Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1902-02-01
JlCARIllA PLACER DISTRICT,
Old and New Methods Of WORKING the
Oistrjct

district
The following information is taken
in part from a prospectus printed by
the White Oaks Eagle for the Jicarilla
Placer company in 1898, and il proba.
bly, the most reliable data to bo had
concerning the resources OF the dis
trict.
IT mas been conceded ~ all authori-
ties for many years that the Jicarilla
placers are the richest and most ey.
tcnsive In the territory. IL not the rich
est IN the entire United States. All
kinds of tests have been made of the
pay dirt and the verdict has been
unanimous that the deposit of gold
there rs practically without limit and
has "a quality OF iinenoss rare in placer
diggings. which fact has been demo -
stratod 10y frequent assays from the
United states mints, giving as high as
93s in hncnoss. or Siy.i0 an ounce.
showing the gold To be almost pure.
The locality embraces an area of
about ten square miles having an av-
cragc depth OF about twelve feet. in
which the greater portion of the placer
deposit ~ found or about 1923 .yOi 600
cubic yards OF dirt containing gold.
some of 1t running fabuluusy nigh.
Conservative estimates have placed
the value ~ the dirt at 80 cents cubic
yard II viii Ice readily seen that at
this low estimate that there are mix
lions of gold yet 80 bc taken from
these placcrs
The principal gulchcs ln the placer
IL. g,4t.. a
miies long; Rico ave miles Juana.
four miles, Pine. five miles. Spring.
three miles; Soldier. two miles. White
Oaks. two miles Besidos those there
are other general and lateral gulchcs
that contain sold
In spite of the fact that until re-
Gently little water has been ohtaina.
bile, hundreds of thousands Of dollars
have been taken out 10y the crude
methods of the dry washer. small rock
err. etc. or such devices as could be
constructed most readily and at least
expense. The rocker as shown In the
center OF this page being the most gen
orally used FOR securing the gold The
natives here are obtaining water TO be
used In the rocker 10y rolling great
snow balls and then melting it IN a
vessel over "A pincknut fire others
have hauled water a distance at scy.
cral milcs. aud still others have re-
sorted {, catching tho ilcod waters
during the wet season 90 Oh rat their
rockers. but none of these methods
have proven very profitable since the
early history OF the camp when Otero.
father of our present governor. worked
a regiment OF poems In III" district one
winter and cleaned up. il Is said about
10000 The salary OF these semi
slaves was small. If they were paid
anything at all, and their food of the
plainest kind. evidently
Many thousands of dollars have been
expended. trying to secure water and
all kinds OF speculation rcsorted TO by
different companies. some OF the
schemes embracing plans for piping IL
from Rlo Boni,o, forty miles south, and
from the Captain mountains. II dis
lance of nearly thirty miles but never
succeeded until the American Placer
company undertook IL little over "A year
ago put In powerful drilling machinery
and obtained an abundance of water
AZ a reasonable depth, following which
they Installed the Johnston placer
drcdge.
The dredgo is now III operation and
there is no brighter field anywhere for
this character Of mining. The new
line, III Paso 4 Rock Island railway.
passes within seven miles"