New Mexico Mineral Symposium — Abstracts

The Mineral Collector, published from March 1894 until February 1909, was America's first popular mineral magazine. The 15-yr run recorded the mineral collecting history of the nation during a period of intense interest in the natural sciences. Articles and advertisements highlight the mineral specimens coming out of New Mexico. The information from this magazine, coupled with correspondence and reports found in the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources mining archives, provides a record of the collecting history of New Mexico during the period.

The first New Mexico mineral specimen encountered in the magazine is in the fourth issue, and it is the editor himself, Arthur Chamberlain, advertising "Peridotes, N.M., one-half carat 50cts." Later that year Chamberlain advertises "Descloisite, N.M." probably from Lake Valley. George English advertises "Shipments from New Mexico" and follows the ad with a list of material including "Cerussite from New Mexico in elegant groups of twins 5 ¢ to $5.00; large museum specimens, $10.00 to $25.00." "Yellow wulfenites" soon follow and, along with the cerussite, probably came from the Stephenson—Bennett mine in the Organ Mountains. An article by Maynard Bixby mentions silver specimens from Bullard Peak, the Solid Silver and Bremen mines near Silver City, and the Bridal Chamber at Lake Valley. Some dubious localities are also advertised (not unlike today), such as the American Jewel mines offering "Aquamarine that abounds in New Mexico and Arizona!"

First mention of smithsonite, "of a color and and luster which exceeds that of the Grecian specimens" is an advertisement by A. E. Foote in the first issue of 1895. F. G. Hillman offers quartz crystals from New Mexico in addition to an editorial note about their unusual shapes and colors that suggests they are the first offered from the Steeple Rock/Mule Creek area. The unusual pink chalcedony "buttons" from around Socorro also make their appearance in the magazine at this time. "Quartz, small red crystals from New Mexico, very pretty, 10 ¢ each, 3 for 25 ¢. postpaid" are offered in 1895 by Niven & Hopping, marking the first documented sales of Pecos diamonds.

The "glory days" of New Mexico minerals in the popular literature and advertisements spanned the years from 1894 to 1899. Ads offer wulfenite, cerussite, altaite, flos ferri, and quartz from Organ; smithsonites and cerussites from Magdalena; red descloisite and silver vanadinite from the Commercial mine; graphite from Madrid; copper after azurite from the Copper Rose mine; wolframite and helvite (probably from Victorio); and melanotekite and fine yellow endlichite from Hillsboro. New Mexico turquoise is commonly offered for sale. New Mexico almost disappears from the mineralogical scene from 1900 to 1907. Interestingly, aurichalcite from Magdalena does not show up until 1904, but when it does it creates a sensation and rejuvenates interest in the minerals from the state. The last two issues of The Mineral Collector teem with New Mexico articles on meershaum and turquoise and ads that not only offer the "New Mexico staples" but also molybdenum, bismutite, and a new find of red vanadinite from Kelly.

More significant, however, might be those items advertised yet never seen today or specimens from what are now famous localities yet unmentioned. Of the latter, native copper and cuprite from Santa Rita are never mentioned although fine malachite specimens are noted! One of the more common mystery specimens is "drusy hematite on lava, NM" offered by George English. Embolite on quartz is also offered for sale, but unfortunately no location information is ever given. Most significant to modern collectors of New Mexico minerals is the complete lack of fluorite specimens in ads or articles. In fact, in an article discussing mineral products of the United States, New Mexico is not even mentioned in fluorspar production for 1908. However, it would soon achieve prominence as the largest producer in the West after 1909, the year The Mineral Collector ceased to exist.