found it did not go down. A crosscut was then run toward the main vein, which was found intact, and a drift was carried in 60 feet on the vein.

The country rock is mostly massive metamorphic, very much broken and faulted. Nearly every mine in the district has been displaced more or less by these faults. For some reason the Red Rover has been shut down for some months past. It is understood that operations are to be resumed.

THE NEW YORK MINE

Is situated within half a mile of the Red Rover, and is similar in character. The quartz is said to mill $10 to $25 per ton. The owner has a five-stamp mill, which is complete and does good work. The vein is from 1 to 3 feet in width. It has produced considerable bullion.

Other mines of the vicinity are the Topeka, Union, Escondido, King of the West, and Santa Clara, each of which has seen better days. The first three mentioned have been large producers, but are worked down to the water line, and a base ore proposition now faces the owners in the form of iron pyrites.

IN THE MAIN RANGE.

Up in the main range of the San Gabriel Mountains, on the north slopes of this rugged chain, are located a number of veins, on which considerable work has been done. The veins are well defined, ranging from 1 to 4 feet in width, striking northwest and southeast, and dipping uniformly to the northeast at a high angle. All of these veins contain gold, but all quickly run into sulphurets. All the mines are idle at present, but something brighter is hoped for. The sulphurets are said to contain sufficient gold to make chlorination profitable. If this is actually the case there is an abundance of material to work upon.

LIPARITES AND TUFAS

In the region about Acton are many hills of liparite (quartz-bearing trachyte) and tufa, which are identical with the rhyolites of the Calico region—the same violet-brown, porphyritic liparite; the same pea-green and buff-colored tufas; the same conglomerate; in fact, an exact facsimile of the Calico range. There are no great beds of sedimentary rock, however, and these liparite hills are comparatively small, isolated masses. As far as my knowledge goes ores of silver have never been found in these rocks in the Acton district. Careful prospecting may possibly discover such ores.

PROSPECTS OF THE CAMP.

Owing to the fact that the gold mines of this district have been worked to the water line, almost without exception, what now remains to be done to perpetuate the prosperity of the district, is to concentrate the sulphurets, working them by chlorination in works built in the district. Wood and water are both obtainable at moderate cost, and the sulphuretted ores of this district that contain but a very few dollars per ton should pay. The cost of mining, transportation, crushing, and concentrating should not exceed, ordinarily, $5 per ton of quartz, and the expense of treating the concentrates should be under $10 per ton. Base ores containing $10 per ton as it comes from the vein should realize a profit in this district, and I am told that many of the mines produce rock of a much better grade than that mentioned.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY; ALSO ORANGE AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES.

By Harold W. Fairbanks, F.G.S.A.

The topography of this region has been quite thoroughly described by W. A. Goodyear, in former reports of the State Mining Bureau. The structure of San Diego County is comparatively simple. Three main divisions might be made: the desert on the east, the Peninsula range of crystalline rocks in the middle, and the nearly level mesa on the west. The Peninsula range is supposed to represent the southern continuation of the Sierra Nevadas, but in just what relation it stands to the Sierras has been a matter of dispute. The Peninsula range in San Diego County forms one main mountain chain. It maintains this simplicity of structure southward, forming the backbone of the peninsula of Lower California. Northward it becomes broader and more complex, rising in the lofty San Jacinto and San Bernardino ranges on the east, and the Santa Ana range on the west, while the region between is filled with mountains and valleys irregularly disposed.

Complex as is the topography of this region, the geological problems, though often difficult to solve, are quite simple. The higher mountains are formed wholly of ancient crystalline schists and massive rocks, respecting the age of which a great diversity of opinion has existed; while the region bordering the coast consists of unaltered Cretaceous, Tertiary, and Quaternary deposits.

Owing to the very limited time given me to prepare my field notes for the press, they will be given substantially as they were taken in the field, without any attempt at systematic arrangement.

The crystalline rocks of San Diego County are varied in character, and of much interest. No opportunity has been given me to study the large collection made, and the determinations given are simply the result of superficial examination, and are subject to correction.

The bay of San Diego is bordered on the east by gently sloping mesas of modern Tertiary and Quaternary age. These unaltered strata are characteristic of the western slope of the Peninsula range through its whole extent. They sometimes rise as high as 3,000 feet; though in San Diego County they do not exceed 1,500 feet. The upper portion of these beds consists to a great extent of coarse, loosely cemented conglomerates. The rivers issue from the higher mountains through narrow valleys or cañons, and have cut valleys, often quite broad and with very steep sides, through the mesas to the ocean.

The Otay mesa has a height of about 500 feet, the western portion being somewhat higher than the eastern, indicating a recent elevation near the coast. The soil of the mesa is adobe, due to the decay of porphyry mountains to the east. Under the adobe there is a calcareous marl, often many feet thick.

