Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-01-31
PLACER PROSPECTING.
Great Mining Enterprise in South
Santa Fe COunty-Successful Tests
Permanent Plant.

During the past eight or ten years Mr.
F. Z. Nettleton, noted as mining engi.
neer, mining operator and inventor OF
useful mining appliances, has made a
study of the gold placer fields of south
Santa Fe county. Last summer he ar.
rived at conclusion as to the correct
solution of the placer problem in this
county. 1t thus happened that last No
vember he secured 500 acres of placer
ground on the Galisteo and organized an
association in Kansas City for the pur-
pose of prospecting the same.
Three thousand dollars we're invested
In prospecting plant, consisting of an
engine and boiler, steam hosting ap-
paratus, pump. derricks, and an air cais-
son twenty-nine feet long, in two sections,
similar to that used in laying the founda-
tion of bridges. Since then a force of
nine men under Engineer j. d. King, of
Kansas City, has been constantly at work
making tests of the lands located. A vast
amount of dirt has been handled and the
tests have shown from 5 cents to $3.50 in
gold per cubic yard. The average is
3711a cents in gold per cubic yard. That
three feet above bedrock ran 1878 in
gold.
Bedrock is gray sand stone and varies
from twenty-four to thirty-two feet in
depth from the surface. The first ten
feet consist of sand and small gravel, the
next ten feet of coarser sand and large
gravel, and the last ten feet of sand,
coarse gravel, stones and pieces of the
soft sand stone bedrock. No rocks
weighing over 100 pounds were en-
countered.
The lands located extend 5000 feet up
and down the Galisteo and are 300 feet in
width. They begin at point known as
Cunningham arroyo on the east and end
at point below Vielleio, about two and
half miles up the river from Cerrillos.
They include the mouths of all the gulches
and arroyos down which the auriferous
sands of the Old Placers have been
washing for ages.
The tests have proved so satisfactory
that Mr. Nettleton and his associates are
highly elated and will soon file articles of
incorporation of the Santa Fe Placer
Mining company with the secretary of
New Mexico. The capital stock has been
fixed at 100000. About sixty persons,
chiefly of Kansas City, are already inter.
ested in the enteaprsso.
The work Of putting up temporary
plant, consisting of power, centrifugal
pump, sluice-boxes and kindred appli-
ances will at once be started. This plant
will be employed in handling the upper
strata of sand and gravel, while the per-
manent plant is in process of construc-
ton. The latter will be as near perfect
as money and human ingenuity can make
it. 1t will be capable of handling 1000
cubic yards of earth and gravel per day
and will have sufficient power to lift up
six inches of the bed rock. The estimated
cost of handling the material is Is cents
per cubic yard. Figure out the profits
provided the gravel only averages 371a
cents per cubic yard.
The officers of the Santa Fe Placer
Mining association are as follows: Thos.
s. Ridge, president; q. NJ. Leslie, secre-
tary; Francis A. Leach, attorney. I. N.
Wagner, treasurer; F. E. Nettleton, gen.
eral manager. Gov. Thornton, Surveyor
General Easley and W. N. Emmert repre-
sent the New Mexico portion of the
directory of the company.