El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-11-16
MINING NEWS
e. PAsOlNs To DEVELOP CLAIMS
IN THE FIERRO MINERAL DISTRICT
McEniry and Associates Own
74O Acres in Rich Grant
County District.

Il am going to the Fierro mining dis
trict, in Grant county, New Mexico.
one of the richest mineral horizons Of
the southwest" said Maj. Thomas Nc
Entry. the veteran mining man. as he
left over the Southern Pacific. Il am
to meet the engineers of some prom
inent mining investors there Ny as
sociates, o. ]. Binford, Max Coffman,
Of FL Paso,. and own some extensive
mining properties up there. about Two
and a half miles north Of Fierro, carry
ing high grade gold, silver and copper
ores. We own 74O acres or mineral
ground, divided into mining claims
called the santa SOpnla group. Inc
station of Fierro is on the branch line
of the Santa Fe- railroad, which passes
through Hurley, Santa Rita and Han
over, and is in fact the terminus OF the
railroad. This is one Of the best pay
ing railroads for its length in the en-
tire west.
I'VE have been interested in the San
ia Sophia mines since last April, and are
working small force OF miners.
Our ore deposits occur in veins, both
assures and contacts, in a porphyrittc
country, the veins beng Of great mag
nitude, ranging from 20 TO 90 feet IN
width. The country rock consists OF
porphyry, QuartZite, andes1te and ira
chyte. On our properties considerable
development work has been done IN
tunnels ana S4e4LSs dE : gains "
tween 1000 and 1900 feet. Our present
work is devoted to developing ore bod
les This has proved very satisfactory
and has attracted attention Of mining
men. We are in one Of the most pro-
ductive mining districts in New Mex
leo.
1.-THE iron deposits Of Fierro and Han
over early attracted attention and Dy
1891 had been reached by the railroad.
The Colorado Fuel & Iron company has
since then been shipping daily several
carloads Of iron ore from F1erro- me
other important operator IN this region
is the Hermosa copper company, under
stood to be a subsidiary of the General
Electric company, which began eStens-
i've prospecting and development Oper-
ations about 1904
In Eastern Grant County.
seThe Fierro Hanover and Santa Rita
districts are in eastern Grant county,
and are included in the territory off
cially known as the Central mining MS
trict. These camps adJoin and snow
similar geologic features ana DelonS
to the same system The average eie-
walton is about $500 feet.
zone Of the most prominent land
marks is a curious freak southeast OF
Santa Rita where the rhyOlite or por-
phvry has been worn, leaving rem
0ant called the "Kneeling Nun from
its resemblance to the ugure OF
woman kneeling before an altar
Most OF the iron ore IS magneIlIe-
LARGE bodies have averaged from 90 TO 70
7,er cent metallic iron. almost pure mag
1etite Just above Fierro on the east
side of Hanover creek is the Jim Fair
mine.
1.-The iron deposits that have been
chiefly worked lie on both sides OF
Hanover creek not far from the por-
phyry contact. The principal opera
lions have been at the Republic or
Union workings Of the Colorado Fuel
& Iron company, on the west side Of the
creek, half way between Hanover and
FierrO- The iron outcrops IN oold
masses as magnetic mixed with little
Iimonite. The ore is dropped down
through chutes to underground work
ings and is hauled by electric motors
through tunnels to the surface. About
$50 to 500 tons have been shipped daily
to Pueblo. Colorado
Two Similar Deposits.
"A similar deposit has been worked
at the Jim Fair mine on the east side
Of the creek Just above Fierro. and an
other iron property is the Booth mine
near the terminus Of the railroad in the
Santa Rita camp. In this property are
copper stains in the iron. and il is the
opinion Of the biologists that an ap-
probable amount OF copper has been
leached from the original sulphides
which existed in this deposits and
was deposited elsewhere. and that per
haps the southern continuation Of these
/ bodies, now erOded away, may have
furnished most Of the copper in the
Santa Rita mines.
The Thundercloud zinc mine Of the
Empire Zinc company is on the eastern
slope Of the creek just east of Han
over. containing bodies of almost solid
sphalerite. The deposits are in lime
stone close to the quartz monzanits
pOrphyry contact A considerable
amount Of ore has been shipped part
/ Of IL was OZidized to the carbonate,
1 silicate and calamine zinc. These have
Z been mostly mined. Similar deposits
occur on the west side of the creek.
'Tt2ken altogether the camps of
/ Chino in the Santa Ritas Hanover, and
| FierrO, and the great concentrating
/ mill Of the Chino Copper company at
/ Hurley constitute a wonderful string
1 Of activity almost unequaled in the
! southwest. To these very soon will be
/ added the Santa Sophia group of mines
/ which my associates and I are opening
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