Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1901-06-28
WHAT DO YOU KNOW?
About SIERRA COUNTY. NEW MEXICO, and Its
Mines of GOLD and SILVER, COPPER, LEAD.
IRON and COAL.-CATTLE, SHEEP and
AGRICULTURAL INTERESTS,

The Advocate Is constantly receiving
from all parts of the country, letters
asking the above and following ques-
tons. To answer correspondents. to
give reliable, accurate and authentic
Information. and to further advance
our great interests, is the object Of this
article:
Is gold found at Ilillsboro In quartz
veins or in placers? In both, but prin-
cipally in fissure veins. Between two
and three hundred claims have been To-
lated on these veins which show pay
ore at the surface and the work done
on these varies from mere assessment
holes to the principal mines that have
been developed to n depth of 500 feet.
What is the nature of the ore? Cop
per and iron sulphlde and some COM
paratvely free milling quartz. With
depth the ore becomes smelling and
concentrating material. The percent
age of copper in the ore shipped to the
piliCitAAS - iiVbi Obt w iNtiNt
in concentrates sometimes as high as
twenty units. Silica In crude ore from
forty to eghty-tlye. Smelter certih-
Gates show the ore to carry from two
to fourteen ounces of gold, from three
to sixty ounces silver. The bulk of the
ore and concentrates shipped however,
VIII average about $40 per ton.
Has there been any large productien?
The Opportunity group has produced
23, ,Oo0 tons OF ore and over half mil
lon dollars. The Bonanza mine 1000
tons and S20o,oO9. The Richmond 5000
tons ord over s29o00o. These are The
largest producers 50 fur.
Are the milling faculties good? prac-
tically they are not ,hc saving has
been from fifty TO seventy five per
mill is badly needed and fortune
awaits the parties who will build one.
Sufficient water ana IN ideal concen-
tiating ore, with proper appliances
ninety to ninety live per cent would be
the saving.
WIN the owners let go casy. or do
they want the earth? They are reas-
enable people, but they are not giving
awny their mines, or giving bonds on
longtime rainbovs. During the past
two years some thirty mines have been
sold, mostly around Ammas Peak, and
the highest price paid was $4,000.
That min- sas become the largest pro-
ducing and the best paying in the dis
trict and the owners would now ask
a very large sum. The greatly i'm
proved price Of copper and lower
smelling rates have Of late been very
beneficial to these mines With good
custom mill the progress would be
rapid.
What are ore s.eights? From the
mine to the III Paso smelter from SO
to 81 per ton; from mine TO mill rs
cents to $3.50 per ton.
What is the geological formatlon7
An eruptlye country rock, by the ex-
perts classcd as Andeslte; the ore veins
are found accompanying dikes Of fine
grained felsite and blrdseye porphyry
which cut through the country north
east and southwest. Most Of the veins
are fairly easy working, on drift con
tracts prices have been from So to So
per foot Incline shafts on vein are
chcaply driven, but yertica. SHIFTS IN
country rock have gelss1ally been found
very expensive.
Is there much snow In winter? Not
enough TO swear by; the climate, win
ter and summer, is, from a miners
point Of view, perfect No snowslides
and no pneumonia for the miner to
dread.
" thcrc -1-ch rl'cer r''r'ng9 Thcrc !
Is an extensive placer field which In
open to locators and there are always |
some men at work who make from 81
to S5 per day. An occasional nugget
brings up the average. OF course some
men are luclxier than others. here as
elsewhere. Most OF the gold is found I
within few feet Of the surface. The
miners scoop up the pay streak dirt 1
and run II through dry washing ma
chimes. The nearest water is distant
i've miles and about 400 feet below the
gold level Several companies have !
been formed to work these placers on
4 high scale, but the immense cost of /
In sufficient water has made |
the project appear Of doubtful profit
A new company has recently been or
yanized to exploit this field with a ma
chine of the Bucyrus type-thls is
the very best method and
likely 10 succeed.