Burro Mountains: A Treasure Seeker’s Field Briefing
Location & Access
The Burro Mountains lie roughly 60 to 70 miles from Deming [2]. 2) ran from Deming north to Cook’s Peak, then to John Brockman’s, Lone Mountain, Lyons & Campbell’s south pipeline, Cherry Creek, Oak Grove, and onward into the Burro Mountains before turning south to the Southern Pacific Railroad [4][7]. 5) passed through the head of Mangas Creek, Box Canyon, Telegraph, then west to Lawbaugh, Duck Creek, Sacaton, and Mogollon Creek, suggesting the Burros were a central crossroads for supply trails [11].
Mining Camps & Claims
An 1889 directory catalogs the camps ringing the Burro Mountains: **Gold Hill**, about 10 miles south; **Black Hawk**, 10 miles; **Telegraph**, 20 miles north; **Cow Springs**, 15 miles; **Bauna** and **Knott’s**, 12 miles southeast; and **Carlisle**, 40 miles northwest in the Steeple Rock range [1][3]. To the northeast 30 miles lay **Fleming** in the Bear Mountains; beyond that Silver City and Pinos Altos 9 miles further, then **Shakespeare** 23 miles, **Leitendorf** 9 miles west of Shakespeare, and **Stein’s Peak** and the **San Simon** districts 45 miles west [1][3]. By 1890 turquoise had been found in the **Cow Springs** district, on ancient workings that predated Spanish exploration and were then being restaked by Foley and Coleman [14].
The **Bonny Mine** appears as one of the richest local operations, with ore averaging $20 per ton and values as high as $80–100 per ton, breaking down to roughly $4.50/ton in gold, $4.00 in silver, and $12.50 in copper [8]. In 1882 the Burros were already being examined alongside Santa Rita, Lone Mountain, and Georgetown as part of the Silver City Mining and Milling Company’s holdings [15].
Copper Boom & Later Activity
By 1915 the range was center stage in a major copper strike. **Tyrone** (often called “Little Burros”) was being built by the Phelps Dodge Company into a large copper camp, with Lordsburg serving as its southern railhead [8]. The images of Tyrone and the Burro Mountains from that year show active development of the district [8].
Additional Search Hints
A cripple named Hutchinson—an associate of the outlaw Charley Small—was known to have “hung around in the Burros a long time” during the fall and winter of 1887–1888, suggesting remote camps where fugitives could hide [12]. Emery was loaded onto a burro and carried “many hours” to the Rogers Ranch on the Gila River [10][13]. Lucas’s court, hinting at the high value placed on pack animals in the district [9][5][6].
Legal & Ethical Closer
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…
- 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, …
- No… (1888)No. 5. Beginning at the south pipe line of Lyons & Campbell, thence through range of same to head of Mangas, thence north to box canon, on down to Telegraph, thence west to Lawbaugh and Duck creek, thence to…
- 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…
- 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…