Mr. Pickering's mistress' mine, Cerro Ubina, Tolopampa, Antonio Quijarro Province, Potosí Department, Bolivia

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In the mid-1970’s, Paula and I became friends with Jean Bandy, spending numerous week-ends with her and other friends. As she was trying to decide what to do with the collection, after having been rebuffed by Vince Manson and the American Museum, she had boxes of minerals that Mark had packed away that she needed to open up and sort. As we went through this process, she would occasionally offer me a gift of a specimen.

On one fine Saturday, we opened up one box and we unwrapped several specimens of black sphalerite crystals on large octahedral pyrite crystals. I had noticed one of these in the main collection labeled Ubina, Bolivia. As we looked at these specimens, I asked Jean if she remembered a mine name. She laughed, and after qualifying her answer that since all of the people involved had long since died, she told me they used to refer to it as Mr. Pickering’s Mistress’ mine.

Mark Bandy was serving as a mine superintendent at one of the mines Mr. Pickering oversaw. At the time, it was common knowledge that not only did Mr. Pickering have a mistress but that she was better paid than any of his superintendents, including Mark. Anyway, the mine where the pyrites came from was one in which Mr. Pickering had advised his mistress to invest some of her income. Jean could not remember any other name for the mine other than the one Mr. Pickering’s staff/spouses had given it.

She gave me three specimens from that box and I so enjoyed the story that I am the one who has perpetuated this mine name.

[Les Presmyk 2010]

Mineral List

Pyrite

Siderite

Sphalerite

3 entries listed. 3 valid minerals.