Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-01-16
SHELTER AT CERRILLOS.
Reasons Why Capt. Balue Insisted
Upon Locating the Smelter of
His Company at the Little
Pittsburg.

Day before yesterday the New MEXICAN
had the satisfaction of printing e1clu-
siyely the information that Capt. Balue,
president and promoter of the Mary
Mining d Smelling company, had secured
desirable site for his projected smelter
at Cerrilos and that ground would doubt
less soon be broken for the erection of
the plant. This good news has inspired
the Cerrillos Rustler to print the annexed
readable and instructive article on the
exceptional advantages of Cerrilos AZ a
smelter point:
The idea of locating and operating a
smelter at Cerrillos is an old story. Those
who have given the ubject any attention
have no hesitation in pronouncing favor
ably upon the project. Throughout the
great southwest, which as mining re-
gion is SO rapidly coming into promi-
nence, there is no location possessing so
many natural advantages as smelter
point as this, and the erection and opera
tion of plant is matter of very short
time.
At our doors is everything necessary to
supply large plant. Within two and
half miles from the town are extensive
coal mines which furnish the very best
western grades of both anthracite and
bituminous coal. These mines employ
several hundred men and are owned by
the Santa Fe system, though at this time
the output is controlled by the Colorado
Fuel O. Iron company. At Waldo station,
one and half miles west, are ovens con-
stantly burning a good grade of coke;
both OF these are essential to smelter
and will be furnished and laid down at
lower price than at any other smelling
point we know of. The supply of coal
and coke without transportation charge,
other than nominal charge for switch
ing, is an advantage not enjoyed BY any
other company nov operating, as far as
We are able to learn.
Lime is plentiful in the Ortiz and
Tuerto mountains at a distance of twelve
to fifteen miles south, an easy wagon
haul down grade, over good roads. Lime
can also be had along the line of the A.,
7. d S. F railway, between Lamy and
Glorieta, not exceeding twenty-five miles
distant.
Good iron in exhaustibe quantities
con be obtained from the OttiZ aud
Tuerto mountains, within easy hauling
distance. This ore carries small value
in gold, say from So to 81 a ton.
The new placers district, which includes
Golden and San Pedro; the Cerrillos dis
trict which includes the country adjacent
to the town on the north, and the Uochiti
district, thirty miles northwest, all look
to this place as prospective smelling
point, and are 10 position to furnish dry
ores at once beyond the capacity of any
one plant. We believe chat the company
commencing operations here will find it
necessary to increase its capacity within
the first six months, and it will be found
best to put in power above present needs
so that when this is done it may be done
with little delay and without expensive
changes. The dry ores are some of them,
what are called high grade, though low
grades predominate, which will yield
profit when treated here, but will not bear
heavy freight charges to Colorado or
southern points. The Cochiti district is
now and has been shipping to Pueblo.
Under the recent advance in rates of from
81 to $3.50 per ton some of the shippers
may be shut ont, which only emphasizes
the necessity of smelter here and Is an
other assurance OF a liberal patronage.
Again, while the supply of ore would be
ample from the start, there are many
claims in all the districts named which
are not developed to any extent. Reduc-
tion works will stimulate the owners to
efforts to make them producers, which
will materially increase the supply.
There are a number of lead ora prOp-