Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-04-13
NEW MEXICO
GOLD CAMPS
With Improved Processes Gold Min
ing Forging to the Front--The
Palatin-C lerici Process.
HOpEWELL MINING CAMF
Description Of the Many Valuable Prop
critics in the Camp.

During the year 1897, the United
States produced over $3.50, DOC, 900 OF gold,
the greatest amount in it's history since
1853. No one place except Cripple
Creek, furnished any great amount, Inc
the tremendous production is due al
most wholly to improved milling meth
DDS, which permit low grade ores to be
treated at a profit. Last year the gold
production exceeded the previous year
by SS, 900, 900, and this year the annual
increase will reach $12, 000, 900, leaving
the Klondike entirely out Of the qnes-
ton. The increase will be derived from
the low grade ore bodies which were
considered worthless a few years ago.
Mr.. Preston, director of the mint in
Philadelphia, in a recent interview said:
'tMining has been reduced to a science.
They can, l believe, mine gold in some
places for less than so cents per ton. In
parts of California they mine for less
than it costs in Alaska, where the great
Treadwell mine has gained fame as a
profitable low grade ore producer.
Large sums are invested in these mining
operations and the work is done on such
a big scale that the cost is cut down to
the minimum. Then advanced methods
of treatment is a great factor. Since
cyanide and COLONIZATION were found APP
plicable to the treatment of ores, old
dumps are being worked over, old mines
r%e-opened, and prospects never before
considered worth locating, held as valu-
able low grade propositions. The
theory that gold can be found only in
one or two kinds OF rock has of late
years been exploded. 1t occurs in sand
stone, slate, shale, clay and conglOmer-
ate as well as in porphyry, granite,
phonolite, etc. The gold fields of New
Mexico are turning out considerable of
the yellow metal now, and they have a
history before them that will rival the
older camps. Cyanide, and other cheap
processes, will enable the people there
to handle ore running from 80 to
$25 per ton at a profit. A great deal
of eastern money is being placed In that
country for machinery and development,
and capitalists look with high favor on
New Mexico mining properties, because
of the ease with which development can
DO carried on and the practicable elimi-
nation of risk. The veins there show
permancnce near the surface and do not
necessitate sinking a lot of money in de-
veloping them"
The value of the above information,
coming from so eminent an authority. is
considerable, and seems to refute the
idea of the scoffer that ore must run
hundreds of dollars per ton to be avail
able as a sourc Of revenue.
One of the greatest drawbacks to New
Mexico mining Is the isolation of the
camps from railway and smelling facil-
tiles and the exOrbitant hauling and
freight rates on ores. These matters so
far initiate against the industry, that II
is necessary for proper milling facilities
to be erected in close proximity to each
property worked, and oftentimes the
milling experiments are not sufficiently
satisfactory to give early results. In
this manner development Is oftentimes
! retarded and occasionally a district Ia
handicapped in the matter Of interesting
capital until success has been demon
strated. Such has been the case at
Hopewell, where innumerable bodies Of
low grade ore have been slightly or in
differently developed, awaiting capital
and successful treatment.
Now that 1t is an established fact that
the Palatin-C lerici electro cyanide plant
at that place will start up again soon,
with additional and revised mechanical
appliances that promise success in the
matter Of reduction, preparations arg
being made to resume operations on al
OF the properties Of prominence located
there. A brief resume Of the past work
will doubtless prove OF interest to thu
public.
Hopewell is located 1lS miles from
Santa Fe, and ~ miles from Tres Pie
dras, which Is the railway outlet ant
inlet for the district.
The district is about ten miles long By
five miles wide, and contains nearly
1000 mineral locations.
The number Of claims that will b.
worked this season as o q the snow