Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-04-24
OLD COPPER CLAIMS
Minerals We're Mined and Prospected
For In the Territory Many
Years Ago.
new MEXICO RICH In COPPER
Account Of 9 Prospecting Trip In the Early
Eighties Some Very Old Mines In
Grant, Santa Es and Cther
i. Uouartss.

That New Mexico is rich f. 3a *'
Is not a new stor- My '5e-H "a aia
t-.a the FIRST Spania %
the territory knew ~ ihe
we alth in the mountaslstand the eauonS
of the territory, but also the America nf
who took possession fifty years age
have ever since then exploited the min
eral deposits of New Mexico. But going
back only fifteen or twenty years ago il
is interesting to note that the most OF
the mineral districts of the territory had
been located and definite estimates had
been made of the deposits of mineral
from one end of the territory to the
other,
GRANT COUNTY IN 1884.
In the early sos Grant county showed
the greatest bodies of copper of any
county in New Mexico. It's mines, espe-
cially the Santa Rita mines, between
Silver City and Georgetown. We're well
developed. The formation is lime, and
the ore is oxide, glance sulphide, car
Donate and native. These mines have
been worked for hundreds of years, and
during the copper boom of the early 80s
scratch company expended over 81,
OO0 900 in development with smelter and
mills, and were shipping an immense
output, when copper dropped from IS
cents to cents, and all copper mines in
New Mexico closed down and laid DOR
mant until the advance in copper a lit
tie over year ago.
SANTA FE PROPERTIES.
Santa Fe was in those days second in
the showing of copper it made, and
from the advantage of railroad and
nearness to smelters the copper indus
try was kept alive in the county, but
generally at loss to the operators un-
til year ago. The old Ortiz was the
leading copper property of the section,
and had notable output.
ANCIENT RUINS.
Southeast of Albuquerque, in the
Manzana mountains, there are ruins of
old copper furnaces and evidences of an
industry of magnitude at some early
date beyond the knowledge of the oldest
native residents in that section Of the
early sos. The Stag assayed gold and
silver to such value that the same
would now pay to transport eighty
miles for treatment ii all would average
with several grab samples that were ta-
ken twenty years ago.
THE NAL PALS.
Near the Gran Quivira ruins, about
thirty miles east of the Manzana noun
tains, there are also copper deposits.
The ruins are reported to have been the
homes of 100000 people at one time. I'M
mediately south and west is the largest
crater of the Nal Pals or ancient lava
beds, and the conclusion is that through
this crater and others which abound in
that section ashes and lava were
thrown over the people of Gran Quivira,
which forced them to abandon their
once large city and to flee from the val
ley. Tradition has it that the priests
buried the treasures of the church in
some of the houses Of the old ruins.
Enough confidence was shown in the
tradition by Professor Longnamere, of
Socorro, that he induced some priests
from Albuquerque to go with him early
in the 80s, and they explored the ruins.
The Gran Quivira is about ninety miles
southeast of Albuquerque, and it is sit
uated at the head of a long dry valley,
about 200 miles long and fifty miles
wide, which is known as the Journey of
Death. The lava flow Of the Nal Pals is
seventy five miles long north and south,
and extends south down the valley, or
one prong of the valley, from the Gran
Quivira. The width Of the lead is from
one-half to three miles, and the upper
crater at the north end has been ex-
plored or descended 200 feet from the
surface. The Gran Quivira and the
north end of the Nal Pals is of easy
access by wagon, but there'is no water
for man or beast. Wells were sunk in
1880 by Ex-Governor Slower, but with
out success. 1t would be a beautiful
pastoral or agricultural region If water
could be had, and artesian boring
should bring it short distance from the
strike of the earthquakes fracture
Northeast from the Gran Quivira about
twenty miles, in the Gallinas noun
tains, in Lincoln county, there was
copper property explored in the sos fol-
some 500 feet and the property patent
ed. 1t showed in ton-lot shipments cop
per-silver values that ranged in value
from 500 to $500 per ton.
THE SAN ANDRES RANGE.
Just south of the south end of the
Oscuras and twenty miles south Of Hau'
senburg, in the Little Burro mountains
pay copper ore was also found Of a SUI
perior free smelling character. At thi:
point, which is sixty-five miles south
east of Socorro, the San Andres noun
tains take their rise. The range is owe
fifty miles long, and copper shows con
tinually in vertical assures of to Il
feet in width. The ores are oxide, car
Donate, glance, malachite. up in th'
range, and sulphides and bromide in tn
east foothills. But little gold shows IL
| the San Andres, and but little silver
especially at the north end of the range
0mcers Installed.
The new officers of Santa Fe Com