Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-11-08
TEE PrEos ALTOS MINES,

| Lac mines OF santa Mia were SuarICu u.
Mexican troops from the attacks 0
Apaches and Navajoas and worked t
great advantage by conyictS from thu
state OF Chihuahua. The commsndan
of Santa Rita, Gen. Pedro Armendaris
lett record Of discoveries Of gold in PinoE
Altos, about twenty miles distant, an
when Mexican soldiers had given place
to United States troops, three prospect
ors from Mesilla named Snively, Bircl
and Hicks, having started west from
Santa Rita, on the second day out, Ma
Is, 1860, Birch, their leader, made a new
discovery OF gold while drinking out o.
Bear creek ut Pinos Altos. They re-
turned to Santa Rita after search in
the vicinity which convinced them OF the
great value OF these placer deposits, which
soon received the name OF Bir2hyille
In September OF the same year there
were 700 men working the ground around
Bear creek taking out dust and nuggets
from placer diggings only.
This led to the Development of the
quartz leads, which were located the next
year, 1864, as new kind OF mining. The
Atlantic, the Pacific aud the Mountain
Key mines were opened and their ores
reduced by the old Mexican process OF
amalgamation after being ground in aras.
tras. Thomas Marston supplied ten aras-
tras with ore from the Atlantic mine
alone. Then these vcnturesome miners
in the midst OF the Apache country en-
Iured one OF the most determined attacks.
Cochise with 400 warriors assaied the
miners and settlers to drive them out OF
this region. A vigorous fight occurred
for half day at this point, on the crest
OF the ridge in Pinos Altos. Three white
men, including Capt. Marston, were
Killed and seven wounded. The Apaches
lost fifteen Of their warriors. The whites
abandoned the country. The Santa Rita
and nei Jhboring mines were deserted and
the miners returned to Mesilla valley
Pinos Altos thereafter received its present
name by reason OF its tail pines from the
few Mexican and American miners who
shortly returned to this spot.
For two years the Apaches were peace
FIJI and traded extensively at Pinos Altos
Becoming, however, uneasy, one OF those
bloody and treacherous strategems was ar
ranged for them at this place, called the
bean treaty OF peace. Sixty Apaches we're
invited TO generous supper OF beans and
other fayorte dishes in the summer OF
1854 and in the midst OF it were at
tackled by the miners, several being slam.
In 1866 these gold placers had become
sofamous that crowds prospectorS came,
and rich gold quartz was found in many
cases. \ fifteen stamp mill aud a saw mill
were set up, besides seventy-tve arastras,
which were all kept in constant operation.
Every man averaged $40 day above all
expenses of extracting and milling the
ore. The Pacific was relocated durlugthis
year, and the Arctic, Asiatic, Ohio, Pacific
No. =, Mountain Key and Family Lead
mines, most Of which are in successful
operation still after nearly twenty years
Of working. In 1865 and 1869 the Pacific
alone kept thilty-one stamps supplied
with gold surface ores. Pinos Altos be-
came the county seat Of Grant county,
but the more difficult mining Of deeper
ores, since this surface had now become
thoroughly gophered, caused the towns
prosperity TO languish, and i'll 1870 the
rich discoveries around what is now Silver
City, lead TO the removal OF the shire
to"n to that rapidly growing community.
These facts are drawn from an entertain
ing pamphlet by R. S. Allen, just pub
Ii-hed by the Silver City Enterprise.
Pinos Altos to-day presents the traditional
aspect OF mining town with here and
there the marks of industry and trade and
habitdtlon for over twenty years.
The stage ride from Silver City ia rough
and steep, often over bare lodges. The
near mountain sides are gouged with
prospect holes or spotted white with |
numerous dumps from mining shafts. To
the older shafts long lines OF winding
road Nre traced along the steep faces OF
hese lofty and pine covered hills. At the
top Of the ridge u medley OF huts, wooden |
stores, mills and adobe houses is seen
below. One rides through a corn field |
v hich marks here the veritabie divide OF
the continent. Bear creek, just below,
runs iGto the ella, stream on the east |
prn side seeks the Rio Grande and the |
Gull OF Mexico. Orchards of peach and |
apple trees arc scattered among these
corn fields and incongruous dwellings and
stores. The stamp mills keep up an in.
2essant clatter; the smoking chimneys on
the hill sides above the shafts Letoken the
abor OF hundreds below the ground, who
,hrong the stores at night.
There is reasonable amount of activity
n this camp and the mines longest in
operation are at dead work on larger OBJ
oratons on the masses of ore which lie
'lready opened all along these ridges and
quilted faces OF the Pinos Altos noun.
aims. Of new mines in the hands Of St. |
4Ouis, New Orleans and Chicago corpora
ions | noted or visited the Mountain
View, whose ores of tellurium and gold
nave recently reached value in some as
avs Of 500 100 per ton the Deep Down,
With new organization in control; the
iold and Silver Ribbon with fifty tons Of
re upon its dump awaiting treatment,
nd the Golden Giant, newly worked, Il
roi6c producer of gold. There are seven
lamp mills connected with the Pinos
lltos Mining corporations, and from 800
D 400 men employed, and three So y mills
i the vicinity furnishing good lumber
II the rainy season there are hundreds
lore working the placers. The soil any
here within five or six miles yields
oiden grains and often valuable nuggets.
saw Mr.. q. Conway, forme ly of Santa
e, and other merchants handling GOLD
uggets and dust over the counter fol
AIDE, as in the early days OF California
Did dggings. 1t is significant ofthe re-
on that while to the common miner occu.
alton is uncertain and business often 4
all, there is no let up Of long standing )
the mining corporations whose capital {
freely employed. II. 0. LADD. ls