National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-03-04

fcssor Siliman made an interesting statement OF
his recent observations on the very remarkable
find Of silver ores OF extraordinary richness and
abundance in new locality in Southern New
Mexico, of which heretofore butlittle information
has reached the public. This new district is
reached very easily by the Atohison, Topeka and
Sante Fo Railroad from Mutt Station, only twenty
seven miles this side Of Deming and about twelve
miles from the mines, over an excellent natural
road, leading to the new town Of DAILY situated in
the midst of the so.caled Sierra Mines" in Dona
Ana County and near the intersection Of the lines
Of Grant and Socorro Counties. Lake Valley, the
name by which this region is moro familiarly
known, is 80 called in alluson to a small lake,
which
NEsrLEs IN rHE FOOTHILLS
Of the Mimbres Mountains, and which, no doubt,
is ali that now remains Of much larger lake, tho
| former existence Of which ia indicated by level
| plain Of considerable arOO, over any portion OF
which water is reached by shallow wells. This is
almost the only winter in the very arid country Of
this part OF New Mexico. II is Of the greatest
value and Importance in supplying the mills and
other wants of this now mining camp TO bring
| this water upon the mines requires about three
miles Of iron pipe aud pumping station TO force
| the wnteT over Il ridge OF some $50 feet OF ele-
| vaton,
THE GEOLOGICAL. POSITION OF THESE MINES
| is NJ the base OF the cotboniicrOus formation,
zone IN which some of the richest silver mines of
| the world arc found. Fortunately for the econ.
omy Of working, the very richest ores OF this dis.
| trCt are very near the surface and are extracted
at n trihiug cost These ores are chloride Of sill.
YER or horn silver. dituscd In red oxide Of iron.
or hemntitc mingled with some manganese
| oxide of the neurological species pyroherltc
Carbonate Of lead, also very rich IN silver, occurs
with the silver chloride, and in some parts Of the
mines forms 20 per cent of the mass OF ore though
| generally the lead is not over ? or por cent.
| Galenn or sulphuret of lead, carrying 100 to los
ounces Of silver to the ton, Is also found but not
| n very important factor in the output Of these
| mines, Professor Silman also pointed out the
very important iact that he discovered not trace
Of arsenic, antimOny, or zinc, or any compound OF
| these base metals, among the ores of the Lake
| Valley mines, and no other sulphur compound
| except Calena The mixture Of ores, therefore,
! is remarkably favorable for smelling Of the high
grade and for milling Of the low grade ores. Iron
| aud manganese, with carbonate OF lead and
| Rolera, offer very desirable smelling mixture,
| which the absence of silica Ia the high grades
| still further favors. only rare traces oCcopper
green and blue carbonatcs, exist US mineralogi-
cal curOstics IN these ores.
THERE ARE PORTIONS OF siiicious yEIS.sroSE
| forming in places important masses the extent of
| which Is not yet fully determined, which seem to
indicate the existence OF n permanent vein. These
siliciOus groupings are charged with choro.
bromide ofsilyer (emboitel, giving often value
the whole mass Of this silicious gangue-hint or
ebert rather than quart2-is an excellent free.
milling ore. There are also portions OF dark,
nearly black, diorite found in some Of the open.
ings, which is very we'll charged with embolite.
But above all other ores at Lake Valley must be
ranked the red iron ores so richly charged with
chloride OF silver and silver bearing lead carbon
ates. In one of the shals on the line Of division
between the Sierra Plata and the Sierra Grande
properties. and at the junction of the stanton with
the Lincoln claims, the ores are so rich in sllvcr
as to render 1t dlfiCult to select sackful averGg
ing less than 0ODOunces TO the ton, and IL is qui
easy TO eNcavate from the tender mass Of crystals
ofhorn silver in the red iron ore with the simplest
means thousands of pounds Of ore averaging from
5000 To 10000 ounces In silver conservative
measurement led to the estimate of not less than
5000 tons Of ore Of this richer description, carry
ing at least 800 ounces to the ton and Of the ores
valued at 100 ounces aud less than 800 ounces a
mass ofat least 10000 tons, these quantities being
NOT OVER ONE ACRE or GROUND
The explorations at this point were not
fly feet in depth and, while the entire to
this depth was silver bearing, only fourteen feet
OF the richer portion were included in the meas.
uremcnt. The heavy beddcd lime stone, carrying
no fossils, which appears to form the cap.rock
traverscd by marrow seams of pitchy look ing
matter, which is found on examination to be
iron ore, and nerally quite strongly impregnated
+ with silver chloride. on opening these seams
they often lead directly into rich ore bodies Pro.
