Arizona citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Pima County, A.T. [i.e. Ariz.]) 1870-1880, 1871-01-14

been highly satisfactory to the own
ers and of great advantage to the
country. The Vulture mine and mill
at Wickemburg are worked with reg
ularity and profit. The mill contains
forty stamps and is constantly kept in
operation with ore from the mine fif-
teen miles distant. I have visited
this mine several times and regard it
one of the richest and most extensive
known. Much placer mining is car
ried on in the vicinity of Prescott
with renumerative results, and con-
slider it a very inviting field for placer
mining.
Most the hills adjacent to the
Colorado River are threaded with
gold, silver and copper veins, a num-
Der of which are now being operated
proftably, and with the assistance of
capital, would doubtless be extern
sively developed.
There are many mines in Southern
Arizona that were operated with pro-
fit by the crude Mexican mode OF min
ing, long before the acquisition of the
Territory. After the acquisition, con-
siderable capital was sent here for
mining investment with fair prospect
of liberal returns; but the anarchy in
eident to our civil war, which prevail
ed for several years, caused the destruc-
ton or abandonment of nearly all
mining enterprises in this portion of
our Territory. The proprietors of a
mine situated a few miles south OF
Tucson, known as the Lee q Scott
mine, recently freighted several tons
of second-class ore to San Francisco
and received handsome profit thereon,
after defraying all expenses. 1 believe
there are many mines now untouched
in this portion of the Territory that can
be worked at a profit with capital and
judicious. management.
No discovery has been made during
the past year Of greater Importance to
our material interests, than that of an
extensive vein of most excellent coal
in the White mountains near Camp
Thomas. 1t has been used by mechan-
les at Camp Thomas and Tucson, and
is pronounced by them a superior arti-
Gle. This discovery gives promise that
an abundance of coal will be found
in Arizona, and that the operation of
railroads and the economical propelling
of machinery will not suffer in conse-
quence of want of this desirable az
ticle.
MINING LEGISLATION.
lam generally opposed to legislating
upon mining questions, believing the
miners Of the several districts are bet
ter qualified to frame laws for their
own peculiar wants and localities than
the Legislature of the Territory, and
they have almost universally prescrib-
ed their laws since the early discovery
of gold in California, and Congress
and the courts have recognized the
wisdom of their action.
1t would be Of vast assistance to the
mining interests Of the Territory to
have an Assayer appointed by the gov
eminent to assay gold and silver bull
ion, and also make reliable tests of ore.
We have many prospectors too poor to
pay the expense OF making such tests.
They are class of people VINO contrib
ute as much to enrich the world and as
little to enrich themselves as any we
have, and I think it but right,
after they have endured hardships and
braved dangers to make discoveries,
that the Government should aid them
to the extent of furnishing them free
of cost reliable information of what
they haze found; besides we are now
obliged to ship our ores for assay to San
Francisco or Philadelphia, with no ex-
press facilities, and if returns are ever
obtained, it is after a delay of many
weeks or months.
TERRITORIAL ARMS
I have received from the Government
of the United States seven hundred and
twenty-four (72H stand of arms with
one hundred 400 rounds Of ammuni-
ton to each gun. have confided the
distribution of these arms to Col. E.
Phelps, at Tucson, and Col. Ell. A. Big
L. Drn-oot+ n-,d Z 40 II lam. Oh