Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-07-17
THE Rio GRANDE PLACERS
A New Method for Working River
Bars Will Soon Be Put in Opera
tion in This Section.
A BOOM is EXPECTED At ROPEWELL
A Review of What Has Been Accom-
plished Up to Date in the Hopewell
Mining Camp, a Section of Much
Promise from a Mining
Standpoint.

Tres Piedras, N. NJ, July 15.--MininQ
matters in this part of the territory are
on the up grade, and the owners of claims
are feeling correspondingly cheerful.
Over on the Rio Grande the sands are to
be made to give up the gold whether or
no, and to mining men, at least, brief de-
scription of the methods to be employed,
will be interesting.
Located about six miles up stream
from Womsley's toll bridge are extensive
sand bars in the river, which, according
to tests made, carry from 40 to so cents
per cubic yard in gold, but up to this time
no apparatus had been devised to WORK
the placers for the reason that the sand
is in the bed of the stream under the
water, and there is no chance to handle
and sluioe in the usual manner. But the
many difficulties will be successfully
overcome within few days, if applied
common sense and up-to-date machinery
can accomplish the desired results.
barge, 20x60 feet, has been built, a
large dredge for digging the sand has
been placed thereon, also 35-horse power
boiler and engine. A revolving screen,
through which all the sand and gravel
passes, separates the very coarse material
from the pay dirt, and throws 1t over
board. The sand and dirt, under the per-
suasive force of a stream of water from
large centrifugal pump, passes into sluice
boxes, where the gold is gathered in the
usual way. The dredge is so constructed
that it is possible to dig 40 feet below
the boat, if necessary, and will handle
1000 cubic yards of material per day of
ten hours.
Work began on the barge about five
weeks ago, and under the energetic man
egement of Mr.. W. T. Uric, of the Mis-
souri, Dredge company, has been COM
pleted, the machinery is in place, and
week ago the whole outfit was "snubbed"
up stream to the placer bar. 1t is ex-
pected that active operations will begin
some time next week, and the success of
the venture will be determined in short
time thereafter. If large boulders give
trouble derrick boat will be built and
fitted with powerful machinery to handle
all such that may get in the way. This
work is being done by Kansas COM
pany, under the management of Mr.. j. W.
Tiff, and should the experimental dredge
prove success, the Missouri Dredge
company will at once equip two more
barges for the work, contracts having
already been made.
HOPEwELL MINING CAMP.
Twenty miles west of Tres Piedras, at
an elevation of over 10000 feet is located
the mining camp of Hopewel, formerly
known as Good Hope. In the spring of
8S2 placer ground was discovered in
gulch running north and south through |
the mountains, and in short time many
thousands of dollars in gold were taken
out. This discovery led to prospecting
for lead mines, and many fine claims
were located. Assays of the ores taken
from the various holes gave good returns
and several mill runs have been made on |
sorted ores which gave returns from $62 |
to $105 per ton. From the ease with
which the rock could be crushed and |
panned it was thought the ores we're free
milling, and two stamp mills were put in,
but these mills soon developed the fact
that the mineral bearing rock was nearly
all refractory, and the camp received a
serious setback. For several years past
the placers have been the only paying
in Hopewell, but prospect
ing continued, and claims held by assess
ing a day would come when a paying
method for treating the ore would be
found.
A short time ago Miller & Thomas, who
are largely interested in the Red jacket,
purchased one of the old stamp mills, re-
modelled it and added Is ton electro.
cyanide plant, which was started lately.
This mill, as it now stands, is fitted with
8 crusher, five stamps, two cyanide vats
and l5.volt electro dynamo, pumps and
other necessary machinery. By mining
men of experience it is thought this
method of treating the ore will save 80
per cent of the gold in the ores. If this
,upposition proves to be based upon fact,
Mr.. j. P. Rinker expects to have another
plant of the same kind in working order
within 80 days.
HUNDREDS OF LOCATIONS.
Up to the present about 300 locations
have been made in the district, and it is
to mention all of them, but
one of the most noted claims in the camp
s undoubtedly the Buckhorn, owned by
Mr.. William Peet. Recent development
VIC rk done on the Buckhorn shows ten
inches of ore that runs $500 to the ton,
;hree feet that shows $50, six feet of SIS
ore, 100 feet of So ore and 100 feet Of "a
ore. The Red jacket has shaft down