El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-02-13
Organ Mining District. At FL Pasos
Doors, One Of the Richest In Southwest
Ores Are High Grade and
Copper, Lead, Zinc and
Other Ores Produced.
Smelter Returns Are High
and There Is No More
Water to Give Trouble.


ORGAN, y III. Feb. lei Pasoans
boast Of the richness of the cop
per fields at Bisbee, Cananea
and Santa Rita. but neglect ihe rich
est Of them all, right at their doors.
Competent mining engineers. men who
know a good mine when they see 1t.
have declared that the copper deposits
of the organ mountains are the rich
est in high grade ores of any in the
southwest The district is not the
largest in the country and there are
numerous separate claims and proper
ties.
The fact that these properties have
been in the main controlled by estates,
it was impossible TO consolidate them,
but now this matter has been largely
cleared up. The properties have al.
ways paid where they were worked
separately. and the fact that they were
not gigantic enough TO interest Dig
capital is all that mas kept the district
from becoming a second Bisbee-
The Stephenson. the Mem
phis the Torpedo the Philadelphia,
the Excelsior, the Big Three, the sun
flower. the Franklin. the Modoc, the
Aztec and the Little Buck are the
principal mines in this camp. The Lit
tie Buck produces gold On the east
ern side OF the mountains are also
several mining properties, including
some placer ground that has been
worked quite profitably
Near Las Cruces.
Situated about i or IA miles north
east of Las Cruces and reached oy
stage from Las Cruces. this camp Is
close 10 Fl PasO and its operation
would mean much in dollars and cents
each year to that city The prospects
for rich production Of ore are no bet
ter anywhere in the country. The tops
Of the mountains. especially on the
Han NH
rock rich IN copper, lead and zinc. prln-
Clpaly copper, and the veins are readl-
ly traceable across the surface. Under
ground Development work has re-
vesled that all these veins widen with
depth. There Is an OutcrOpping ledge
of copper and lead across the western
face OF the mountain range that eX-
tends a distance OF ten miles, as plain
y apparent TO the eye as wagon
road cut into the face of the mountain.
Enough work has been done in the
mines in the camp to prove the ex-
istence Of good ores and thousands OF
tons Of rich ore have been shipped TO
the shelters from this field.
An OLD Time Mine.
The old Stephenson mine, the site
Of the present Bennett-StephensO
property was operated in the pioneer
days of the southwest and made
small fortune for the owner and
much money for the original stock
holders many OF whom were Fl -Paso@
was operated as early as 1885 and the
first smelter in this part Of the c0un-
try was built here The old boiler
house with some of/the rusty old ma
chinery is still standing on the Mem
phis property and the foundations Of
the old smelter are also visible The
ores were mined at q profit even IN
those early days when the hauling Of
supplies, especially coke and coal. were
several times higher than now. And
very little systematic work was done
then. most of the ore being taken
out Of open cuts. right on the surface.
Above the 100 Foot Level.
At present the Bennett-Stephenso
company is preparing to operate and
the Memphis has commenced shipping
ore and is now carrying forward its
development work.
Enough development work has al
ready been done in the Bennett-Steph-
enson to make II possible 10 so ahead
with actual mining for many months
70 come.
Tunnel Drains District.
One OF the most important pieces
OF work TO the whole district has been
completed at the Bennett Stephenson
mine. in the driving of a tunnel over
5000 feet long, TO unWater the mines
incidentally il has unWatered all the
other mines OF the district. The tunnel
was driven into the mountain from the
west side, directly into the heart Of
the Bennett-Stephenson ore body not
only serving as crosscut in proving
the ore. but serving the double pur-
pose Of acting as a drain. 1t strikes
the shaft Of the mine at the 500 foot
level and consequently drains all -he
water above that level from all the
mires in the district As the Bennett
Stephenson has progressed with its
work TO the 400 foot level, this still
leaves 100 feet from which the water
has TO be pumped. but as the flow is
but IS gallons per minute this amounts
to very little when the mine is in
when some of the pressure is released.
engineers do not look for over 200 gal
Ions a minute, which can be taken care
of at very little expense.
Ore Bodies Hold Out.
The ore bodies visible on the SUI
face in the Memphis and Bennett
Stephenson have in every case been
traced on every level that has been
run in Development work, and in each
case they have widened with depth IN
til In the Bennett-Stephenso the main
ore body on the 400 foot level is 40
feet in width. As all of the veins
are about IS degrees to the west and
as the graphite dyke east Of and above
the outcroppings, dips in the same d.
rectiOn about 45 degrees, will natural
II come together and 1t is confidential
" believed by mining engineers that
when they strike the point where the
granite interesects the various veins,
they will find one Of the biggest veins
Of ore IN the United States. It is the
history Of geological formations that
such a condition always exists and with
such rich surface and nearsurfsc &c in
dications. there is every reason TO be-
lieve that the veins I'm this camp are
exceedingly rich at depth
NJ T. Daley, for 10 years manager
of the Silver King Coalition at Park
City, Utah. during which time he pulled
cut twelve millions in dividends for the
owners. has lately taken the position
of general manager Of these two prop
critics. according to official announce
ment and he thinks so we'll OF the
field that he has taken the manage