The Alamogordo news. (Alamogordo, N.M.) 1899-1912, 1905-08-05
IMPROVEMENTS At IlRII
Plant for Reduction Of Copper
Ores At the Mining Camp


Within . short time material fol
the construction Of the reduction
plant Of the Southwest Smelling
and Refining Company will be.
gin to arrive at this point. The
company is to erect blast fur
naces here for the erection Of the
cupriferOus ores Of this and sur.
rounding sections. The corpora
tiOn, which is controlled by Mis-
sourians, owns 1900 acres Of
mineral bearing ground in this
section. in the heart Of the
mountains, which at one time
formed series of islands in the
center Of an ancient sea. The
ore is found on the contact be-
tween the lime and the porphyry,
which is cut at right angles by
diorite dykes, traversing the
country from east to west, and
standing nearly vertical.
The principal mines are the
Lucky, Mamie Baird, Lincoln,
Garnet, Philadelphia Copper
Company, and q number Of
others. The Southwest Com
pany is a mining and smelling
corporation, organized on broad
gauged lines, to carry on the
work outlined. The Lucky mine
is q copper proposition, which
has been developed down to q
depth of 800 feet, and in some
places it has ore between the
walls 100 feet in width. The
vein may be traced for a mile on
the surface, as il has been open
ed by shallow shafts and open
cuts. At the point where the
railroad will run through the
ground to reach the Iron Mask,
to the north, and from which the
smelter will obtain The iron with
which to charge the furnaces, it
will cut through the main lense
for . distance Of nearly 50 feet
to make its grade in copper ore
Of paying quality. The ore runs
from 4 to 8 per cent in copper
and carries as well from 81 to SO
in gold 10 the ton, with q few
ounces Of silver. The Southwest
Company owns, also, the Mamie
Baird, which has developed and
has blocked out 500 feet Of ore
iron in character carrying
from SIS to $40 in gold to the
ton, and some silver. This ore
carries an excess Of iron over
silica, and makes Of it a premium
ore at the smelter. The COM
pany likewise owns the Iron
Mask, which is q veritable noun
tain Of iron, carrying from 81 to
"a in gold to the ton, and lime
deposits to complete the furnace
charge, that runs from so cents
to s2 in gold to the ton, with
occasional silver values. The
furnaces the company is to erect
and the material for which will
soon begin to arrive will be the
largest ever constructed in New
Mexico. They are to be located
on the main line of the Rock Is
land railroad. and viii draw ore
from other surrounding mining
camps, as far north as White
Oaks, together with all Of the
mining districts Of the Eacramen-
to mountains to the east. The
plant will be . copper reducing
concern purely, and twill handle
the ores Of the company from its
crude state TO the refined pro-
duct. The smelter il 10 be built
in units, it being the intention
eventually to treat 1000 tons Of
ore daily at this point. For this
purpose coal and coke are laid
down cheaper at this point than
at Douglas, Arizona. The ores
are neutfal, and there Il every
natural advantage that goes to
complete fectreduction, there
being sufficient sold and silver
contents to the ores 70 pay the
cost cf mining and smelling.
The district. in many respects,
resembles that ok Bisbee. Ari-
zona. There " The same cap of
iron, and the same occurrence.
IN the Lucky beautiful speci-
mems 81 azurite snd maIachite
are found il the heavier ores.
The lower workings a tIss pro-
perty shows sulphide ores q con.
siderable richness. ennnak snI.