The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1883-02-09
M~AGDALENA MINES.
Graphic Description of a Prom
Using Camp in New Mexico.

country, east of the Galllnas and west
through the Ladrones, is known as the
Magdalena mining district. though it
comprises numerous other or sub-dIs-
tricts, principal among which are Bear
mountaIn, Iron mountain. Pueblo, Ten
Mile, Wild Cat, Water Canon, etc, Al
though the ores are mostly low grade,
get what they lack in silver they make
up in the vast amountOf lead they con-
tain. The ores are mostly ~carbonates
of lead, carrying silver TO a greater or
less extent Some of the mines,
.thOpgh9 show up very rich in silver
bearing ore, notably the Iron Mask.
from which a chunk weighing 800
pounds vas recently taken, and which
gave an average assay Of S2S,OOO to the
ton. Numerous smaller bodies of ore
have been found on this claim equally
as rich in silver. The main body of ore
has not yet been reached, but the own
-ers of the property are pushing work.
and are confident of developing in the
near future one of the best paying
mines in the southwest. THE Kelley
mine is panning out far better than it
was ever expected, and is showingupa
large body of fine ore. Only about
twenty men are employed OF the Kelley
ut present, as there is room for no more.
The company are merely developing
their property preparatory to the TAX
ing ont of ore in earnest. The location
for their smelter has not yet been de-
cided upon, but it will be either at
this point or in SocOrro. In case a rail-
road is built connecting the Magda-
lenas with the Atchison, Topeka Il
Santa Fe railroad, the works will be
erected at the latter point. 1t costs
about seven dollars atom haul the ore
on wagons from here to SOcorrO, and
that cuts a hole in the profits. With
a railroad the ore could be transported
for one fifth of the above sum. The
Kelley some months ago was sold to
Dorsey Il Co., by Hutchinson & Slower
for $1,000, who in turn sold it to the
Kelley --GOmpaRy~for $4,000. ave
bought itfor q, song and they sang it
themselves" is the way the present
sproprietors.put it,
Further north on the range and
about two miles from the Kelley is
what isnow the celebrated Hardscrab,
BILE mine which was located about two
years ago, and vas sold by the locator
for the sum Of $500. Four months ago
one-tenth interest in the property sold
for $500, and two months later another
tenth was gObbled up at $4,000. A few
days ago 100000 were offered for a halt
interest and refused. That much anC
more ore is in sight on the dumps.
haze seen tar richer ore than the Hard
scrabble shows, but never such an i'm
mense body in proportion tothe amount
of development work done. The ore
runs from go to 70 per cent, in lead, and
from 80 to 60 ounces Of silver to The
ton. The Magdalena smelling com
pany have contracted for 1000 tons OF
this ore which is now being delivered
The mine is well up the mountain side
and the ore is packed down to the wag
ons on burros. 1t Is hard scrabbling t
reach the mine, hence its name. The
Magdalena smelter will be ready fol
business again in a few days, and a:
plenly of ore is assured, there is NJ
doubt but 1t will be kept steadily al
work. A second furnace has been or
dered. Besides smelling, this company
is largely interested in mining property
and has quite a force at work. They
expect to secure a large amount of ore
from the Juanita mlne, the property Of
Colonel f. W. Eaton. This is one OF
the oldest mines in the district, having
been extensively worked a number o.
years ago. AS the ore carries IA large
per cent. of lead, it is very desirable tt
smelter men to work in conjunction
with the higher grade ores. Colone
Eaton and associates ale the owners OF
several other valuable properties il
mis- locality. Among the other fortune
owners of valuable properties here ar
J. +. Lomes & Co, who own the mine:
knogn 10 the Big Chicago, Chihuahua
E%uphrates, Babylon and Good Enough
They have just finished their assess
ment work, which WAS done IN gooC
shape. &. w. Magee, alias "Silver Peg,
the well-known scout and prospector
id cbnnection&ithJ lanes McDayitt ant
Others. hAveEot been idle by any means
and have succeeded in freezing on t.
some of the very best claims in thes'
hills. "Peg" has spent the big eud o
of his checkered career in mining re
gions of the Rocky mountains, and Car
see as far into a claim as the next
Something near a mile east of the smell
ter they have a group of four claims
the Black Crook, Doubtful, Common
wealth and Gertrude, all of which show
remarkably fine groupings and which
carry from sixteen to fifty-five ounces
to the ton, Considerable excitement
was created a few days ago by the dis
Ill