Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1914-06-19

In Tie basin under the little town
Of Eerro, in the Santa Rita noun
tains, east Of Silver City. about twen-
ty miles, q new and marvelonsly rich
gold field has been found. according
to Sam 0. Smith. the well known mi
ner and prospector, who once operat-
ed the gold pIacers of the Jarilla
mountains, who was a visitor in Dem
ing this week.
This Fierro gold basin is one and
a half miles long and three-quarters
Of a mile wide, lying between the iron
mines Of the Colorado Fuel and lion
company on one side and the proper
ties OF the Phelps-Dodge company on
the other. This basin is composed of
"birdseye' porphyry. soft and de-
composed. and iron stained, through
which run a series Of parallel d>suro
veins, with northeast and southwest
strike. occurring 10 TO Is feet apart,
running across the basin from the
Phelps Dodge iron groupings ON the
north to the c. h. and |. Co. iron
groupings on the opposite side Of the
basin.
These leads vary from stringers
four inches wide up TO veins five
feet wide. All these that have been
worked widen as they 90 down AT
the decomposed porphyry pans good
gold. and rich gold paintings can be-
had in every gulch around the basin.
But the richest gold occurs in these
parallel stringers and leads. in which
the matriN is iron stained quartz,
which assays from 50 up to 2fl
ounces gold per ton.
Mr.. Smith claims the honor Of first
discovering the presence OF gold iu
the basin. While working a copper
claim under lease from Phelps Dodge
in the latter part of April last, be-
was visited BY a claim owner bring
ing sample Of vein matter. Smith
at once recognized ii a. gold bearing
and accompanied the owner 10 the
claim and made some paintings cor
roborating his opinion. Securing an
option he took samples from one mar
row vein to the local assay office of
Phelps Dodge. and the rock assayed
twenty-seven and onc-tenth ounces,
or S542 gold per ton. The claim
is called the Sleeping Beuuty and
has nine separate parallel leads with
in the side lines. The claim lies with
in $50 feet of the Santa Pc railroai
track and only IS feet from the coun-
ty road.
Mr.. Smith has sunk discovery
shaft 2s feet and has Just shipped
a ear Of 80 tons 10 the Fl pa-u
shelter. This ore, according % nu-
morous sampiings, runs from 90
ounces to 23.s2 ounces gold per tom.
and he conservahyeiy estimates the
whole shipment will average $50 gold
per ton.
This gold discovery, made under
the very site of an old mining camp.
which has been the ,renp of mining
for over 100 years, has caused grcu
excitement. and already nearly lht
entire basin has been located. Sew
eral mining engineers have visited .hr
diggings, and they say that it is one
of the richest gold belts IN the world
among them Mr. Cox Of the Boston
School of Mines, who said 70 was the
most wonderful thing he e,ar saw.
Strange to say. some of the mod
ern miners who have been around
there for the past 30 years ever -us-
pected the presence OF the gold. The
big copper and iron deposits So over
Swallowed it, However. Mr. Smith
has found ruins Of old adobe -mcItcr~
and Stag piles. Samples OF the Stag
piles pan gold, showing the luricnt
Indians were unable 10 save hc gold
contents by that prucc~-. but they
lnquestionably knew OF The presence
Of the gold. There is plenty of water
in Hanover creek which flows
through the basin. aud a. the ore il
free milling gold ore. il is au deal
milling proposition.
About twenty-five claims have
been located. the locators being Dow
I'll and Hodges, nine claims Bob .
Steel, four claims; Gilcrease and
one claim; Brockman and
'enrose, three claims; Phelps Dodge. .
ne claim; called the Moduc; Huitry b
md Page, one claim; IIighiower. p
hree claims; Danley, one claim Dr. 4,
Welsh, one claim. and :. o. Smith. cd
me claim, the Sleeping Beauty The
own of Fierro has about 600 pro-
DE. From the stations Phelps Dodge %
; shipping copper ore to Douglas.
arizona, and G. +. and l. Co. is ship.
,ing nineteen carloads of iron daily ,
% Pueblo. Colorado. d