The first exposure of the older rock seen as one goes up the Otay River, is in a hill rising through the mesa about in the center of the grant. It is a part of the extensive porphyry intrusives, which, in southern San Diego County, form a number of high mountains between the granite and the mesa. To this formation belong the San Miguel and Otay peaks. This exposure on the Otay River is a felsitic breccia. It contains a felsite base (intimate mixture of quartz and feldspar), in which are imbedded fragments of felsite and chlorite. No more rocks appear for about 2 miles up the river. Then we reach the base of the long ridges which lead up to the Otay Peak. Some interesting rocks are exposed where the stream issues from the cañon. The greater portion are fine dark to greenish aphanitic rocks, with green chloritic or epidotic nodules. Bunches and dikes of coarse to fine grained porphyritic rocks occasionally appear. They probably belong to the diorite porphyrites. The rock continues very much the same for several miles farther east; at times it is almost wholly feldspar. In the cañon above El Nido Post Office it changes to a light green feldspar porphyry. Near the western edge of the Jamul grant a dark-colored porphyry takes its place, and a little farther east it becomes jet black, with small white feldspar crystals, producing a very pretty effect.

The mesa conglomerates extend along the top of the low hills bordering the valley nearly to the eastern edge of the Jamul grant. A great variety of rocks appear along the Campo road between the Jamul grant and Sheckler’s, on the Cottonwood. Near the eastern end of the grant the porphyry is followed by fine-grained granitic rock, frequently becoming schistose. Numerous dikes and bunches of dark diorite cut through this rock. As Dulzura Post Office is approached, these rocks change to mica and hornblende schists, and are filled with intruded dikes of diorite porphyrites. Bodies of massive syenite and coarse granite were also seen. About Dulzura many of the dikes have the appearance of diabase. Between Dulzura and Sheckler’s the country rock is largely micaceous and chloritic schists. Massive granite forms the high, rugged mountains east, extending in an arm westerly across the road. The schists have a northwest strike, vertical dip, and are evidently of metamorphic origin. They form a strip of country extending in the line of strike from near Sheckler’s to the Sweetwater River, and are situated between the wide belt of porphyry on the west and the coarse intrusive granites on the east, which rise to form Lyon’s Peak and other rugged mountains.

The first rock met east of Sheckler’s, on the Campo road, is coarse hornblendic granite, so decomposed that a fresh specimen could not be obtained. Dikes of fine-grained granite intersect it in every direction. Three miles west of Potrero, mountains of olivinitic diabase rise on the north side of the road. This rock is very similar to many large bodies of intrusives through the mountains between Julian and the Tia Juana River. It has evidently been intruded into the granite, for dikes extend out, intersecting the latter rock.

Potrero is located in a valley of several hundred acres in extent, and surrounded by granite mountains. It has an elevation of 2,400 feet. South of Potrero, along the boundary line, the mountains show large areas of the dark dioritic and diabasic rocks. The hills immediately south of the valley consist of hornblendic gneiss; strike east and west. Eastward, toward Campo, the rock is chiefly a coarse white granite, very easily decomposed. It shows a slightly gneissoid structure for a number of miles. It does not seem to represent the bedding of a sedimentary rock, but of parallelism of the constituents, induced in the magma by movement or pressure. Long, drawn out, lenticular inclusions are often present, and are arranged parallel to the schistose structure. These consist largely of hornblende, with little feldspar.

In the vicinity of Campo the topography of the country changes from that of high mountains and deep, narrow valleys, to an elevated mountain plateau with meadows and rounded granite ridges. The mountains are covered with brush, while live oaks are numerous in the valleys. The country maintains these features while gradually rising to the divide 8 miles east of Campo. The granite is so deeply decomposed along the summit region that no good samples could be obtained. Campo has an elevation of 2,600 feet. The bare, rounded ridges closely resemble those left by glacial action, but their slope is produced simply by the cleaving off successively of the more angular portions in great slabs. Many fine examples of this manner of decay appear about Campo. The corners are decomposed faster than the smooth surfaces, and thus finally a shelly concentric structure results. The fresh massive central portion weathers out like water-worn bowlders. The presence of rugged angular ridges results either from a less inherent tendency to decay, or to a comparative freedom from crushing. Four miles northeast of Campo is an outcrop of coarse hornblendic granite, with large six-sided mica scales and numerous yellow crystals of titanite. The height of the divide is 3,800 feet. Near the summit the rocky ridges all disappear and the country becomes covered with granitic sand. Erosion here is evidently very slight. The country descends gradually on the east to Jacumba Valley, being sandy for some distance. This finally gives place to bare, rocky ridges and cañons. Veins of fine granite, and others of feldspar and quartz, are abundant on the eastern slope.

Before reaching Jacumba Valley a body of mica and hornblende schist is encountered. The schists do not form a regularly defined belt, but often appear as inclusions in the granite. These inclusions have a very variable strike, and from their relation to the granite it is evident that the latter is intrusive.

Jacumba Valley empties northward into the desert through a narrow gorge. It has an elevation of 2,600 feet, the same as that of Campo. It is several square miles in extent, the greater part of which is in Lower California. The warm springs here are considered quite medicinal. The schists just described occupy a large area west and north of the cañon through which the valley empties. They are cut in every direction by dikes of granite and others, consisting of a very coarse aggregate of quartz and feldspar with a little muscovite mica. A high mountain several miles north of the valley is distinctly ribbed all over by them. The schists extend northward toward those which outcrop on the eastern slope of the Laguna Mountains and at Julian, but are cut off by a body of intrusive granite. They undoubtedly belong to the same series. Gold-bearing veins have been found in them a little north of Jacumba Valley.