Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-04-28
IT ISA SURE WINNER
A Smelter Is Being Constructed
On the Chama River Placer
Grounds.
AGREATPROBLEM Is SOLVED
The Immense Gold Values In the Placers
Gan Now Be Recovered-Two
Big Companies Are In the
Field.

Apoul louI Weeks ago the New Mex
| lean printed somewhat exhaustive ar
ticle on the subject of the rich and ex
tensive placer deposits along the Rit
Chama, In Rio Arriba county, togethe
| with such information as was thel
| available touching the methods adopted
for rescuing the immense values, esti
mated by competent experts as high a:
$lO, 900, held in the grasp of these
auriferous gravel beds. This journal Il
indebted to Henry Grant, of Ablquiu
one of the most progressive, intelligent
and successful business men in the ter
ritory, who was in the capital city yes
terday, for the very latest facts she'd
ding light on the operations of the COM
panies interested.
BIG VALUES.
Mr.. Grant briefly repeated the story
of the organization of the Rio Arrba
Placer Mining Company by Kansas
City and st. Louis capitalists about
twelve or fourteen months ago, and the
subsequent requirement by this COM
pany of about LOO acres of the placer
grounds a few miles above Abiquiu, on
the Rio Chama, the purchases covering
the river bed, as well as the placer land
on either side. Mr.. Grant is one of the
directors of this company. The numer-
Gus thorough tests made by the experts
of the corporation satisfied all con-
cerned that the golden values concealed
in the deposits had not been exagger-
ated, but the same difficulty was expe-
rienced that had discouraged previous
prospecting undertakings. 1t was found
that most Of the gold was so fine and
light that it could not be saved by ordi-
nary hydraulic methods. Mr.. Jaccard
and his persistent associates sent out
other men to study the situation, and
offered them large inducements to re-
port a practicable plan whereby the
flour gold as well as the nuggets could
be saved at profit.
THE PROBLEM SOLVED.
Finally the conclusion was reached
that all the gold was in intimate asso-
citation with the black sand, that the
sand itself carried large values, and
that all the values could be rescued by
the gravel down to the
black sands and then smelling the con-
renirates. Many exhaustive expert
mental tests have since been made, and
as result this sensible method of pro-
cedure has been adopted 1t has been
definitely ascertained that the black
sands can be readily and cheaply sepa-
rated from the gravel, and that when
they yield from $125 to 1925 per
ton in gold, silver, copper and alumni
mum. AS it costs about $35 per ton for
and treatment when the
are sent to the smelters
at Pueblo, the company naturally con-
cluded next that. as plenty of cheap flu
ell was obtainable on the ground, it
would be wise to erect and operate a
smelter on it's own property. This plan
was at once adopted, and it is rapidly
taking tangible form.
A SHELTER is BEING BUILT.
The dredging plant of the Rio Arriba
Placer Mining Company, at present in
operation in the Rio Chama, few miles
above Abiquiu. is 60 feet long and 80
feet wide, and looks like a large old
fashioned steamboat. 1t Is perfectly
equipped with the necessary power and
appliances to handle from 700 to 1000
cubic yards Of gravel per day, which
averages in value about SO cents per
yard, and yields from five to six tons
)f black sand concentrates every twen-
ty-four hours. Mr.. Grant personally
knows that the brick and machinery re-
luired for the construction of the
smelter for the treatment of these con-
and many tons more, are al
ready on the ground, because his teams
hauled these materials this week from
Espanola to Abiquiu, and his freight
bills were cashed by the company with
out moments hesitation. The work
Of putting up the plant will be pressed
with all possible diligence. and no doubt
s entertained that it will be in opera
ton within ninety days. Then the
dredging plant will be operated to the
top of its capacity. and the long antic-
pated placer mining boom at Abiquiu
will be permanently initiated. The sue
cess of the enterprise is assured.
ON A LARGE SCALE.
. In this connection, Mr.. Grant fully
confirms the statement, made in the
Rio Arriba Placer Mining Company has
leased about 900 acres Of it's lands to the
Rio Chama Gold and Copper Company,
chiefly composed of st. Louis capital
and this company, working in
perfect harmony with the one first
named, is making arrangements imme
iiately to put on its grounds a dredg
ing plant with at least double the ca
oacity of the one mentioned, and a smell
ter capable of handling its own output
and all the black sands and copper ores
that may be furnished by other oper-
ators in the district. Contracts for the
necessary machinery have already been
let, bids are invited for 100000 feet of
lumber for the required buildings. and
Mr.. Mohan writes that he will soon be
on the ground personally to push con-
work. Messrs. Pope and Hun
ter, who have for some time been pros
pecting and experimenting in the dis
trict, have also decided to put in
dredging plant on lands they have se-
cured just above Abiquiu, and will Ell
ther treat their concentrates at smell
ter of their own or at the large plant Of
the Rio Chama Gold and Copper Com
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