The copper era and Morenci leader. [volume] (Clifton, Ariz.) 1911-1929, 1919-12-19
BIG COPPER MINES
Of NEW MEXICO
ARE SOLD
Big Smelter Concern Buys Hanover
Bessemer Property For Reported
Price of $2,ooo,ooo; New Mill
OF Modern Type To Be
BuIu to Handle Ores.

Santa Rita, NJ NJ, Dec 15-The big
gest mining deal that has been made
in the southwest for some time be-
came known this week, when the
United States Smelling, Refining and
Milling company took over the extern
sive properties of the Hanover Bes-
semer Iron & Copper company, at a
consideration popularity reported to be
81 100000 cash. The purchasing
company is one of the strongest and
richest in the United States, owning
properties in all parts of the world,
and entering into practically all of the
ramifications of the metals industries
of the day.
No work is being done on the prop
erty at present, but it is reported that
plans are under way for the construc-
ton of modern mill of considerable
capacity for the handling of the iron
and copper ores of the newly acquired
property, and that contemplated devel-
Opment work will be on a larger scale
than anything yet carried on in the
Hanover-Fierro section, where the
property is located. Rumor has it that
two steam shovels have been ordered
and that shipping operations will be
started on one portion of the company
/ ground, but no official, or authoritative
statement has yet been issued relative
to such plans.
l.. M. Kniffen, the local manager of
the company states that the property
will probably be operated as before,
in the name of the Hanover Bessemer
Iron & Copper company and that work
will be started again as soon as the
Colorado Fuel & Iron company can
resume operations at it's Minnequa
plant. 1t is said to be the plan of
the new operators to build up work
ing force of nearly 1000 men, in
carrying out the development work
now planned.
The property which is changlgs
hands is one that has long been i'm
portant, in the mineral history of the
Southwest. 1t includes the Union Hill
iron pits. the Jim Fair, and all the
/ iron working operated for the last
25 or 80 years. Up until about two
years ago the work was done by the
| Colorado Fuel and Iron company, un-
, der lease from the Hanover Bess',
as the selling company is locally
! known With the expiration of the
lease, however, the owners themselves
! took over operations of iron until the
recent steel strike closed the Mime
fqua works of the C. F. & l., and thus
| shut off a market for the iron ore.
since when very little work has been
done on the property
| Something over 200 men have been
employed by the Hanover Bess, ore
being shipped both direct from the
mines and after concentration in the
company's plant at Union Hill. In pro-
cess of working out the iron ore, num-
erous bodies of copper have been en-
countered some being exceedingly
high grade so as to permit shipment
direct to smelter, and some being COM
bination with the iron and low enough
grade to demand concentration in or
Ger to be profitable. 1t is generally
agreed, however, among the mining
men of this district that the copper
possibilities of the property have not
been "scratched' very little develop
ment having been done at any consid-
able depth.