Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1893-07-04

yerest blow which has eyor been given
to Grant County and the southern part
Of tho Territory. The silver production
Of this and the adjoining counties has
been large for a number Of years and a
good many men have been employed in
the silver mines In this section. For
many months there has been very little
profit in the operation Of tho silver mines
which we're being worked and operations
had been suspended on a large number
Of mines By the owners on account Of
the low price Of silver, but when the
price OF silver bullion dropped twenty
cents an ounce in less than a week there
remained no possibility Of continuing
operations. When the price commenced
to go down some Of the mine owners
thought that work might be continued il
the men would consent 70 work for re-
duced wages but this hope was short
lived. A further decline in the price
rendered that plan impracticable.
On Thursday Of last week the mines
at Georgetown, Lone Mountain and
Hanover closed down. John Brockrnan,
president OF the Silver City National
Bank, who has been operating extern
sively at Lone Mountain closed down
the mines there but will run the mill
until the ore now out is cleaned up. He
has been mining and milling about 40
49,. J,,.,t - Mor,tos. IL
has had about 80 men employed in min
ing, milling, cutting and hauling wood
and in other work about the mines. The
iron mines at Hanover where a few men
have been employed by Mr.. Brockman
for the Pennsylvania syndicate which
owns the mines have been closed down
because there is no demand for iron ore
for the smelters.
The mines at Georgetown we're closed
down indefinitely and the Mexican mi
ners we're with difficulty dissuaded from
committing violence. They did not un-
derstand why the mines were being
closed down, but they we're finally salts
fed that the drop in the price Of silver
was not dhe to local causes and dispers-
ed.
None OF the silver mines in the County
except, perhaps, the Silver Cell, which
produces almost pure silver, can be ope-
rated with silver at the present figure.
There is a diversity of opinion as TO the
effect Of the drop in the price of silver on
the gold producing mines OF the TerrIto-
ny. Prof. w. George Waring ~ Of the
opinion that most of the gold mines will
have to be closed down for the reason
that the concentrates made by the gold
mills represent all, and in many instan-
ces more than the profits on the ore
treated, and as long as the smelters re-
fuse to buy them they will remain prac-
tically worthless. II this view OF the
case is correct even the mines at Pinos
Altos wall have TO close down. Others
think that the drop in the price of silver
is not sufficient to prevent the profitable
working of the gold mines in the Terri
tory and think that aver the mines in
the Mogollons can be kept running. The
value Of The bullion produced in the
Mogollons is, on an average, about 33
per cent. gold and CT per cent. silver.
II these mines we're at or near Silver
City or any other point on the railroad
they could be worried at a good profit
with silver at even its present price, but
it is rather doubtful whether they can
be worked under the present condi-
tions.
The sharp decline in the price Of lead
which accompanied the decline in silver
will prevent the working of any of the
mines in Cooks Peak district and as
long as these mines remain idle there
can be no lead mines in this County
worked as the mines at Cooks Peak are
the best in the County. The situation
at present resolves itself to this: There
can be lone of the silver mines in this
County worked with possibly one ex-
ceptlon; the working Of any Of the lead
mines Is out Of the question; copper and
ziuc mining had been abandoned before
the fall In the price of silver camel there
is no demand for iron from the smelters
and as long as this condition of affairs
exists there will be nothing done in the
iron mines; the operation of the gold
mines in the County may or may not be
continued. The condition Of affairs is
not a pleasant m to contemplate but
it confronts the people or this County
and Territory and the best will have to
be made Of the situation.
It is now reported that Mrs. Mary z
Teats, who wat very Conspicuous in here
efforts to convert prisoners in the Terri
torial ~penitentiary aud in the various
county iails in New MexicOtw W. or three
years ago, was recently married in Oak
land, Cal, to Jack O'Brien whom she was
instrumental in having released from the
Territorial ~penltentiafy where be was
serving a term for the murder Of John
Bingle. Mr.. Teats seems to have been
left out in the cold.
This morning inds a larger number
Of people in this city than has ever been
here at one time before. They are all
advocates OF free silver, TOD
The President made the following ap-
poiutments for New Mexico last week:
Charles F. Easley, of Cerrillos, to be sur
veyor general of New Mexicos James Ii:
Walker, of Ration, TO be register Of the
United States land Office at Santa Fei
/ Pedro DelQado. of Santa Fe. 10 be re-