Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-04
CAMPS ADVANCE
WITHOUT NOISE
SILENCE AND WORK PERVADE
NEW MEXICO
WARY PRosPEcToRs STAKE OLD
SPANISH POSSESSIONS
Gold GuIch, Central, Santa Rita, Ham
over and Fierro Districts Com-
prise Region of Strikes
and Lost Mines

TUCSON, Oct. 3-While there are re-
ports of various newly discovered min
eral deposits, lost mines and some SEN
sational finds in the. way of new dis
triets, the Gold Gulch Central Santa
Rita, Hanover and Fierro mining dis
tricts, in Grant county, New Mexico,
are deserving some attention from the
wise and knowing miners
1t is said that these districts can
boast of two features not ordinarily
seen in mining camps, viz:
An immense amount of mineral and
very conservative and noiseless lot of
owners. This Is generally true in dis
tricts under control of the largest op-
orators; but rarely the case in a COM
paratively undeveloped district
Beginning just at the outskirts of
the little town of Central, there are to
be observed prospect holes along the
roadside; and, while the bottom of
most of them can be seen, there is also
to be seen piles of ores, obtained even
so close to the surface piled around
nearly every one of them.
Gold euIch Is Next
Passing Central the Gold Gulch
camp is reached, being located on the
clear and constant runnig stream of
Gold Gulch, this being the water sup
ply for the Gold Frog group mines.
Gold Gulch is almost in the center Of
Ine OlQeSI mining ulSlIlCl Ol JIle OullSu
States. The SpanlardS operated placer
mining in the gulch, on what is now
a part of the Gold Gulch group, more
than a century ago.
These placers have been worked in
termittently by both Americans and
Mexicans up to the present time-even
within the past few months-and at
sll times with some actual results.
The more recent placering or washing
of gold has been in the bed of the
gulch, the supply being dependent on
the erosion and disintegration from
the large mineral veins, crossing the
Gold Frog group of mines above.
1t is interesting to note, that while
the Spaniards were almost entirely
without the more modern facilities for
deep mining, they had ingenious ideas
of engineering. Even at this late day
the trenches used to convey the wa
ter from the gulch around the foot of
the hills and at considerable elevation
from the gulch further down are
plainly discernible.
For Water Supply
The object in channeling this water
from the gulch was to reach reser-
Voirs, or dams crudely constructed, in
dry arroyOS and accumulate lasting
and sufficient supply to wash the gold
from the shales obtained by tunneling
on the upper sides of the mineral
dikes.
This shale. which is proved to carry
low grade gold ore almost generally,
was crushed in crudely constructed
arrastras and the gold extracted by the
placer process, as noted. These tun-
nels and old Spanish workings may
also be plainly seen at different places
in the Gold Gulch community.
A . short distance northeast of the
Gold Gulch camp, and separated by
Santa Rita creek and the Santa Rita
branch of the Santa Fe is located the
Homestake group and the old San Jose
mine. The Homestake properties have
recently been opened by a COM
pany of that name, and have shown
quite a vein of lead-copper ores with
in the depth attained, which, accord
ing to report, is about 220 to 240 feet.
Very little underground has been done.
but the exposures are sufficient to
warrant tile operators in arranging for
heavier machinery preparatory for
deeper work.
Evidence of Antiguas
Upon this claim is seen an old Stag
dump, showing that in the past con-
siderable ore was obtained from the
San Jose and neighboring mines and
reduced at this point. The San Jose
has been developed to depth of about
$50 to 2S0 feet, and has record of
having DTOuut6u many lIlOuSclllNc VI
dollars worth of grade copper ore.
Within a mile northwest is situated
the Ivanhoe mine, which has produced
thousands of tons of high grade lead
silver ore. 1t has the record of having
produced whenever mined. The last
ore bodies reached are said to have
been copper, at a depth Of some $3.50
feet, and while not of a high grade it
was considered pay ore.
From this about two miles distant
is the famous old Santa Rita copper
mine, which has produced millions of
dollars in rich copper ores. This prop
erty was also mined by the Spaniards
at the same time the placers in Gold
Gulch were operated, and the product
was transported overland to the City
of Mexico, where it was utilized for
coin.
The Hanover and Fierro districts
have proved constant and large pro-
ducers of iron and copper ores. The
principal operators in the past in these
districts were the Colorado Fuel and
Iron company, the -Bessemer
Iron Ore association, and, more recent
ly, the Philadelphia Copper company.
The ore, which was of large tonnage
mined by the Colorado Fuel and Iron
company, was shipped to it's smelter at
Pueblo, Colo. 1t is said that substan-
s;a1 copper values have been shown
even in mining iron ore, in that To-
cality
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