ver.

Its ore, being of the bornite variety, runs from 15 to 25 per cent. copper, and with greater depth increases in grade."

Mr. Chamberlin also mentions the following properties as in a forward condition of development, though not, however, producing during the year: The Buffon, Colossal, Midnight, White Signal, Dreadnaught, and Silver Glance. They are described as true fissures, and the ore encountered in them as similar in character to that of the Silver Monument, but in most instances of lower grade.

In addition, he mentions the Black Knight, Apaché, Wall Street, Adirondack, Tidal Wave, King Nos. 1 and 2, Black Prince, Sunrise, Hancock, and U. S. Treasury as promising claims.

A survey has been run to Chloride by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fé Railroad, and the building of a branch road is promised when the district can produce five carloads of ore per day.

The production of silver at coining rate was about $1,290,000; and of gold, estimated, about $19,000.

SOCORRO COUNTY.

Mining operations in Socorro County were pushed more vigorously during the year than in any previous period of its history. This was especially the case in the extreme western portion or Cooney district, and at and in the vicinity of Socorro. The result has been to increase largely the production of the county and to demonstrate the permanency of the ore deposits.

Cooney district. This district, lying remote from railroad communication, has nevertheless been the scene of active and successful operations, as will be seen from the following description furnished by Capt. M. Cooney, an old resident and prospector of this section and superintendent of one of the principal companies engaged in mining operations:

"During the year this district has made some progress in the way of development. Silver Bar Mining Company has run a tunnel 250 feet, with the object of tapping the lead at a depth of 500 feet and pushing a shaft on the lead, which dumps very fine gray copper and silver glance. "Silver Bar No. 1, northwest extension of the Cooney mine, is the property of the Peacock Mining Company. Very little had been done upon it for several years until September, 1884, when a force of men was employed in sinking upon the ore-bodies, which steadily improved in quantity and quality as the work progressed. The output for 1884 will not fall short of $4,000.

"On Silver Creek the Smuggler mine has been developed to the extent of 100 feet during the year and about 12 tons of ore, valued at $1,500, have been shipped from the dump to Argo.

"The Silver Hill Mining Company has during the year been continuously developing the old Silver Bar or Cooney mine, in order to uncover sufficient ore-bodies to enable them to determine the size of the plant to be erected on the mine. A tunnel has been run under the mountain 613 feet upon the lead, piercing three large ore-bodies, while three shafts have been sunk from the surface, No. 1 being down 163 feet; No. 2, 45 feet; and No. 3, 12 feet. From these shafts the 5-stamp mill is kept busy running on ore. There are three Frue vanners attached to the mill and 6 tons are reduced into 1. The pulp, after passing over the first vanner, is heated with a steam-jet pump and then run over copper plates on the other two, saving all the silver, copper, and gold,

except 4 ounces of silver in tailings. The mill is two miles distant from the mines at the mouth of the box cañon, and a good road has been built by the company through the box, over which the ore is hauled to the mill. Considerable experimenting has been made with the little plant for the purpose of ascertaining the best mode of treatment before planning larger works, and the result proves the Frue vanner best adapted to treat the ores of this camp until better railroad facilities arrive.

"Wilcox mining district, lately organized in the southern portion of the Mogollon Range, has loomed up rapidly on the showing made by discovery work; the ore bodies are large and carry 46 per cent. lead, 14 ounces silver, and $20 gold."

of

In Solid Man's Camp, Wilcox district, 12 locations have been made, which the following are the most prominently developed: Solid Man, Socorro Chief, and Uncle John, all on the same ledge, which can be traced a distance of about 9,000 feet.

The Solid Man has been opened by a tunnel to a depth of about 75 feet, cutting the lode a distance of 11 feet without encountering the hanging wall or any indications of its proximity. In fact, the ledge is estimated to be at the least 30 feet thick.

An open cut on the Socorro Chief has penetrated the ledge a distance of 20 feet, and is said to show mineral at every point.

The same is the case with the Uncle John, which is developed by a cut 15 by 10 feet in width. The adjacent rocks are granite, quartzite, and porphyry, and the ore produced is thought to resemble that of the famous Carlisle mine. The camp is well situated for timber, and a living stream is said to run within 50 feet of the mines mentioned, affording sufficient water to run a 50-stamp mill. For the amount of work done the ore-dumps are large enough to give the impression that they are the result of old workings instead of recent discoveries.

Socorro district.-Mining operations have not been successfully carried on in this district, the most important mines having been idle most of the year, as also the stamp mill at Socorro.

The Torrence and Merritt both changed hands during the latter portion of the year, having been purchased by the Cabinet Mining Company, of Saint Paul, Minn. This company also obtained possession of the mill above mentioned about the same time and for several months has carried on operations with unusual activity. At last accounts from 25 to 30 tons of ore were treated daily, and the net bullion yield was represented to be equal to $1,000 per day. The ore treated was principally from the Merritt, which is said to produce the best grade of free milling silver ore mined in the Territory. With proper management and reasonable industry it would seem that the mining properties of Socorro Mountain should produce paying ore in sufficient quantities to keep this mill in constant operation in future.

