566 
MINERALS YEARBOOK, 1967 
 
such as gold, silver, lead, or zinc. The 11 leaching operations in the Central
district of Grant County accounted for 338,900 pounds of copper, less than
1 percent of total production. 
 
 Gold.—In anticipation of a higher gold price, prospecting and exploration
activities increased. Output declined 44 percent, mainly as a result of the
copper strike. With the exception of output from two small placer operations,
gold from 14 operations was produced as a coproduct from the extraction of
ores containing copper, lead, zinc, or silver. The two placers were the Pine
Grove near Pinos Altos in Grant County and the Jicarilla in Lincoln County,
operated by C. J. Anderson and Lloyd Hoskins, respectively. Total pl~cer
production of gold was 7 ounces. 
 
 Iron Ore.—Although output of iron ore was the same as in 1966, value
of production increased 10 percent. Dotson Minerals Corp. operated the Jones
magnetite mine in Socorro County and the Yellow Jacket hematite-magnetite
mine in Lincoln County. The company's magnetic upgrading plant was moved
from Coyote to Carrizozo in Lincoln County. Output from the Dotson operations
was used as heavy aggregate in concrete and in the manufacture of cement.

 The Capitan Iron mine in Lincoln County was operated briefly during the
year. E. P. Moe produced ore for use in iron and steel manufacture. 
 
 Lead.—Output and value of lead production increased 14 and 6 percent,
respectively, despite a lower price received for lead. A significant increase
in production from the Linchburg mine near Magdalena in Socorro County was
mainly responsible for the rise in State output. The mine, owned by The New
Jersey Zinc Co., was leased to L. A. Patten. In Grant County lead production
declined at the Hanover mine also owned by New Jersey Zinc and at the Oswaldt
mine operated by New Jersey Zinc as lessee. 
 Lead also was produced at the Ontario mine in the Steeple Rock district,
at the Princess mine near Bayard, and at the 
Royal John mine in the Swartz district of the Mimbres Mountains, all in Grant
County. The Ontario was operated by Lovco Mining Co. and Ben Billingsley;
the Princess, by Frank Van Cleave who leased it from USSR&M Co.; and
the Royal John, by Westamerica Mining and Milling, Inc. In Hidalgo County
Don Still operated the Crystal mine *in the San Simon district. Little Idaho
Mining Co. operated the Maude mine in Lincoln County. C. E. McCandless recovered
lead from a mine in Otero County. H. B. L. D. & Co. operated the H. E.
L. D. mine and 
J. L. & P. W. Harding, the Silver Glance mine, both in Sierra County.
A. B. Baca operated the Kelly mine in Socorro County. 
 Most of the ores from the 13 operations were treated at The New Jersey Zinc
Co. mill at Hanover and the USSR&.M Co. mill at Bayard, both in Grant
County, and at the Peru mill of American Zinc Co. at Deming, Luna County.
The Peru mill was permanently closed during the year; when American Zinc
Co. ceased operations in the Central mining district. 
 
 Manganese Concentrate.—Manganese ore from the Nancy No. 1 mine was
upgraded at the Black Canyon Mines plant near Socorro prior to shipment to
out-ofState users. Plans were made to sink a shaft at— the mine in
1968 to reach ore below the present adit level. Luck Mining Co. continued
to produce ferruginous manganese ore, an iron.bearing ore containing 5 to
35 percent manganese, from the open pit Luck mine at Boston Hill near Silver
City. The ore was shipped directly to the plant of the CF&I Steel Corp.
at Pueblo, Cob. 
 
 Molybdenum.—With the first full year of operation reported for the
Molybdenum Corporation of America (Molycorp) mine-mill complex near Questa
in Taos County, molybdenum production increased 18 percent in quantity and
27 percent in value. The increase in State production would have been larger
had not the copper-industry strike affected byproduct molybdenum recovery
at the Chino copper mine of Kennecott Copper Corp. Molybdenum recovered as
a byproduct at