New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-01-09
METAL MINING IN
NEW MEXICO In 1919

The output of the mines of New
Mexico for IL months of 1919 and
the estimated output for December,
as reported by Charles w. Hender-
son, of the United States Geological
Survey, Department of the Interior,
amounted to $5o8,0OO in gold, 100000
ounces of silver, 2,800O00 pounds of
lead, 52,200,OO0 pounds of copper, and
100000 pounds of zinc, as compared
with $68279l in gold, 1924 ounces
of silver, 8,398.239 pounds of lead,
98, ,264, ,563 pounds of copper, and "a
50,324 pounds of zinc in 1918 These
preliminary figures show decreases
of Sll5,OO in gold, $1,000 ounces Of
silver, 100000 pounds of lead, 40
100000 pounds OF copper, and l6,0O0,-
000 pounds of zinc. All the mines
except silver mines suffered from
low prices of metal, and increased
prices of labor and materials.
The decrease in the output Of all
metals except gold and silver is
startling. Mills oil the Mogollon dis
trict, Socorro county, produced $l29,-
600 in gold and $4,000 ounces OF
silver as compared with $ll97l0 in
gold andS 302,902 ounces of silver in
1918. In 1919 the Mogollon Mines
Co.'S mill was operated steadily, but
the Socorro Mining & Milling CO.
mill was closed April |, and opera
tions were not resumed during the
year. The output OF gold from the
Aztec mine, at Baldy Colfax County,
was not so large in 1919 as in 1913
The shipments of gold-bearing sill
ceous copper ores from Lordsbure
increased heavily, but there was a
decrease in the shipments of gold
bearing iron-copper ores from Oro-
grande. The San Pedro copper-mat-
! ting plant was idle and was dsmaut-
led during the year Very little gold
or silver ore was shipped from Pinos
Altos. The Whiteoaks district con-
nued to produce gold from anal.
gamating mills.
Copper has long been an important
metal product OF New Mexico, and
zinc operations were begun by the
Chino Copper Co. at Santa Rita at
the beginning of 1910, the States ou.-
put of this metal has been large.
The large decrease in the output OF
copper in 1919 is therefore particul-
arly impressive for the total output
is only little more than half that
in 1918 In 1919 the Chino Copper
Co.'S output was 43,992,000 pounds, as
compared with 79,340,372 pounds in
1918. Beginning in January, 1912,
with an output less than the average
monthly output in 1918, this company
curtailed operations to about 50 per
cent of its capacity during the rest
of the year. The Burro Mountain
Branch of the Phelps Dodge Co,
which in 1918 produced 53,l46 tons
of concentrate averaging l49 per cent
copper, was even more seriously al
fected by the drop in the price of
copper and suspended milling oper-
ations early in the year and did not
resume. The copper-matting plant
at San Pedro was not in operation
in 1919 and was dismantled. The s.
Mining Co, at Lordsburg, made a
large increase in shipments in 1919
but shipped crude ore entirely that
year, as compared with concentrates
and crude ore in 1918. The copper
ore shipments from Orograpde de
creased heavily.
The shipments of lead ore from
New Mexico decreased heavily. Hard
ly any lead ore was shipped from
the Organ Mountains district, and
the shipments from the Central dis
trict, Grant County, and the Mag
dalena district. Socorro County, were
less than in 1918 as were also the
shipments from the less productive
Cooks Peak and Victorio district,
Luna County.
The output of zinc sulphide and
zinc carbonate ores likewise decreas-
ed heavily. The Ozark mill, at Kelly,
was operated only in an experiment
tai way, and the Cleveland mill, at
Pinos Altos, was operated for only
a short time. The Hanover mill was
not operated to its full capacity. Much
less carbonate zinc ores were ship
ped from Hanover, Kelly, and Cooks
Peak than than in 1918. The Re-
public Co, at Hanover, shipped
considerable quantity of high-grade
zinc sulphide ores. The Grubnau
zinc oxide plant at Waldo, Santa Fe
County, built in 1917, continued oper-
ations in 1919 on New Mexico zinc
carbonate ores.