Mystery Mine (Mystery Tunnel Mine; Minerals Exploration Co. property), Gleeson, Turquoise District (Courtland-Gleeson District), Dragoon Mts, Cochise Co., Arizona, USA

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‡Ref.: Wilson, E.D. (1927) Geology and ore deposits of the Courtland-Gleeson region, Arizona: Arizona Bureau of Mines Bulletin 123, 79 p.: 77-78.

Wilson, E.D., et al (1951), Arizona zinc and lead deposits, part II, Arizona Bureau of Mines Bull. 158: 17-19.

Galbraith, F.W. & D.J. Brennan (1959), Minerals of Arizona: 48, 80, 101.

Keith, Stanton B. (1973), Arizona Bureau of Mines Bull. 187, Index of Mining Properties in Cochise County, Arizona: 84 (Table 4).

Knudson, H.P. (1983), The Silver Bill mine, Gleeson, Arizona. Mineralogical Record: 14: 127-131.

Rocks & Minerals (1990): 65: 17 & 24.

Blair, Gerry (1992), The Rockhound's Guide to Arizona: Helena, MT, Falcon Press.

Niemuth, N.J. & K.A. Phillips (1992), Copper Oxide Resources, Arizona Department of Mines & Mineral Resources Open File Report 92-10: 5 (Table 1).

Anthony, J.W., et al (1995), Mineralogy of Arizona, 3rd. ed.: 122, 228, 247, 357, 374, 425.

Arizona Bureau of Mines files.

MRDS database Dep. ID file #10048117, MRDS ID #M800139; and, Dep. ID #10209798, MAS ID #0040030662.

A former small underground Pb-Zn-Ag-Cu-Au-Gemstone mine located on four patented claims in the SE ¼ sec. 29 & NE ¼ sec. 32, T.19S., R.25E. (Outlaw Mountain 7.5 minute topo map), and adjoins the Silver Bill on the east. Discovered in 1879 by J. McMann. Produced 1924-1942. Owned at times, or in part, by the Mystery Mining Co.; D. L. Roscoe and S. Pryor (1950); and, the Minerals Exploration Co.

Mineralization is oxidized lead, zinc, and minor copper ores in irregular replacement orebodies, controlled by fractures and faults in Pennsylvanian-Permian Naco Group limestone. Ore concentration was strong oxidation causing deposition of malachite and azurite. Associated rock units include the Gleeson Quartz Monzonite and the Sugarloaf Quartz Latite Porphyry.

Local structures include the Naco unit dipping 40-50NE near the quartz monzonite contact. The intrusion plane dips 5W, exhibiting only slight marbleization of the limestone.

At the adit portal, impure, dark gray Permian (?) limestone, dipping steeply southeastward, is intruded by quartz monzonite which, a short distance farther east, is in turn intruded by quartz-monzonite porphyry. The intrusive contact between the quartz monzonite and the limestone, as exposed in the adit, dips 5 degrees westward.

Workings include tunnels. Some 9,300 tons of ore were produced from 1924 to 1930 and 94 tons in 1942.

Mineral List

Anglesite Aragonite Aurichalcite Azurite Calcite Cerussite

Chalcopyrite Chlorargyrite Dolomite Galena Hematite Hemimorphite

Jarosite Kaolinite 'Limonite' Malachite Pyrite Pyrolusite

Quartz Rosasite Smithsonite 'Wad' Wulfenite

23 entries listed. 21 valid minerals.