Location
Southeastern side of the South Comobabi Mountains. T. 17 S., R. 5 E. (projected; on Papago Indian Reservation).
Topographic Map
Sells 15-minute quadrangle.
Geologic Map
Wilson, Moore, and O'Haire, 1960, Geologic map of Pima and Santa Cruz Counties, scale 1:375,000.
Access
The main mining area and placers are about 4 miles north of State Highway 86, 5 miles east of Sells, the Papago Indian Reservation Headquarters. Dirt roads lead from the highway north to the mining area.
Extent
Placer deposits of unknown extent are in the vicinity of the Jaeger gold mine (approximately sec. 3, T. 17 S., R. 5 E.). The Jaeger mine is on an undulating pediment formed on shales at the eastern margin of the south side of the South Comobabi Mountains.
Production History
Placer gold has been produced sporadically from this area since 1911. Apparently, most of the work was done by Mexican and Indian miners, who sold the gold to the merchants at Sells (formerly called Indian Oasis, a name once applied to the Cababi district by the U.S. Geological Survey) from 1911 to 1915.
Source
Gold-bearing quartz veins occur in the southeastern part of the South Comobabi Mountains. Gold occurs associated with iron oxides in the oxidized parts of the veins. At the Jaeger mine, several narrow gold-quartz veins form the lode; similar veins probably were the source of the placer gold.
Literature
Mining Journal, 1946: Reports location and development of Jaeger lode claims and prospecting of adjacent placer claims.
U.S. Geological Survey, 1914-15: Reports placer mining in "Indian Oasis" district.
Wilson, Cunningham, and Butler, 1934: Describes lode mines in district.
