Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1892-08-12
NATURES STRONG BOX.

much attention is psid to agricult-
,are, because in the first place
nothing can be raised without
irrigation, and IN the second place,
it pays better to raise cattle and to
mine for silver and gold. The
cattle business has been very heavy
here in former years, but for the
past twelve months it hos al
most entirely failed to rain aud,
consequently the cattle have had,
like the old darEey, to "take to the
woods" But, as it commenced to
rain the day / arrived and has
rained every evening since, 1t now
looks better for the cattlemen.
The mining business done in
this county is great surprise to
me, and | will give few details
and figures to show how extensive
and important these interests are
not oply here, but to the wholesale
merchants, manufacturers and
smelling and refining companies OF
Kansas City.
Sierra County, although by far
the smallest county in New Mex
leo, was last year the largest pro-
ducer Of precious metals OF any
except Grant, which is .Cne Ut the
largest, and in the same mineral
region 1t is divided into three
prominent camps, HilIsboro, Kings
ton and hermosa, although there
are good mines scattered in differ
ent districts through the county,
any Of whichSmay spring into pro
mlDence aud become the leader Of
the whole at any time.
At Hllisboro, which is eighteen
miles northwest of Lake Valley, the
present terminus of that branch of
the Santa Fe railroad, 4 new
smelter and refining works have
Just been built and set in opera
ton by Mr.. GALES. The mines in
this vicinity contain both silver
and gold, with copper enough be-
sides to pay for treatment. Be
sides this, there are four stamp
mills in Hillsboro. The terminu s
of the Santa Fe railroad will be
extended TO this point within a
short time, which will not only be
great convenience and benefit to
the place, but is also an indication
of its promise as shipping point.
For seven miles around Hills
boro these veins of gold and silver
are found and this combination is
found within this limit only, as
far as has been discovered; but
new discoveries are made constant
ly and the indications are that this
mineral field will he enormously
extended in area and value. Con-
siderable placer mining has also
been done to tha east of these hills
and not less than $l,000,000 in
gold has been taken out of the
placers, washed down from the
hills referred to above. The value
of the mines in this vicinity is
shown by the fact that the gold in
ores ranges from $40 to $4O0 per
ton, the silver from five to thirty
ounces to the ton, and the copper
from 5 to 40 per cent.
Ten miles westwardly from Hills
boro is the Kingston camp. This
town is the largest in the county
and has more paying mines than
any other. These mines lie in an
almost complete circle all around
Kingston. some being within less
than a mile and others as much as
eight miles off These mines seem
to be found in two distinct geologi-
cal formations, but the chief pro-
duct in all Is silver. In one of
these the ore lies between porphyry
and granite in distinct "fissure"
containing the ore, quartz and
tale as gsngue matter, while in the
other the ore Is between shale and
limerick and disseminated through
the lime.
Among the first of these are the
III