Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-02-06
SAN PEDRO COPPER
The Santa Fe Gold and Copper Com
pany Has Immense Bodies
of Ore.
AGAIN ACTIVELY WORKED
The New Smelter Will Work Ore Of the
Lowest Grade and Modern Plant
IsBeing Erected for Extensive
Operations
Special Cor. New Mexican.

=
San Pedro, N. NJ, February 5.-The
newspaporial truth seeker who comes
here in search Of facts finds this coun-
try Of magnificent distances, but sur
pisingly rich on every hand in mineral
wealth.
First and foremost is the big Cop
per- group of mines, covering an area
of 500 acres, owned by the Santa Fe
Gold and Copper Company, a Boston
corporation, and capitalized at 81, $780,
O00 The main openings face the south
side of the mountain, 900 feet higher
than the town of San Pedro, and 5000
feet Distant therefrom. In the palmy
days of 1882 1000 men were employed in
and about this property and the smelter,
and $4,000 was distributed monthly
among the denizens Of this section of
Santa Fe county. It Is unnecessary to
recount here the unfortunate litigation
which put a stop to this industry and
paralyzed the camp for so many years;
but suffice 1T to say that all this has
happily ended, and now there are visi-
Bile signs Of a new era that inspires ev-
erybody with fresh courage and spirit.
A New Mexican missionary donned oy-
eralls and Jacket, and, candle in hand,
followed Supt. J. T. Mclaughlin down
the ladders in the 250-foot new shaft
yesterday. This Is a double compam-
ment shaft, AXIS feet in the clear, locat-
ed about 1000 feet east Of the entrance
to the old workings. The mine is work
ed on three levels, and 5000 feet of new
work has BEEN done during the past
year. One can stand erect and walk
anywhere in the mine for
A DISTANCE OF FIVE MILES,
proceeding between walls neatly arched
overhead that are literally bespangled
with garnet, peacock and azurite gold
and copper ores, that weave themselves
into beautiful pictures when played up
on by the flickering candle light. These
workings are 1,50O feet beneath the
apex of the mountain. The walls are
solid; there Is NO need of timbering; the
mine Is absolutely dry; the air is as
pure as that on the surface. System and
economy have governed everywhere,
and Mr.. Mclaughlin has shown his
master hand as a niinS ,rlanager. For
instance, at convenient points Oil the
two upper levels ore chutes have been
provided through which the ore as it is
displaced is dropped down to the lower
250-foot level into the tram cars and
run downgrade to the buckets, whence
it goes straight up to the surface. There
is no lift or long shovel work; gravity is
everywhere brought into play and ev
erything goes down to reach the buck
cts.
CHARACTER OF THE ORE.
The ore is a sulphide, lying in three
distinct blanket veins from to rs feet
in thickness, the hanging wall being
garnet, the foot wall black limestone,
and so we'll defined that a child could
readily point out the pay stuff. 1t yields
from 2k to 30 per cent copper; S. In
gold and ounces in silver per ton.
Some very rich bodies Of higher grade
ore, to Is feet in thickness, have been
encountered Within the past thirty days
Forty men are employed on the day and
night shifts at present; one diamond
drill and one Burleigh drill are at work.
As soon as the new boiler and air COM
pressors now being placed can be start
ed four more Burledgh drills will be
operated. There are now knocked down
and ready for the smelter over $4,000
tons Of ore; $4,000 tons Of low-grade ore
Is on the Dump and carries 5 per cent
copper, 50 to 81 in gold and silver.
At the mouth Of the new shaft mod
ern cage is being placed, and force OF
carpenters is now finishing the new
tram house, a building 3Ox75 feet, con-
tanning a new seventy-five horsepower
engine, hoist, etc. The new gallows Is OF
timbers foot square, and stands 45 feet
in height. Immediately adjoining, but
200 feet below, is the site of the new ESQ
tom smelter, the machinery for which
has been. ordered. The old smelter could
treat no ore yielding less than 10 per
cent copper, but
THE NEW MODERN PLANT
will handle profitably ores running but
21s per cent copper. With such mine
and such q plant NO layman can UNDER
take to guess how many million dollars
there Is in this great copper mountain.
About eighty men are on the company
pay roll at present; they are paid on
the 18th Of each month. This number
will be steadily increased as the new
machinery is placed. At the new pump
s+ot.o,, haIou, the town OF San Pedro q