Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1917-04-13

Michigan-New Mexico Copper Co.
and others in that vicinity. To the
south of Lordsburg in the Pyramid
Mountains FL Centre Mining Co. is
operating the Last Chance mine,
silver property, and is achieving
considerable success. A number of
excellent patented claims including
the Viola, Silver Bell and others
await further development. The
Nellie Bly, mine and the. Robert b.
Lee are practically the only produc-
ers in the Pyramid district. These
are copper properties.
The prominent outcrops of siliceous
dikes near Lordsburg were great
attraction to prospectors in the early
days. The indication was always
favorable for the occurrence of ore,
and the camp of Shakespeare was
one OF the first in the Southwest to
be prospccted. In 1885 Mntthcw
Doyle and Vic Van Hall located five
mining claims on a prominent noun
tain three miles southwest of Lords
burg. They named one Of their
claims the S5 on account of the year
of the location and proceeded to do
development work on the main vein.
opening up a good grade of copper.
gold and silver ore About one wear
later some San Francisco mining men
heard of the strike at the 85, and they
made Doyle and Van Hall a proposi-
ton which was accepted. These men
did further development work at the
mine and incidentally incurred a
heavy Indebtedness at the Roberts
and Leahy Mercantile Co. at Lords
burg. The San Francisco interests
were not successful with the mine.
and it was soon acquired by Joseph
A. Leahy, who, together with Carl
f. Dunnegan and Albert Fitch.
worked the mine for about a year.
shipping an average of 100 tons of
ore daily from the main vein. I.eahy.
Dunnegan and Fitch were very sue
cessful in their operations of the IS
mine and took out ore that brought
the mine into prominence.
In 1906 a mining engineer by the
name of w. 7. Black was en- route To
Clifton, Ariz., to look over some min
ing property there. In passing
through Lordsburg he saw some of
the ore from the 85 mine and i'm
mediately became interested, He in
spected the property and made the
owners proposition which was ac-
cepted, and by 1907 the mine was sold
by Mr. Black to James Barclay, B..
=. Yates and Arthur and Charles
Warner, all of Beloit, Wis, for $75,-
900.
James Barclay, one of the owners.
came to Lordsburg and began the
first extensive development work at
the property. To his efforts much of
the present success of the company
is due. He secured the services of
practical miner, John Evans, and to-
gether they put Lordsburg and the ST.
mine on the map.
There are five levels in the mine
the lowest being 5l5 ft. from the
collar of the main shaft and 720 #.
from the surface of the mountain
A main adit has been driven from the
east side of the S5 mountain 1900 It
west, where a winze is down 5l5 fl
This main adt connects with the
workings Of the Superior mine, as do
also the first and second levels Of the
main property. Mining is carried on
at all the levels, but principally OIL
the 450-ft. level where the lateral
work extends west 100 #. The ore
is mined by the shrinkage-stope
method with chutes every 20 #. The
shaft is single-compartment with
counterbalance. On the 450-ft. level
50-hp. motor drives a -plunger
Alrich pump lifting $50 gal. Of water
per minute. There is also 75-gal
per min. pump on this level. On the
SCOTT. level a pump is lifting 75 gal
per minute.