fessnr Slliman also spoke of the very rich sheets
of horn-silver which were taken from the So
called Columbia shaft" the deepest working yet
} sunkon the Sierra mines-about eighty feet. In
sinking this shaft which follows what may prove II
be a regular vein, there was sheet of hOrn.sve,
found on the foot-wall from which slabs as thick
} as the hand and many feet square were cut by O
hand saw portion OF
THIS VERY REMARKABLE MASS
was exhibited. The whole area embraced In the
four Sierra companies il about three hundred
acres, and upon this area between twenty and
thirty exploratory shafts have been sunk to very
moderate depths. In most Of these explorations
silver has been found, aud always Of tile general
character already described. Metallic silver II
Q sometimes but rarely. seen. More frequently the
disguise OF the silver by the iron oxide is COM
pote that casual observer, looking at the piles
lead ore lying about the numerous windasses
would think the place was the stock-yard of al
iron furnace rather than silver mine. These orc
arc readily divided into two clnsses-milling ore.
and smelling ores For the atmcnt Of tho fOrme
first class stamp mill with ali the most approved
and other auDuTHtllg for treating such Ii
already well advanced toward completion. ltha
power for forty stamps, but VIII commence worl
, with twenty stamps, and Will be extended rs thu
demands Of the mines require. In it the lowgrad,
ores up to hundred ounces to the ton or may
higher, will be treated, Fortunately the transpOr
taton of the rich ores to Pueblo or Denver fol
treatment by smelling is an easy haul, and, a.
already remarked, the ores are remarkably wei
! adapted to smelling, and can be thus treated OF
e most favorable terms.
r TIIE FOUR SIERRA MINES
so-called) are organized under the New Mexican
laws, and the names by which they are known arr
Sierra Apache Sierra Bella, Sierra Plata Rnt
Sierra Grande, each organization being in 10000
shares of S25 each. The whole area over whcl
this remarkable class of ores Is believed to exist
about one mile square, but the chief work arcad!
Done m NJ, ana IN progresS Is upon the areas enlomeet
Silliman also called the attention OF the minin,
II engineers to other ncwly-discovered mining
G regions of Southern New Mexico of which, how
ever, he considered that above ChiGihio to be tn,
u 4 most remarkable for the exceptionally high teno
u of silver they contain their freedom from nj
abundance and ease Of access. No winter snow
Il or cold will ever interfere with work in this re
u gion. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Rail
: | road have projected q branch road TO connec
S Daily with the main line so that can be deiy
l., cred At Pueblo, for example, without breaking
q | bulk, at Il distance of about $50 miles where tn
extensive works of Mather d Geist are prepared 4
treat them, or at socorro, only about 100 miles dis
! tnnt, they may be sampled and sold to the highes
!, bidder. Professor Siiman had, in the opening o
) the communication, called
| THE ATTENTION OF THE MINING ENGINEERS
to the fact that SOcorro was destined TO be, AT al
= carly day, an important centre for smelling an
IS sumpng the ore OF wide area which the neN
. | railway system brings here In contact with chea
= coal and coke from mines opened by the Atchi
y son, Topeka and Santa Fc party near NJ hanC
n This communication from Professor Siliman ex
% cited much interest among the mining engineer
: present and led TO a discussion which was close
: only by the hour OF adjournment. Some consider
able muses. OF the very rich chOrdes of silver dc
n sCribed were exhibited aud were subsequent
placed IN the collections OF the National Museum
New Biography.
"Of what is the surface Of the earth composed
= "Of corner lots, mighty poor roads, railroa
tracks base. ball grounds cricket fields ana skat
=, ing Kinks" "What portion of the globe Is wafer?
About three. lourhs sometimes they add a ittl
gin and nutmeg TO IT," "What Is town?" -
town is considerable collection of houses aud In
y ! hRbitRnts with four OF five men who run th
y party and lend money at 10 per cent, interest.
y "what is Il city?' "a city Is an incorporates
= town, with mayor, who believes that the whol
- world shakes when he happens to fall Hat on
10 cross walk Name the different mCes" " lIors,
ID race, bout race bicycle. race, and racing around
"a find u man 10 indOTsG your note" Into no
:, mauy classes Is mankind diyidedY six. bqin
~ enlightened civilized, hallCyiized, savage, tC
u utter not worth cent, ana Indian agents
,y "What nations are called enlightened Tho
m which have had tho most wars aud worst law
Iltl pltfNtfa