Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-07-28
THE HILLSBORO PLACERS
The Mesa del Orc Mining Company to
Work the Placers of This Section
on An Extensive Scale.
A Big DAM ON The ANIMAS RIVER
A Ditch 20 Miles in Length Running
from Rio Animas to Animas Peak,
and Involving Pipe Line Cross
ing the Animas and Tank
Canons.

The Mesa del Orc company, OF whlcf
L. B. Tully isgeneral superintendent ant
A. M. Dobbie, jr., engineer, proposes IL
the near future to work the Hillsboro
placers on scale never attempted be-
fore. The proposition as outlined by
Mr.. Dobbie in recent interview with O
representative of the NEW MEXICAN is OF
q character which deserves success.
Mr.. Dobbie is an engineer of 20 years
experience in Nevada and California, and
the prospect now in view for working
these valuable placers, is TO q great ex-
tent the result of his study of what has
always been considered serious problem.
The area of ground involved in this
proposition includes between 1900 and
1900 acres and the prospect shows be-
tween SOC and SOC cubic yard in gold.
part of the work will be ditch about 20
miles in length running from the Bio
Anlmas to Animas Peak. Then there is
the construction of a pipe line 1900 feet
in length and spanning the Animas, and
also further extent of this pipe line
about 1900 feet in length crossing the
Tank canon. The ditch will be four feet
wide at the bottom and seven feet
at the top and it will be three feet
deep, and its capacity will be 1000 min
ere' inches per second, which is very
heavy flow of water. The fall will be
ten and one-half feet to the mile.
The water to be used in washing the
placers will come from dam on the
Anmas, the estimated dimensions of
NH; ,b .,;l fa1l
and thirty feet on the bottom, eight feet
on top, and 100 feet in height. This pro-
posed work will be located in township
l 5 south, range 8 west. The place select
ed for the dam could not be improved
upon, being in deep canon with rock
bottom.
The estimated cost of fitting up the
placers and putting everything in readi.
ness for operation is about $500,000. The
company's principal place of business
will be at Hillsboro, and the work as out
lined above will commence just as soon as
the preliminary surveys can be made.
These surveys are now under way, so
that the commencement OF fitting up will
not be delayed very long at most.
1t is believed that the problem of these
work as laid out will be carried to sue
cessful consummation.
Messrs. Tullv and Dobbie are both
practical men of wide experience in the
mining industry, and i is assumed that
under their management, the Mesa del
Oro company will carry out its extensive
proposition to successful financial con-
clusion.
The Cunningham Nine Contention.
The Cunningham mine is situated on
the Ortiz mine grant. Mr.. s. II. Elklns
holds lease from the New Mexico Min
ing company and has so held this lease
since May 1894; he has 200-foot tunnel
on the property and has taken about 500
tons of ore from it. The ore is low grade
gold ore and of refractory nature, but
with the right sort of process would re-
turn good money for working it. 1t
seems that Dan L. Taylor of Dolores,
claims to be in possession of the mine
and has cabin near the property. Mr..
Elkins has brought suit for forcible entry
and detainer against Taylor, and on yes
terday jury in the justice of the peace
court for the Dolores precinct gave judg-
ment for Taylor, holding that he was in
possession of property. Mr.. Elkins has
appealed the case to the District court.
Taylor also claims that the property is
on public land and that he has done an
nual assessment thereon at rate of 800
a year since 1888.