History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 168
[7], iv-vii, [2], 10-826, [2] p., [56] leaves of plates : ill., ports. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this book.
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HISTORY OP TEXAS.
, The copper ores of trans-Pecos Texas have
been known for many years, and considerable
prospecting has been done on them. There
is, however, only one mine in operation at
present-the Hazel mine in the Diabolo
mountains, near Allamore, El Paso county.
This mine is situated at the foot of the Sierra
Diabolo on a lime-spar lead cutting through
a red sandstone. The principal ore is copper
glance or sulphide of copper, at times carrying
a good deal of wire silver, and occasionally
rich pockets of grey copper. This pay
streak runs in a vein from a few inches up
to ten feet in width, in a gangue of strongly
siliceous limestone, which.is also impregnated
with the ore. The width of this
gangue is in some places as much as thirtyfive
feet, and the material is a low grade ore
of about $15 per ton.
In the Carrizo mountains and further
south in the Apache or Davis mountains are
other good copper prospects, in addition to
the many outcrops in the Quitman mountains
and Sierra Blanca region which show
copper at the surface.
Lead arid Zinc.-While many finds of
lead ore have been reported in many portions
of the State, all those outside of the central
mineral region and trans-Pecos Texas have
proved to be merely float specimens. In the
central mineral region the lead ore occurs
sparingly in veins in the older rocks, under
similar conditions and within the same area
as marked out for the copper ores, but it is
principally found in the rocks of the Cambrian
or Silurian age under circumstances
similar to those in which it is found in
Missouri.
Perhaps the most extensive " digging " on
any of the veins of galena was thb of the
Sam Houston Mining Company, who worked
in the Riley mountains. This shaft, whichfollowed the irregular course of the vein, was
160 feet, or possibly more, in depth. There
was a string of galena, sometimes widening
out and sometimes almost entirely missing,
but enough ore was not secured to satisfy the
owners and work was stopped.
The deposits which occur in the horizon of
an age apparently corresponding to that of
the Missouri galena ores have been prospected,
chiefly in Burnet county. TLe
principal work is at Silver Mine Hollow.
The galena is not only scattered through the
sandy, feringiions vein material, but is
found abundantly in the adjacent dark gray
to green magnesian limestone. Its original
source is probably the " cavern limestone"
of the Silurian, but up to the present time
there has not been sufficient development to
make it possible to speak with any degree of
certainty regarding the exact locality of the
ores.
No zinc ores at all are known in the central
mineral region.
In trans-Pecos Texas ores of both lead and
zinc are very abundant and contain silver
and gold in variable quantities. The prospects
of the Qnitman mountains and vicinity
are the best known. These mountains are
crossed by numerous vein outcrops and indications
of ore, and wherever prospecting
holes have been sunk -there are promising
indications, and even distinct veins of leadcarrying
silver, most of them at least having
traces of gold. Occasionally, also, tin is
present. The outcrops are generally composed
of iron silicates, with probably some
carbonate and oxide of iron, usually containing
a little silver; a few feet below the surface
the copper stain begins; deeper down
the quantity of copper increases and traces
of lead appear with the copper. This becomes
stronger the lower the shaft is sunk)9
A
168
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History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. (Book)
Book containing a brief overview of the state of Texas and more specific focus on six specific counties, with extensive biographical sketches about persons related to the history of those places. An alphabetical index of persons who are included follows the table of contents at the front of the book.
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Lewis Publishing Company. History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties., book, 1893; Chicago, Illinois. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29785/m1/173/?rotate=270: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.