New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-02
THE MINES OF NEW-MEXICO.

hlpIsCoVERING MINIS WORKED By TIE AZrECs-
THE TURQUOISE MINE OF THE SPANISH CON
QUERoEs-rRFSrNT DEVELOPMENTS AND
FUTURE Observation-Disclosures FOR 4 NEW
LEAD-VEINs CHAUGTD BY WHFELBARROW.
lfRoM STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRlBUNE.I
SANTA FL n. NJ. Aug 2S.-l have already SAID
IN a previous letter. that New Mexico is country OF
Immense possibilities and small accomplishments
Especially is this so in regard to the development
of its mineral resources The history of this Terri
tory for more than two centuries the wcalths Of
gold and silver which tradition and authentic
records prove TO have been sent to Old Mexico and
to Spain; the reports of geological and geographical
surveys made in recent years under the direction
OF the Government OF the United States and the
private examinations Of the country. conducted In
the interests of proposed railroad companies or for
The owners of Mexican grants or mining claims-all
bear testimony to the richness and abundance OF
the mineral deposits in the mountains OF new
Mexico but the stranger who comes mere expect
Ing TO see productive mines or modern machinery
for the treatment of ores will certainly be dlsap-
pointed | have devoted much time and space to
an examination and description OF the San Pedro
AMI Canon del Aqua and the Ortiz properties. not
only because they are now in the hands of Eastern
capitalists who propose their immediate develop
ment but because ! believe that they will be the
FIRST in the Territory to become productive on a
large scale. Some other districts merit brlct no.
tico, more because they likely in the near
future to attract attention than on account of
their present Importance.
HISTORY OF THE CERILLOs MOUNTAINS MINES.
The Ccrlos Mountains are about twenty miles
southwcs, of Santa Fe and between this city and
the Galisteo River. When seen from the railroad,
before reaching Santa Fe from the north they APP
pear like three cone-shaped mountains standing IN
nrow and rlsing about a thousand feet above the
surrounding plains, but they are approached
from other directions the three peaks which
seemed TO stand in a line are found TO be sur
rounded by others, forming knot of mountains
which cover should think, ten or fifteen thousand
acres GeOlogically the CcriEOs are composed OF
granite, trachyte, and quartzie. but the rocks OF
the surrounding country are chiefly sandStones
The mines in these mountains are said to have
been worked by the Aztecs before the Europeans
came to this country, and it Is certain that the
Spanish conquerors of NeNMeNico operated them
ON large scale before the revolt OF the Pueblo
indians in 1850. Indeed there is a tradition that
The intolerabe oppression of the Indians by the
Standards who worked the mines. and the conse-
uuent mortality among them, with It's attendant fire.
uuent drafts upon the Pueblos for recruits TO take
the place Of those who died or were killed by acct
dent. caused that revolt and the complete eXpul-
sion of the Spaniards from Santa Fe and its
vicinity.
In order that there should never again be any
Temptation for Europeans to come here, the Pueblo
Indians closed up all the mines sealed up the shafts
and tunnels with cement which they made, and
hid the openings beneath earth and rocks Only
few of these old mines have been redscovered,
but since the Territory has been made so easily
accessible by railroad and enterprsing Americans
have begun to come here in considerable numbers,
the old Spanish workings not 1nfrequenty
stumbled upon. The nOtched sticks upon which
the Indians went and out of the mines bearing
their heavy loads of ore and waste rock on theI
backs oI heads are still sometimes found 1t
would require monkeys skill III climbing to 90 up
or down them empty handed ard It is not surpris'
ing that accidents and deaths from cruelty were so
frequent as to threaten TO depopulate the Pueblos
from which the miners were drawn.
The turquoise mine is the most famous Of all
those IN the Cerios Mountains, and the fac. that
nearly twenty acres of ground covered with the
waste taken from il when wOTked by the Spaniards
two hundred wears ago, attests the extent TO which
they pushed their operations The mine is now
again being opened and explored. but while an
abundance Of greenlsh blue crystalline rock Is
found many pieces of which are beautiful, the true
turquoise has thus far been discovered in very
small quantities. The pieces cut and mounted III
jewelry which have seen in Santa Fo have rarely
been more IMAM One-clgnlH Oh an IucH sIudIo. Ia
dit IN says that the turquoise mine produced the
precious stone in large quantities in the olden
time and that one of the gems the royal crown
of Spain was made from Cerlllos turquoise. 1t is
also believed that it was being worked with great
profit at the time of the Indian revolt. If this is
true American enterprise will undoubtedly push
the explorations to the limits of the old Spanish
workings and open up virgin ground in which tur-
uuoise in large quantities NAV be found.
EXTENT OF PRESENT WORKINGS.
The number of prospect holes in the Cerillos
Mountains that have been located" named, and
recorded, and upon which some work has been
DONE is more than fifty, but only two or three of
these have been sufficiently developed to be called
mines or TO produce ore in any quantity The
New York and New Mexico Mining and Smelling
Company has erected a single stack fOrty-ton
smelter at n station the AtchI son, Topeka and
Santa Fe railroad, about three miles from Car |
bonneville, the principal camp in the Cerlllos |
Mountains but on two occasions when l stopped |
there il not in operation / saw a small pile |
of twenty-tw bars of base bullion. which was |
all that the shelter had ever turned out. A gen |
tleman who was charge Of the property said that
soon after they started up the first time the water
Jacket of the smelter began to leak. and they
Obliged 10 put out the fires and repair the furnace
At the time was there they were waiting for
coke. which they obtain at Trinidad. and which |
had been delayed by washou5S on the railroad. | |
saw very little ore living around the SHELTER and |
only part Of that which did see came from the !
Cerillos Mines / asked a gentleman connected
with the works If he thought that the Carbonate
vile mines in the DeighDOrng mountains would DO
able to furnish constant supply of forty tons of
ore day. and he replied that he did not. at pre-
sent. The Cerilos Mountains would furnish some
ore and the amount. they hoped, would increase.
Some ore would also probably be obtained from the
Placer and Tuerto Mountains, but arrangements
had been made to purchase ole at Socovro about
SO miles farther south. and to which place the
railroad has inst been opened A region that is as