It is from the White Oaks district, however, that most of the actual
production of gold has come, lode gold being first discovered by modern
prospectors in 1879, on Baxter mountain. This was the beginning of White
Oaks, which was surveyed in the following year. The story of the famous
discovery is thus given : “A number of prospectors had been prospecting
the immediate vicinity for placer gold, among whom were George Wilson
and his partners, old Jack Winters and George Baxter. While the party
were eating dinner, Wilson took his lunch in his hand and strolled up the
side of Baxter mountain, where he climbed on the top of a large “blow-
out” and with his pick chipped off a piece of the rock, and on examination
was much surprised to find that it contained gold. He immediately re-
ported his find to those below, and staked out the North Homestake, which
was the first lode location made in the camp. On the same afternoon
Wilson relinquished his rights in the property to his partner. Jack Win-
ters, for $40, a pony and a bottle of whisky. Not a great while after this
MINING 953
deal, the discoverer of the lode mines of White Oaks disappeared and
was never heard of again.”
North Homestake passed through various hands, the first few years
of its existence netting its owners handsomely, both in production and the
sums realized in the sale of the property. It has been quite a steady pro-
ducer, and to the present is credited with about half a million dollars.
Soon after the first strike, the South Homestake, Old Abe, Little Mack,
Comstock and Rip Van Winkle mines were located.
Although discovered thus early, the true vein of the famous Old Abe
mine was not located until 1890. As a total depth of nearly 1,400 feet has
been reached without tapping water so as to interfere with the working of
the mine, it is not only the deepest in New Mexico, but one of the deepest
dry mines in the world. It is a free-milling gold mine, and the main streak,
varying from three to twenty-two inches in width, is a sulphide ore which
has averaged $8 per ton. A number of rich strikes have been made, and
among the remarkable geological occurrences encountered has been virgin
gold embedded in gypsum. The old shaft, 840 feet deep, collapsed in
March, 1896, the new shaft having been sunk, as stated, to a depth of some
1,400 feet. According to the latest figures, there are about 3,600 feet of
new drift and about 4,000 feet in the old works. The daily output of
Old Abe is about fifty tons of ore, which is treated on the ground, and
the total production in value is given at not far from $1,000,000. The
South Homestake is also credited witu a production equaling the latter
figures.
The total gold production of White Oaks district is about $3,000,000,
five or six gold mills being in constant operation. There are also large
iron deposits in the district, averaging from 58 to 68 per cent hematite
ore, as well as coal, indications of oil, and quarries of excellent marble
and building stone. All in all, it is one of the richest mineral regions in
the Territory.