Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1905-11-25
MINERAL RESOURCES
OF NEW MEXICO
Paper Read Before the Min
inc Congress, atEIPasO.
on Tuesday. by
pUOF.F. A. JONES or THIS CITY


(iiy Prof. FaycileA. Jones. neld az.
slsianl. United States Geological
Survey Albuquerque. n. 81
II can truthfnlly be said that New
Mexico l. the oldest known, yet new.
est reckon. fguratlvcly speaking. Of
any province ~ the United States
New Mexico ranked next 10 Colorado
ia Yarleiy % mineral products at the
international exposition In S. Louis
and for such distinction received sec
ond honor by being awarded the I'll.
yer medal.
The frat great conquest for gold In
our country was made In New Mexico
nndcr the leadership 0f Francisco
Vaaqncz &c Curunado. In 1871 In.
cited W legends OF the seven tabled
cities vi Cibola IN the strange land OF
the north. Coronado. with hls intrepid
baud OF explorers. pushed their way
across the tracklcae wastes from the
city " Mexico. penetrating this mys-
;erious region a. far 10 the north a.
Santa Fe.
Ia all probability turquoise was the
first product mined In the United
States. The New Mexico article
squalls the oriental Persian gem. and
a recognized by many experts as the
most beautiful and valuablo in the
world.
This gem stone "a found In the Ger.
rlil0s district. Bnrro mountains. Jai-
lila mountains. Old Hachlta. and Ia
thought 60 exist IN a few localities
elsewhere. Evidence Of prehistoric
WORKINGS has been observed In ell Of
the places a. above given. The oldest
known copper mines In New Mexico
are the Santa Rita mines. which were
the frat modern copper mines worked
in America. Tho santa Rita mines
are hy far tho largest producers OF
copper In New Mexico These mines
eve emhrsced Ia the srea copper belt
OF the southwest lhAt inclLaes the de-
posiis OF Arizona and north.wn Mex
leo. The boundary line Of this great
copper belt " New Mexico, begins In
the Mogoilon mountains and extends
approximately IN southeast direction
across the territory. through the Jar
lila mountains. All that area lying
70 the southwest 81 this line belongs
70 the copper belt.
Next In the chronological order 81
mining IN New Mexico Gomez the die
coyery and mining o. sold. The dis
cOvery Of gold IN New MexicL was
made IN the gravels al the base OF the
Ortiz mountain IN southern Santa Re
county IN the year 1923. In 1893 the
new placers were found In the Puerto
mountains y short distance 70 the
south OF the Ortiz mountains. The
area. though not extensive. has pro.
7 duced approximately g. 800 900 up 10
The present time. Al the present
writing Ellsabcthtown In COlfax coun.
l Nu ~ natl lN any
district IN New Mexico. Gold was dis.
covered there in 1866 and the grayeln
J. have been constantly worked ever
since. Some fabulOusly rich silver
= mines have been found IA New Mex
leo The lake valley deposit. known
" as the Bridal Chamber" has perhaps
never been equaIcd IN richness In the
: world, s6 100000 were takcn out 81 q
small space OF less than 100000 cubic
J. feet Most 81 the silver camps are
idle, the ores being TOO low q Grade
on an average, 20 Justify resumption
OF work n the present price Of silver
y The lead and xlnc arta seems "a ns
( principally confined to the west side
y OF the Rio Gfande, with the exception
I OF the Organ mountain district. Those
i ores are associated and found la tbs
Y massive CarionIferous lime stones.
II the production OF lead. the Mag
. dslena aud Cooks Peak districts TAKE
= first rank: each Of those districts hai
Y a credit IN production Of several nall
u lions IN lead carbonate and sulphid'
]. ores. At Granite Gap In southwestern
2 Grant county, are some splendid lead
= carbonate properlles.
A. an associated metal. quite q
!. large quantity Of lead II mined IN The
y vicinity OF Silver City
2 Tho Magdalena district has come
= rapidly 10 the front a. zinc cam
= within the past two years Until 1906
y the camp had not a pound OF xlnc q
= ltG credit IN production, nearly $50,
I 000 was accredited % the district n
= 1893. The output during the year 800
= reached nearly silg00,O00, The futur'
: Of New Mexico seems nov assured Al
!. xlnc producing territory.
~ Eastern sOcorfo county aud western
. Lincoln county appears 70 BE- che priu
7 elpal iron fields Of the southwest. o.
y the upper ella exist the largest alum
" deposits, perhaps In the world; not
pound Of the product has ever bee'
marketed.
New Mexico contains enough gyI
sum 10 supply The world for centuries
a I Oniy uNb IiHkA NAlHta IN tue NNtAAA"Al
~ that manufacturer cement plaHte
Y from this material The plant is oil
z aated on the El pas0 a Southwestern
= railway. al Ancho. In Lincoln county
y Many 81 these beds are several nun
Y dred feet In thickness. What ~ sal
Y 10 b0 the most extensive deposit o
gypsum In TIE world, h known a. ID
~ plain or the "whlte sands sltnatei
southwest OF Alamogordo. IN Oteri
county. This snowy waste OF gypsum
a about thlrty-hye miles m lnngti
2. north and south and about olghleel
De- miles aoross lts broadcast part at IN
q south end.
ID In general all Of The Goals Of Nov
It Mexico are quite clean and make
- good fuel Some OF these Goals coki
y ana make 4 splendid coke while ON
~ ers possess no coklne qualities what
" ever The areal extent OF the New
Rf Mexican coal fields Is not definitely
'e known, Il u. perhaps NOT exceedel
By any state IN the linton. The slEnlh
canes OF this fact should not ~ over
u looked. since New Mexico "a the eats
n way TO the great smelling centers Q
" Arizona aud the republic OF Mexict
which latter province win soon pul
- chase an their futt supplies &C "a
a noares. markets Nhcn taking Int
Il confederation, the anticipated iegisli
i slon affecting thc rates az the comm
congress.