Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-10-27
The MACDALENA DISTRICT
Activity and Prosperity Prevail at
Kelly and Vicinity-Celebrated
Kelly Mine Resumes Work.
THE GRAPHIC MINE A LARGE PRODUCER
News Notes from the Best Mining
Camp in Socorro County
Prospecting for Gold
Continues.

Special Correspondence New Mexican.
Kelly, N. NJ, October 25, 1897.-One of
the far-reaching results of the protective
tariff is most happily illustrated among
the lead mines which surround the town
of Kelly.
The Graphic company, operating a
mine containing one of the largest bodies
of low grade lead ore found in the Rocky
mountain region, mine free from water,
together with modern type of water
jacket smelter of 100 tons daily capacity,
with fuel and supplies unusually cheap, and
Doth managed by men exceptionally
skilled in all the departments of extract
ing and treating ores, have only by prac-
ticing the closest economy, barely paid
expenses during the past era of free
trade. 10 order to keep going, they were
early compelled to cut their miners
wages from $3 down to $3.50 q day.
With the advance in the price of lead,
from 80 to 4 cents and over, pound,
the result of an added duty on the article,
his mine, with its smelter, has become q
sound, paying enterprise. The lower
grades of ore, previously impossible to
treat withoat lose, are now turned into
bullion at a good profit. The smelter is
crowded to its capacity, additional help
10 the mine is added as fast as men can
be obtained and wages are promised to be
restored to their old rate.
The A., T. & s. F. company is taking
away an aocelerating increase of bullion
and bringing like increase of supplies
back, both for the Smelling com pany and
for the people.
Elsewhere throughout the district, the
same result is often seen. Parties from
the east and elsewhere are coming to the
camp to investigate and reopen long
dormant properties.
The mountains, silent for years, now
re echo in many canons to the battery of
the miners blast.
Among those again animated from it's
long lethargic state is the grand old
Kelly mine. This, alth ough low grade
proposition, was once the banner pro-
ducer in New Mexico. Itlaid the founda-
tion, and piled story on story of the su.
perstructure of the large fortune of the
late Mr.. Billings. For ten years 1t main
tanned the enormous smelling plant at
Socorro, which was operated on it's ores
before railroad connection WAS made
with the district, when the carbonates
were hauled by team, distance of 81
miles. While the margin of profit per
ton was small, the aggregate tonnage
mined each month was so great, that as
long as the market price of lead remained
slightly above the cost of extracting and
treating the ores, the mine was operated.
Free trade destroyed that small margin
The mine with all the vast works at Socorro,
had to be closed down, aud hundreds of
men lost employment. This mine is now
being worked under a lease, by the Con
ley Brothers and Babcock in systematic
and worthy manner. They have come
thing like 30 men employed, and are
shipping to the Ell Paso smelters.
Way down in the bowels of the Kelly
mine, one is struck with the enormous
slopes. The excavation of solid ore has
left chambers vast enough to hold
the largest court house in New Mexico.
That the ore has not all been taken away,
is evinced by the lines of wagons which
daily carry the product to the railroad
switch In the valley below.
Mr.. Thomas, recently from Toledo, o.,
has uncovered fine body of lead car