The Billing smelting plant has been in blast to its full capacity for the greater portion of the year. The heavy June rise of the Rio Grande, which submerged the railroad, delayed operations to some extent during June, July, and August, and the completion of the road to the Magdalenas was delayed in consequence, rendering it somewhat difficult to obtain a full supply of ore and fuel for the three 60-ton stacks of which the plant is composed. From 30 to 50 tons of custom ore are daily treated by these works, and the remainder necessary to keep them constantly employed is furnished by the mines of the Magdalena district, especially by the Kelly mine, which is owned by the same parties. In

this connection the following, from a paper furnished by Mr. Longuemare of Socorro, is appropriate. He says:

"Rich and extensive ore bodies have been revealed, and a number of the claims discovered in preceding years have been promoted to the rank of producing and paying mines. Among the striking examples of this class the Kelly mine of Magdalena district, situated in the Magdalena Mountains, about 30 miles west of Socorro, is cited. It was purchased by the present owner, Mr. Gustav Billing, about two years since, when it was simply a promising prospect. The Kelly has to-day several thousands of feet of development work, and with little effort upon the part of the superintendent yields much more ore than is necessary to run the Billing smelter of this city, of 180 tons' capacity. It is asserted that there is sufficient ore in sight in this mine to supply the Billing works continuously for more than three years.

"The Kelly yields, with few exceptions, all the combinations of lead, including galena, the sulphides, black, white, and brown cerussites, and occasionally native copper and the green and blue carbonates of that metal appear in small seams. Silver, in varying proportions, is found associated in the entire mineral mass and offers itself to view occasionally in a native state. The great success of Mr. Billing in exploiting the Kelly, has given a stimulus not only to mining in the Magdalenas, but in all of the various camps which surround Socorro.

"The Cavern, Juanita, Graphic, and several mines in the Magdalena district, are valuable, and are in process of development, which will in the course of the next year reward their owners for the time and means expended upon them.

"In Water Cañon district, upon the east side of the Magdalena Range, the expenditure of capital has succeeded in bringing to the front a number of ore deposits which require more development before being in a condition to produce.

"Marked improvement has occurred in the Pueblo district. The Guiterez mine is in course of active development and yields argentiferous gray copper, distinguished for the amount of silver which it contains.

"Mr. Brittenstine owns a group of claims, notable among which is the Carnero, which possesses extraordinary bodies of carbonate and galena ore containing silver, while other properties furnish strictly freemilling quartz.

"The following mining districts have materially improved during the year: Pulvadero, Limitar, Gallinas, Ten Mile, Ladrone, Iron Mountain, St. Felicite, North, South and Center Oscura, Hansanburg, Little Burro and San Andreas.

"Socorro possesses in her immediate vicinity all the fluxes necessary for the treatment of ores, including lead, line, and iron, and is the destined point for the treatment of the mineral of the Southwest. Not the least among the resources of Socorro County is coal. It presents itself under two conditions-as bituminous and semi-bituminous-both coke; but the former is manufactured at San Antonio into an article equal to the Pennsylvania product. Coal is found in every portion of the county, in beds varying in thickness from 3 to 9 feet. The now completed branch of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fé Company to Kelly, Magdalena City and Pueblo Mill, has the effect of encouraging miners to raise and dump their ore, as it affords them the means of sending the product of their mines to market."

In closing, Mr. Longuemare says: "It is impossible to secure reliable data as to the output of bullion and shipments of mineral; it is, how

ever, palpable to any observer, that the output of Socorro County is much more than double that made in 1883; in evidence of this position we offer one instance, which will serve as an example. The Billing smelter of this city alone has shipped, each month of the present year, from 400 to 700 tons of lead-silver bullion, the amount of silver varying with the quality of ore treated.

"The mining outlook of this county is improving steadily, as are also the grazing, agricultural, and other resources and industries."

The following is the bullion output of the county for the calendar year 1884: Silver, estimated at its coining value, $600,000; gold, $67,000.

CHAPTER X.

OREGON.

Gold is the precious metal principally produced in the State, and has come, as heretofore, from the placers. The production of silver is small. The quartz mines, which are known to contain promising veins of auriferous metal, have been but little developed.

While Oregon does not rank in production with the other States of the Pacific coast, the amount obtained varies but little from year to year.

Wells, Fargo & Co.'s annual statement credits this State with the following production for the year:

It is a well-known fact that considerable gold is carried from this State by the miners themselves, and not reported as obtained from Oregon mines. The amount of gold deposited at the mints and assay offices of the United States during the year 1884, and credited to this State, was at the

Of the $10,000,000 worth of refined gold bullion deposited by Messrs. Selby & Co. at the San Francisco mint during the year, it is estimated that at least $200,000 were produced by the mines of Oregon, this amount being considerably less than the estimate of Messrs. Selby & Co. This would make a total production of $661,060.

Although the scarcity of water during the past season would occasion some falling off in the production of the placers, the amount deposited at the mints as compared with previous years, and other data obtained, indicates no diminution in the product of the State, which I have estimated to have been for the year 1884: Gold, $660,000; silver, $20,000; total, $680,000, distributed by counties approximately as fol lows: