The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-06-18
TELLS OF VALUABLE
MEERCHAUM MINES
OF NEW MEXICO
Engineering and Mining Jour-
nal Publishes Interesting
Story of Grant County
Field by Faris v. Bush.

HAM ~ WV 80 -. NHHA
attention and receiving a cordial well
come In the leading mining and engi-
noering Journals. has placed AN es-
pccially valuable article IN the En-
Eineoring and Mining Journal New
York. for May. on The Meerschaum
Deposits OF New Mexico. The article
deals with a New Mexico mining field
little known az home. and Is profuse-
IS Illustrated. The article In part fol-
lows.
Until recent years Europe and Asia
Minor produced practically all the
meerschaum used on the two hemi-
spheres in the manufacture OF sun
dry smoking articles; but America mas
taken its place as a meerschaum pro-
Queer, and extensive ore bodies have
Oeen opened up In Grant County, New
Mexico. from which thousands OF tons
OF the mineral have been mined, mill
ed and manufactured into satisfactory
mecrschnum smoking articles. With
the dlscontinuance OF importation oil
foreign mecrschaum the demand has
been greatly increased for the United
states product and negotiations nave
been attempted 20 rshipments To Eu-
rope.
Deposits Discovered In 1873.
sepioiite or -meerschaum, a 1ydTat-
ed imagine ium ~silicate. was discovered
by pTospe-tors en- route to the Upper
CHA country. in Grant County. New
Mexico. early In 1875, being found as
float ana later IN distinct veins at the
surface near the Sapillo cree short
Is afterward Cornelius McCarty and
William "a. Hicks located several
claims on the ain vein, but were
ioced TO abandon them owing to lack
Of transportation facilities. In pros
pectors cabins throughout the coun-
Try at the time meerscnaum pipes be-
gan to take their place with briar. clay
and corncob. showing the minerals
value was recognized early. Doctor
sauers and associates OF silver CITY.
~. NJ, purchased the claims In 1901
and held them oy doing the annual
assessment. lie later abandoned them
and the next owner became Ed Moul-
ton OF Georgetown, y. NJ. About
1900 James HIN a Colorado miner,
heard 90 the deposits and, securing
the services OF James C%rittcnden,
slaked 20 claims. which were tnen
opan for location. Hnl brought tbs
propcrty TO the attention Of New
York parties who were tobacco deal
crs and who realized the commercial
t,luc Of the mineral. They oughl
his interests and after experimental
work on milling aud MANUFACTURING
mccrschaum. organized the Nicer
scaum co. Of America In 1905 ana
began operations In a small way with
q factory in New York. Impractical
methods Of mining, milling and manu-
featuring forced the company into tht
hands OF 20 receiver. However, tnt
product, when finished WAS of a good
grade and a large demand was ere
atcd The company reorganized III
1919 under The anne of the American
Mccrschaum and pipe Corporation
tnd q factory Was established at og'
d%cnsburg, y. Y, where lmpractica'
machinery and methods were IN
stalled Contrary to the advice Of en-
gineers employed, the mines were
operated without regard for the ~
lure and NO effort was made TO blocf
out ore reserves. Although handi'
capped by limited means. the lat'
mnnnecment extracted q large ton.
nag, of meersOhaum. driving the man
adii about 1900 feet IN continuous
ore and sto.inR In many places Il
the surface. Early in 1874 he com
pany was again In the hands OF
receiver with q large TONNAGE Of or
sim In sight in the mines.
situation at Mines.
The American meorsChHum niue
arc located in the mountains north o
SapiIlu Greek and south of the GU,
river in the Alunogen mining district
Grant County. New Mexico, Ihey an
o., miles north Of SilNcr city. over
roni almost impossible. aud 80 mile
uoit1wtgt of Hanover, the loed'nl
point ON the Santa Fc rnllroau' "N'
comparatively good roads. There ar
20 claims In the group, upon e"'n p"
which mcersChaum Ncinlcts are trH''
able Tor hundreds of feet The mine
nrc Il miles from the Dorsey mecr
Srhaum property ON Rear Creek
have not had an opportunity To Nis'
these Dorsey mines, but am tolG Nn'
ARE not being operated on account "
the large amount OF water
al depth and cannot therefore %
Examined. The m-cerschaun of IN
Dorsey property differs from w
American m~ccrschaum IN lhat IN
mineral occurs In nodular FORM ,
limestone and In small tIesN.n
seams. while the mineral at the l''''
propcrty occurs in distinct assures p
uniform width in "A 1reo'''' -
gtmulgE | nave seen wv 800 -.
srbnum l. of a good grade. reseihoil"
the foreign product "a
The mcerschaum deposits OF y.
Ainnogen district occur az a hssu'
nutnp IN "A brcccia, greatly res'"'o'''
IA ronpionCiptc. II Is ,
coarse fragments, angular VA appeA'
np,c IRREGULAR and unaom"geh'u,
l., character In It are r~eeosh'ahn
limestone. sandstone, quartz un
ccrt (Which Is cllssed AZ an ihnpu,
nirD. and c%alcite. The cement OF y.
brcccia is calcaroous IN nature, Wv ~
some consolidated sand ana Nol."" !,
,un The wcathering t~hroushuut ',
region has been extensive anu ',
Inc country rock In general ~ "
nosed. Il Is dinicult to ten now
originated. The rock shows n
d dence OF %stratihcation and wouiu .
Y ,inssed as a volcanic hreccla, pen
y evidently an accumulation OF lsheo'
partIeles through volcanic action III