The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-02-15
The Mineral Wealth Of Arizona.

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The Mineral Wealth Of Arizona.
Arizona has an area of l2O,9l2 square miles,
and this broad evpanse stretches from the foo.
hills of The Sierra MNdIe westward to the spurs
of the Sierra Nevada. Look at its location OF.
lhe map, and its very position will suggest i'm
metallic wealth. The mountain ranges thai
srnYerse Sonora, chihuahua, and Durango, for
centuries past have yielded their annual mil
lions OF silver 10 the world without any aplmr-
cnt decrease Of the immense deposit. The same
mountains extend North through Arizona into
Nevada and in that State silver mines have
been opened the massive returns Of which now
sstonsh the world Nevada lie, in the path
of the cn'igrnnt and @old-hunlcr from the East,
ana seeing lis wealth they settled there tilt the
Territory became II State, and Nevada Il house
hold name. Like tie adonn" Territory OF
New Mexico Arizona has been overlooked, and
regarded polo rs a foreign province diam an
appcndAge Of the lntcd States Indeed, when
we consider its wealth, and the severe letting
alunc it has bad, we ale surprised at the almost
universal desire Of our people 10 come into the
immediate possession of the whole continent -
Gov Mccormick SITS down the mcalilcrous
region Of Arizona at - GOO square niles or b.
10000 acres. This vast extent, it must b.
borne in mind is rortrcd with every variety Of
metal, aud i, NOT merely II territory where il is
possible to ud it. Perhaps there is no single
tn, t,rlI hat r.j
ness the famous pinps Altos in soutllwcs. crn
New Mexico. Pima county, near where it joins
New Mexico. is surprisingly rich in copper
though il is not found in iii" virgin state in
which it is so abundant III the Grca. mine nar
cd. Much Of the Pima orc has yielded 30 per
cent of pure copper. Fine specimens of this
chiefly red oxides and gray sniplrurrs were
shown to lis in Prescott. As might hcexpected
from the geographical location, tie silver veins
OF Pima are among the richest On the continent,
Some of tie mines in tie Santa Cruz valley
have been worked, like tlos" Of Spuora aion-
ing, for centuries. OF late years the yield of
those silver mines has not been large, This,
however, has been the result of continued mis-
mnnagcment and the hostile incrlr,ioils OF the
Indians, ,ather than any defect in the quantity
or quality of the ore, OF the factic: for extract
ing and working the same. The silver ores OF
rhis region are chiefly argentIerous galena well
adapcd for smelling. Some of the mines ut II
depth have siIyer-copper glance, iodide OF sill
Yer, ana mineral containing quicksilver.
On the CHA river, twenty miles above its june
ton with the Colorado gold WAS discovered in
1855 and produced IN excitement peculiar to
gold counties, which resulted in the founding
of Gila City" This discovery gave al I'M.
net,ls to emigration, which, from 1862, began
TO settle along tile Colorado. This population
was municipality from California and Sonora and
as might he expected, the country around these
settlements WAS thoroughly prospected. TIE
result was the discovery Of the rich placers ut
Chimney Peak, twenty miles above Fort Yuma
The prospectors moved still farther up, and
opened the rich gulch dggings around LIZ Paz
ninety miles above the Chimney Peak. Tho
men who prospect country scarcely ever
reap the fruits ct their discoveries. They are
generally poor and know Int little about mining
rs science They form companies and locate
their claims, bu. the end is TINT men of capita
come in with the ability to work, the orgna
claimant sconfdent Of more successful prospect,
sell ont, and the harvest is rcnped by the pur
chaser Since 'ti2 "A large number of silver anc
copper mines have been discovered adjacent tt
the river, and the mining region, bordering OF
the river, divided into the districts Of Yuma
Castle Dome. Silver, Eureka, Weaver Chime
huiya, and La iaz. But few Of the mines il
the districts named urc successfully WORKED
In the first place there is great lack of the frs
esscntial-capaI-an III the second, half thu
,ime Of the miners is taken up il deiendin.
themselves against the Indians. Major Price
commanding at Fort Mohave. ha, been very
successful il. his recent scouts after the Indian
living near the river. and it is supposed tina
they will be quiet for some time to come.
Higher up the river and close to TT Mnhave
there are many fine quartz mining DISTRICTS, il
abe centre OF winch has sprung up the promisin;
town of IInrdyvillc The mines stretching from
Mohave 10 FL Dorado Canon, Il distance Of six
~ miles, are among the most important in Tia
Northern part of the Territory The lodges an
very large. The gold ore pays WE'LL but fin
silver ores are surprisingly lich According II
Mr.. Hardy, they pay as well as the best silvc
ores of Nevada Quantities Of the silver on
lmve been shipped 10 San Francisco At n cost .
$50 per ton. and the enterprise is said TO hay,
paid well.
The mines Of the Central lavapai county M
perhaps being more thoroughly worked thai
any in the territory, though This is saying bu
little for their development. Forty miles n"ri|
range rise gradually towards the main moln'
tain. On every slope of these mountains ar
mines or rather lodes ofgold, silver and copper
The discovery OF gold on the ella brought in