The Burro Mountains: A Mining District in the Heart of Grant County
A Geography of Extraction
A contemporary account in 1889 listed these camps: Gold Hill, some ten miles south; Black Hawk, ten miles distant; Telegraph, twenty miles north; Cow Springs, fifteen miles away; Bauna and Knott’s, twelve miles southeast; and further to the northwest, forty miles, the Carlisle camp in the Steeple Rock range [1][3]. To the northeast, thirty miles, lay Fleming in the Bear mountains; beyond that, Silver City and Pinos Altos were nine miles farther; Shakespeare stood twenty-three miles west, with Leitendorf nine miles west of Shakespeare; and Stein’s Peak and the San Simon districts were forty-five miles west [14]. The mountains also appeared in a stock-raising route: a beginning at Deming, then north to Cook’s Peak, on to John Brockman’s, then Lone Mountain, Lyons & Campbell’s south pipeline, Cherry Creek, Oak Grove, and finally to the Burro Mountains, before turning south to the Southern Pacific railroad [4][7].
Journeys and Hazards
Their fortunes changed when one of the party, who had lived in New Mexico for several years, spotted an old acquaintance in the crowd, a man known as Apache George, to whom he had previously extended some kindness [2].
During the early part of the fall and winter of 1887–1888, a crippled outlaw named Hutchinson reportedly hung around in the Burros for a long time, possibly a companion of the notorious Charley Small [12]. Emery was almost 60 years of age [11][13].
Law and Livelihood
The justice disregarded the protest and gave judgment for Bottom [10][5][6]. Burros were also a matter of public nuisance; an 1889 editorial declared flatly, "Burros should not be allowed to run at large" [9].
Ancient Mines and Modern Capital
Turquoise was also found in the Cow Springs district [15].
The average values were about $4.50 per ton in gold, $4.00 per ton in silver, and $12.50 in copper [8].
Sources
- There are a number of other mining camps… (1889)There are a number of other mining camps in the Burro mountains. Gold Hill, some ten miles south of here ; Black Hawk, ten miles, and Telegraph twenty miles north ; Cow Springs, fifteen miles, and Bauna and Knot…
- Our destination was the Burro mountains… (1891)Our destination was the Burro mountains some sixty or seventy miles from Deming and we had our choice either to walk or purchase a conveyance and ride, but as walking was out of the question, we had decided …
- Silver City Enterprise — 1888-1890 (full OCR, Internet Archive) — 1889-02-22 (1889)our courts of justice are almost a farce. Our ladies are much given to equestrian- ism. Numbers of them may be seen daily in- dulging in their favorite exercise. Vic Culbertson, manager of the GOS brand on …
- No… (1888)No. 2. Beginning at Deming, thence north to Cook’s peak, and continuing on to John Brockman’s, thence to Lone mountain, . thence to Lyons & Campbell’s south pipe line, thence to Cherry creek, thence to Oak Grove…
- knew about the age, habits and moral char-… (1889)knew about the age, habits and moral char- acter of the animal. They all disagreed how- ever, about his identity or to who he belonged. The poor burro himself was tied up in front of the squire’s office but …
- Silver City Enterprise — 1888-1890 (full OCR, Internet Archive) — 1889-04-05 (1889)Last Monday a lively and interesting trial took place in Justice H. W. Lucas’ court. The title of the cause is Charles Bottom vs. J. H. McKenzie. The subject of the suit was a burro. Bottom replevened the …
- Silver City Enterprise — 1888-1890 (full OCR, Internet Archive) — 1888-06-08 (1888)ing at Deming, thence north to Cook’s peak, and continuing on to John Brockman’s, thence to Lone mountain, . thence to Lyons & Campbell’s south pipe line, thence to Cherry creek, thence to Oak Grove, thence …
- Image 1 of Western liberal (Lordsburg, N.M.), December 24, 1915, (Mining Review) (1915) ↗ · details91516 Western liberal lining Review m Volume XXIX No 6 Lordsburg New Mexico Friday December 21 1915 SUBSCRIPTION 13 PER YEAR BINGIE CoriKS TEN CENTS Big Strike in Copper Camps Ninety Miles To North r LORDSBURG j rle i I iWo yT 1 TYPICAL SCE…
- Silver City Enterprise — 1888-1890 (full OCR, Internet Archive) — 1889-02-08 (1889)s epithet, and for his temerity receiv- ed a sever thwack on the eye by a Chinaman be- longing to one of the six companies and the only representative of his company in town. Then the row began in earnest,…
- Last Monday a lively and interesting trial… (1889)Last Monday a lively and interesting trial took place in Justice H. W. Lucas’ court. The title of the cause is Charles Bottom vs. J. H. McKenzie. The subject of the suit was a burro. Bottom replevened the mor…
- H… (1888)H. H. Whitehill and Mr. Emery, an old time prospector, who have been prospecting near the headwaters of the Gila, have been in pretty hard luck. While several miles from any ranch Mr. Emery, in some manner, …
- Yesterday Buck Galbraith, jailer here, re-… (1888)Yesterday Buck Galbraith, jailer here, re- ceived a letter from Von Heine, the ex-soldier who was in jail here with Charley Small, stating that it is none other than that notorious and dangerous individual who l…
- Silver City Enterprise — 1888-1890 (full OCR, Internet Archive) — 1888-04-06 (1888)H. H. Whitehill and Mr. Emery, an old time prospector, who have been prospecting near the headwaters of the Gila, have been in pretty hard luck. While several miles from any ranch Mr. Emery, in some manne…
- Fleming, thirty miles to the northeast, in the… (1889)Fleming, thirty miles to the northeast, in the Bear mountains; Silver City and Pinos Altos nine miles beyond the latter; Shakespeare, twenty-three miles, and Leitendorf still nine miles west of that; Stein’s Peak…
- W. J. Foley called on the Enterprise Satur- (1890)d before powder or iron implements came into use, which would indicate that they had been worked and probably abandoned before the Spanish explorers, those men of iron, discovered this country, something like thr…
- Silver City Mining and Milling Company — Incorporation Papers (1882) (1882) ↗ · detailshe Santa Rita, Burros, Lone Moun- tain and Georgetown I find the work of developing mines and construction of reduction works pushed with all possible rapidity. A vast quantity of ore is being taken out for…