Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-06-06
SHAFTSAND TUNNELS
Development Work Discloses New
Gold and Silver Deposits--A
Smelter for the Copper
Zone.
SUCCESSFUL PLACER DREDGE
Red Bandana Ore Of Fabulous Richness
Active Work in Northern Territorial
Localities.

The total value of the mineral prOduc-
ton of the United States in 1897, was
S746, 23O, 1872 against $727, $50, 76l in 1896.
The imported ores or lose bullion from
Canada and Mexico. treated in the
United States in 1897, amounted to 5s4,-
9s3 ounces of gold, 4O,2lS, 100 ounces OF
silver, 26,93s, s04 pounds of copper, A.
900, 200 pounds nickel, 9a,l1T short tons
lead. The total value was $47, 127, TIA.
The value of the mineral production
of the United States last year exceeded
that of all Continental Europe and double
that of the United Kingdom.
New Process.
The Hoover e. Mason placer dredge
now in operation in the Moreno valley,
Elizabethtown placers, adds a new
process for saving gold to the numerous
inventions being tried by New Mexico
placer operators. The Moreno valley
placers range from Is to IS cents per
cubic ward in value, but the fall is not
sufficient for ordinary hydraulic work,
and the California jet elevator system,
while working successfully, does no
enable enough ground to be handled in
| that locality. Hoover & Mason are wei
known Kansas City contractors and
| have placed a number OF dredging ma
chimes in successful operation on a large
scale, but this is their first attempt will
a gold saving device attached. Tit
machine consists of u large grab ant
steam hoist, with jaws opening II feet
With this digging machine the place
dirt and gravel is hoisted into a larg'
bin or hopper that emptics into elevated
sluice boxes, where the gravelis washed
in the regular method OF hydraulic
placering. The grab digs the pit to tn
bedrock, which is afterwards cleaned
by hand. In order to make a process
of this kind a success it is necessary t.
handle at least 800 cubic yards of grave
per day. Accurate estimates made dur
ing the past week place the amount o
ground washed each day at 500 cubi
Yards. The gravel in which tn
machine is now at work is free iron
large boulders. which enables work t
progress more rapidly than it would |
~coarser gravel, but it is thought tina
even boulders will not retard the wor
materially.
Territorial Mining Notes.
The Madrid coal mines are increasin
their force.
The Iron Bird tunnel at Hematite
now in 800 feet.
Bud Miller has opened a mining brol
erage office in Hematite.
Work has been started on the Hema
tite tunnel at Hematite.
Is. Gillette is working Is men on tn
Atlantic mine at Pinos Altos.
Dry placer workers are making frol
81 to $3.50 per day in gold dust.
MI. Mckay has begun placer mimi
in Foreman gulch, near La Belle.
Placer miners on Bitter creek, nea
La Belle, have commenced sluicing.
james j. Cullen has leased the MascC
mine of William Kieff at Cooks Peak.
William Cotton is working eight me
on his Surprisetm mine at Cooks Peak.
A force of men have been put at wor
on the South Homestake mine at Whit
Oaks.
King g. Anterior have struck 500 or
on the Independence Extension mine Q
Hematite.
The Challenge mine at Hematite ha
resumed work with a large force {
e
Good ore has been encountered in TIL
IT'S foot shaft of the Wizard mine 8
Hematite.
Hamilton &. Justice have struck
good lead in the Blue Bell mine a
Hematite.
The Monte Cristo Mining comany
working a large force of men on its Go
den placers.
W. LeGrand has struck shipping OF
in the Anchor mine, the extension {
the Memphis.
Stage connections are now made wit
the Urraca and Bonito mining di!
tricts from Springer.
C.. Wood and MI. Tompkins, OF L
Junta, have resumed work on the Eldt
RADIO mine at Hematite.
Mr.. Matthews, a Hutchinson, kas
capitalist, is operating the Urraca plt
GERS in Colfax county.
The average price paid by Elizabeth
town merchants for gold from that Il
cality is SIT per ounce.