The copper era and Morenci leader., 1915-05-14
.STEEPLE ROCK CAMP
IS AGAIN COMING
TO THE FRONT
The Old Carlisle Mine Is Expected to
Again Be Producer-Shipment Will
Be Resumed as Soon as Road Con-
struction is Completed.


.(By f. ". Bush, in Mining World ,
Among the many mining camps of
New Mexico that have been idle for
years, but are now coming to the
front, is the Steeple Rock district, in
southwestern Grant county, about II
miles from the Arizona border. AS
in many other instances, complex
ores, lack of milling facilities and
proper development work placed the
camp in a dormant state after a
period of activity during which time
the district produced approximately
$3,000,000. The mines were recently
purchased by George H. Utter, the
successful developer and operator of
Cleveland and Utter sulphide zinc
mines in the PinoS Altos Mining dis
NJ, and who sold his interests to the
Empire Zinc Co. At the present time
the mines are producing and ship
ments to the Ell Paso. and Douglas
shelters will commence as soon as
road construction work is completed.
The entire district is one of merit,
and while all ore cannot be shipped,
there are excellent cyaniding posi-
bilities.
History.
The district was first prospected, in
about 1870, and grew from time to
time with the discoveries at Mogollon,
Clifton, Morenci, and Lordsburg. In
1880 the Southern Pacific railroad
came as far west as Lordsburg, and
with 1T prospecting and developing on
a larger scale began. The old Carlisle
mine was patented in 1882. English
people secured control and were Sue
cessful in every way, with high-grade
MILLING no Or n Taf
The next owners were N. K. Fair
banks, Marshall Field and q. T.
Letter of Chicago, with William Far
lsh as general manager. The mines
were then sold to the London Develop
ment & Exploration Co., who sue
ceeded in extracting about $1,000,000
IN gold. With depth the rock be-
came base and the mine was flooded
and in 1897, closed down. From then
IN the property has been worked I'M
Ter lease from time to time, but until
1914 no work to speak of has been
lone in the mines.
Brief Geology and Miheralogy
The elevations in the district are
7ery rough, consisting Of well-exposed
,ffusive rock, similar to that of the
dogollon district. Both of these
lamps are believed to be in the |
,reat mineralized belt.l Diorite por-
,hyry is also exposed in many places.
Quartz is the predominant gangue ma
erial. The deposits are fissure fill
ngs, probably of Tertiary age. In
he average ore is found chalcopyrite, !
inc blends, pyrite galena and ar
semitic, with occasional free gold
catered through the r4chsr ore.
The veins strike northwe5t and dip
bout 65 degrees SSW. They out
rop prom inently with many small |
ranches.
The Carlisle mine is developed by |
n incline three compartment shaft |
100 #. in depth. The richest ore
vas found in the Slopes of the upper |
90 it., and below. that the values |
we're lower. There are about 1000 #. |
# drifts from the various levels |
The Jim Grow Mine was the first |
pom which work was commenced by |
he late owners. The shaft is down |
90 #. This was all numbered and |
nwatered and a new hoist put into |
Sc. The vein is from z to 10 TT. in |
7idth and is good shipping ore, rum
ing high in gold and silver. Drifts
nd crosscuts are being run to deter
nine the worth of the mine.
There is an old dismantled go stamp |
ALL with full equipment on the prop
rty. At the present time expert /
rental work is being done toward de
srminfng the best concentrating
1ethod for treating the ore.
1t is reported that the construction
f a branch railway from the Arizona !
nd New Mexico railroad near Duncan
} being planned by parties interest /
d in the Steeple Rock mines.
The Twin Peaks Mining company,
l the Steeple Rock district, is de-
clipping some excellent property and
) planning on cyanide treatment for
he ore.
At the International smelter at
[iami fires were started to try out