Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-07-19
]. {. SHERIDAN
WAS PIONEER As
A MINE R IN n. N.
Located in Magdalena in
1880; Connected With
Development of Some Of
Best Properties in State.
(silyer city Enterprise }

| The cause of death was a general
| breakdown. Mr.. Sheridan left Sill
Yer City about six weeks ago. hav-
ing attended to the business in his
office up to that time. He spent a
week in the hospital at Tyrone and
feeling improved, went on to Santa
Ana to- recuperate with his family.
His health did not Improve but
up to the last few days Mr.. Sheri-
dan planned to return here.
10. f. Sheridan was born in
| Philadelphia in 1851. AS "A boy of
6 he came west and after spend
ing some time in Colorado, was at
tracted to New Mexico by the gold
rush to EliZabethtown. In 1880 he
came to Magdalena, where he was
| connected with the Toledo Mining
company, and that year located the
sheridan mine in Mogollon. In 1885
he moved to Silver City. At differ
ent times he mined in Colorado,
Utah, Nevada and California. lie
was appointed federal inspector of
coal mines in New Mexico in 1900
He is survived by his wife and
two daughters-Mrs. Ben Moses of
Dallas. Tex, and Mrs. Charles Fay
of Santa Ana, Calf.
= Funeral services will be held to-
daV in santa Ana and will be in
charge of the Masonic lodge of that
kplace.
A Prominent Citizen.
At the time of his death Mr..
sheridan held the important office
of inspector of coal mines for the
state of New Mexico and was a
member of the commission named
by Governor Larrazolo to revise
the tax laws of New Mexico Mr.
sheridan was named as inspector
Of cCal mines for the territory Of
New Mexico in 1900 and occupied
that position for many years. Dur
ing that time he secured many i'm
provements in mine management
of benefit to the miners and which
eventually resulted in good for the
GENERATORS. He was responsible for
the present very fair and inclusive
laws which govern the mining in
this state. The work involved in
the compilation of these laws was
enormous and included an exhaust
i've study of the mining laws of
other states and foreign countries.
Some of the more drastic of the
laws suggested by Mr.. Sheridan
did not meet the approval of the
legislators, but even as passed, they
gave the state progressive law on
4 mining.
The annual reports which were
Fmade by Mr.. Sheridan during his
Eyears as coal mine inspector We're
lmodels of their kind and together
Nconstitute a history of the indus
t&y and a very accurate description
OF the coal resources. ..
His last report, issued in Febru :
airy of this year, was a volume OF
Cover hundred pages and included,
in addition to the details of his in
sspection work. an exhaustive state
lnent concerning labor conditions,
number of days worked and rate
of pay of the coal miners of the
state, all of which was particular
" because of labor troubles among
the miners. The report was given
wide publicity-whCle sections of
its having been reprinted in the pa
pers of the state. The election was
quickly exhausted because of the
demand for it in this and other
states.
Mr.. Sheridan was widely recog-
nized as an authority on mining
especially coal mining, and the
methods by which safety could be
secured in this hazardous occupa-
ton. He was chosen by the presi-
dent as one of the experts to ac-
company a party of distinguished
mining engineers from Europe
which made an extended inspection
Of mining in the United States.
Mr.. Sheridan Joined the party in
Denver and spent several weeks
. with them covering all the western
states.
The Dawson Disaster.
r Many readers will remember the
terrible disaster which occurred a
number Of years ago at Dawson in
which hundreds of men lost their
lives. The Phelps Dodge officials
considered Mr., Sheridan the man
most qualified to discover the
cause of that disaster and special
leave of absence was secured for
him as postmaster of Silver CITY
from Washington in order that he
might make the investigation. MI.
sheridan was engaged for ten days
in the work and was able to snow
how the accident had been caused
and satisfy the officers of the COM
pany that his deductions were cor
rect.
Mined i'm Mogollon.
The late Mr.. Sheridan was one
of the pioneer miners of the Mogol-
lon district, where he went in 1Soo
and where he built the first mill
to use the amalgamation process
of separation. The Sheridan mine
was sold for large sum and IN
1885 Mr.. Sheridan took up his res
idence in Silver City, which has
been his home every since. At one
time he was extensively interested
d in estate here, owning the brick
! block at the corner of Billiard and
Broadway, that is known now as
!. the Porterfield building. The stone
sidewalk in front of that building
still stands as a monument to his
progressiveness, 1t having been
hid long before sidewalks were in
General use. The flat stones OF
which it is composed were quarried
IN the Rurro mountains near Ty-
zone.
For a number of years Mr.. Sher-
sdan operated the Uncle Sam mine
an the White Signal district and
WAS the owner of mining property
An the Burro mountains and in the
1latchet mountains, near the bor-
Her.
He was man who always kept
abreast of the advances made IN
his profession. He was widely
Fersed in minerals and is the. own
u of perhaps the most Valuaple
collection of ores in the state OF
New Mexico today. The discovery
al radium ores in the White Sig
mi district interested him greatly
b&cause of the fact that some years
arc he he had found there an ore
which he believed that OF a rare
niineral--what, he has not been
able to discover, nor were experts
To Whom he submitted samples.
N A Keen SDOrtSlNan.