Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-05-05
SAN ANDREAS RANGE
The Immense Mineral Wealth of the
Mountains In Eastern DOna
Ana County.
MINING CAMP OF The FUTURE
An Important Railway Projsct-Rich Cop
per and Lead Mines In the Organ Noun
tains-Ths Elephant Butte Dam
Will Be Built

tains-Ths Elephant Butte Dam
Will Be Built.
Judge A. B. Fall, of Las Cruces, IL
| speaking Of the great mineral wealth
| of the southern section of the territor,
| naturally tributary to Las Cruces, say
that the San Andres range, including
| the Organ mountains, is destined tt
nave the greatest mining camps of tn
southwest. Its mining possibilities ar,
vast and its development depends only
upon better transportation facilities
provisions for which are now beine
made.
A LARGE MINERAL ZONE.
On the west side Of the range there is
contact between the calcareous for.
nations and granite, which extends
fourteen miles, with the Modoc mine al
the south end and the Torpedo and Ex-
celsior mines at the north end This
contact is a mineral zone from $50 feet
to quarter of mile in width and is
thoroughly impregnated with lead and
copper, carrying silver and gold values
THE TORPEDO NINE.
The Torpedo has paid it's way from
the grass roots down, including 800, 900
the purchase price, and at least as
much more in machinery and develop
ment. The main shaft Is down $50 feet
THE MODOC.
The Modoc, like the Torpedo is owned
by Chicago company 1t is down 200
feet, and has from to 30 feet of lead
ore developed. These two mines are in
the southern part of the San Andreas
range, known as the Organ mountains
IMMENSE ORE BODIES.
Above the Organs on the east side, in
Bear canon, the largest deposits of ga
lena exist of which Captain Fall has
any knowledge. This section is just be-
ing developed, and it's possibilities are
immense. He has personal knowledge
of one contact vein which is eleven
miles long. along the course Of which
one can break mineral, lead or copper,
or both, every foot of the distance.
RICH CANONS.
The San Nicolas. San Andreas, San
Andrecito, Dead Mans, Lost Mans
Mimbrel, Hembril, Good Fortune and
other canons, in the San Andreas range,
show perfect network of veins carry
ing copper and lead, with gold and sill
yer values, as we'll as enormous depos-
its of zinc and indications of tin.
GOOD MINERAL SHOWING.
Above Lava Gap, and on the east side
of the range, in Red Hill district, there
is a good showing of copper in the sand
stone and conglomerates running from
6 to 10 per cent copper in almost mex
haustible quantities. With railroad ia
cilities every canon in the San Andreas
range will furnish large amount of
shipping ore.
IMMENSE SODA DEPOSIT.
At the foot of the San Andres range,
on the east side, still in Dona Ana coun-
ty, there have been developed by actual
survey $4,000 acres of soda beds, car
rying sulphate of soda, averaging 60
per cent, in just such combination as is
used in curing hides by the great pack
ing establishments. The soda Is worth
50 per ton, and is of no commercial
value for other purposes; at least with
out railroad facilities it would not pay
transportation charges and the cost of
changing 1t into carbonate Of soda. But
for the purpose indicated It Is just, the
thing.
RAILWAY PROJECTS.
The Pecos Valley & Northeastern
railway from Roswell is now being sur
veyed to a junction or crossing of the
FL Paso & Northeastern railway at ia
rilla and not between the Guadalupe
and Sacramento ranges, as has been
previously stated, to reach FL Paso.
Both this road, controlled by the Ha-
germans, and the FL Paso & Northeast
ern, controlled by the Eddys, are in
vestigating the soda deposits, with the
idea of extending their lines to them
and carrying out the soda as well as
the mineral products of the San Andres
range. There is also in contemplation
railroad from Las Cruces by way of
the Modoc mine to st. Augustine pass
THE FUTURE ASSURED.
Even without these railroads the flu
ture of the Organs and of the San An
dreas country seems assured. With rail-
road facilities, however. they will de-
velop the greatest mining camps Of the
southwest. There is more mineral on
the surface in that region than can be
found anywhere from the north line Of
Colorado to the south line of Zacatecas
in Mexico.
WATER. TIMBER AND COAL.
The water supply in the San Andreas
mountains is limited, and yet there are
living springs in every canon. The
mountains are covered with pinon and
juniper, furnishing abundant timber for
mining purposes. There are coal meas
ures both west of the San Andreas and
north in the Oscuras. They are unde-
veloped, it is true, but they are appar-
emily the continuation of the coal fields
now being worked at Captain by the El
Paso & Northeastern railroad.
DAM WILL BE BUILT.
work on the Elephant Butte dam
will be commenced" said Judge Fall
"as soon as a verdict or opinion Is rem
dered by the territorial supreme court
The future of the Mesilla valley and
Las Cruces Is no longer problematical;
1t is assured"
Sent 10 Fort Bayard.
Sergeant William A. Blackwood of the
signal corps, has been transferred from