Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-01-22
Geological Features Of Magd0Iena
Mining District, New Mexico


81 ana u 4he highest grade close 10
the nortn-eouth faulilnR bikes and
the characterization n heaviest close 10
the dixie and grows thinner ana lower
IN Grade In drifting away from the
dixie
Gltnfnctur 90 ore.
The oriKinaI ore was undoubtedly
mixture Of suiphlde of lead (galcna).
sulphido Of xinc tbicnde). aud sui
phide % iron (pyrltee The nrss
change was very likely the oxilntion
Of tho sine sulphidc 90 sulphatc. Sec
ond. the ptrilc oxldiacd. forming cor
roeive solution. Third. the forming OF
GOVERNS and water courses. Fourth.
the filling OF cayerns and water
courses hy zine carbonate.
Tine zone OF oxldizatIon runs up and
down aioug the Bedding plane OF the
strata. which would Indicate that tho
faulting dikcs made water channels
From tire evidence at hand We are ted
To believe that the source ~ the met
allie minerals came from great depths
60 the surface. or M least within reach
OF tho Ineteoric water in the maEmas
Of the igncous matter and that the
actual concentration OF the ore mined
today was the result OF the subsequent
activity Of the underground water cir
culation.
Climate.
The climate IL arid. with rare rains
and occasional SHOWS: Ia fact. there
arc few mining camps anywhere that
are 80 conveniently situated FOR re-
ceiving their supplies and shipping
their product. and with climatic con-
dltions 80 favorable that il Is possible
20 prosecute work 20 the best advant-
age the whole rolling year.
History of the Disirict.
The discovery of the ore a. said "a
have been made In 1855 By Colonel
J. Z. Hutchinson. who u still living IN
Magdalena. The first claim 10 be 10.
Gated was the Juanita. and three
weeks later the Graphic was located
The first ores TO be mined we're the
sand carbonatos. or surface lead ores.
which were smelted IN an adobe fur
mace. the product being hauled %
Kansas CITY by OK teams In 1881
Gustave Billings, then In control of
the Kelly mine. erected a smcltinr
plant ~ Socorro. where the product
Of the mine rs well as custom ore was
treated. This plant remained In OPP
GRAFTON until 1898. Tho Graphic re-
manned In operation until 1898. The
Granhic smeltcr AT Magdalena was
built In 1896 and ran internationally
until the exhaustion 81 the lead ores
CcarbonstesD In 1902.
Between 1894 and 1903 the mines oi
the district were worked IN desultnry
fashion b. lessces or owners In 1908
MessrH J. v. Fitch and G. r Brown
lessecs of the Graphic mine. sent some
smithsonitc 90 Missouri. and the ore
| proved 50 satisfactory that more was
asked for shortly afterwards tho
| Sherwin- Williams Paint company pur.
| chased the Graphic mine, CONSISTING
az that time Of about 100 acres Of pat.
entcd mining claims. which however
they have gradually increased by pur.
chase Of adjoining ground. until the,
nov own some 500 acres In 1904
the Kelly mine was sold by Mrs Bill.
ings 90 the Tri- Bullion Mining &
smelling company soon after thi.
time the Empire Zinc company be,
came interested in the camp D.,
| the purchase OF m, lille grouJ
consisting Of about thirty acre.
OF mineral ground: this com
pany has since gradually increase,
IT. holdings hy purchase until thci
now own about 400 acres. Ia August
$40. the American Zinc q Lead CO.
purchased by option l20 acres. which
they are now developing The pro
duction OF the district from the dis
covcry 10 and Including 1903 is sni,
Ia have been approximately $500.
900. Tho following figures indicut
I the production al the district sine
then. They are taken from "Minera
Resources of the United states" pub
lishcd by the United States Gaologica
survey: