The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-04-23
AN INTERESTING MINE.
A Mexican Copper Property of Great Rich
ncss--& Hot Place.


Among other remarkable mines re-
Gently visited by a correspondent of
the Denver Mining Industry while
travelling in Mexico was a copper
property in the state of Coahuila,
about 120 miles north of Monterey,
and fifty miles west of the Mexican
National Railway. The mine is known
as the CObre de Panuco, and is owned
by New Workers. While it is not be-
ing worked very extensively, employ
ing about twenty-five men, it has been
operated as far back as the mining
history of the country extends. A
great, open pit, and much caved sur
face ground outlines the extent and
form of the ore deposit, which appears
to have a more or less circular form,
and perhaps 50Ofeet across. The enclos-
ing rock is a hornblendic porphyry, al
though the general country rock of the
district is calcerous slate. Toward
the surface the ore exists mostly as a
carbonate, and evidently of superior
grade, as most of the work is carried
on in close proximity to the old. caved
workings. In descending on the ore
body the mineral becomes more fer
rugtnOus, and in places vast bodies of
solid iron pyFitess have been opened
up In places where the sulphides
contain considerable chalcOpyrite the
mineral is mined, it being of suffi-
GENTLY high grade to warrant hauling
out to rail and shipping to some cen
trat smelling point. In one portion of
the mine there is an immense mass of
material that seemingly has been
crushed to fragments of one-fourth to
one inch in diameter, and then ce-
mented again, making a strange ap-
pearing mixture of iron and copper
pyrites and quartz, assaying about Z
per cent. in copper, being less than
the average copper contents of the
product of the mine, which is stated
to average about % per cent, and to
be twenty tons day.
Owing to imperfect ventilation, the
mine is the hottest one the writer has
ever entered, due no doubt to the de-
composition of the sulphides. So in
tense is the heat in some of the stones,
that it is impossible for one not accus-
toned to so high a temperature to en-
dure it for but few minutes. and
the heat of the ore in some of the
breasts is so great that it is unbear-
able to the naked hand-there being
no thermometer in the district gradu-
ated sufficiently high to determine the
exact temperature in seine of the hot
ter workings. The mine is perfectly
dry and quite dusty, and in places the
air is filled with atoms of sulphate of
copper. The natives work, wearing
nothing but a breech clout, and
handkerchief tied about the face, pro-
tecting the nose and mouth from the
poisonous fumes and dust.
One of the most interesting features
OF the mine is the occurrence of large
deposits of very clean sulphide of mo-
lybdenum, which is mined and shipped
to Europe, constituting considerable
portion of the commercial product of
the prOperty-the shipments last year
aggregating about $4,000 the mate
rial yielding about $500 per ton.
This mineral is found mostly in the
lower level of the mine, associated
with chalcopyrite and thoroughly crys-
tallzed quartz. In appearance the min
eral could easily be mistaken for
graphite, being about the same color
and thin foliated. It's streak on pa
per, however, discloses, with an OBJ
lique reflection of the light, purplish
tinge, while that of graphite is gray
lsh. The ore is easily mined, as it is
quite soft, and some pot holes or open
lngs have yielded several tons at 8
Llme without any blasting whatever.
Inc chamber yielding the moIybden- |
UNI, at the time of the visit, was prob