Arizona citizen., 1872-04-13
HUALPAI MINES.
Their Past and Present History and
 Some Present Wants.

Some Present Wants.
 Governor Stafford, who has just re- turned from the Hualpai mines III Mohave county, has furnished us with the following interesting items rela- ting to that locality: f
 The Hualpai mines, then called the Sacramento, were discovered ln 1865 by Wm. Furlough, A. Rose, George Okey, John Commerford and others. They attracted considerable attention. A company expended considerable money in the erection of machinery on the Morse mine, but as has been too often the case in mining on this coast, 1t was erected in advance of opening the mine. Extravagance characterized the operations. The stockholders living at a distance, knowing nothing of the business and feeling sanguine of large returns at once, were disappointed and dis gusted and the works have since laid deserted and almost unknown. The first locaters were poor-havlng little to depend upon save their own labor but their confidence was unbounded ln the value of the mines and they worked on as best they could in pow erty until in 1866, when the Hualp pail
 Apache Indians made simultaneous attack upon them and killed Benjamin, Baker, Woodworth, Judson, Conover and severely wounded Samuel Noodle. Three of this number were killed at the celebrated Silver Hill mine-one at the windlass and two ill the shaft. The poor miners finding 1t impossible to longer hold out against poverty and the savages' hostility, were compelled to abandon the district; but so firm was their confidence in the value of tho mines that all who could get en- ployment to earn a bare subsistence at near settlements, remained waiting for the time when they could go back and again occupy and hold their prop erty, and those who were compelled to leave the country for labor, with rare exceptions never parted with any oi their interests. In the Fall of 1870, Vim. Fee, George Okey and James Fleming, assisted by James P. Bull Samuel Todd and Benjamin Spear, de- termined to make another effort to de- velop the district. They divided theil scanty rations with the Indians anC told them but a few whites would come, and their interests would not il the least be disturbed, etc., and in this way kept peace and saved their owr lives until the rich ore they sent out began to attract attention, and soon g sufficient population had accumulated to protect themselves. The district contains population of about GOO and is increasing rapidly.
 It is, situated about twenty mile: east of the Colorado river, or thirty miles from Hardyville, with a gooC wagon road from the river to the mines There seems to be a network of lodes for fifteen miles on both side: of the range of mountains, and II some places the lodes crop out and arc being developed for miles into the val ley. The lodes are of every conceiv, able character and contain every va r1ety of metal. Many of the lodes are large, well defined, and encasei in smooth walls; others are marrow and near the surface not well defined and are undoubtedly feeders to the larger veins. These small ones arc usually the richest in silver, ofter producing fifty cents to the pound ot rock. The larger ones generally con- tain a large percentage of lead and copper, with sufficient gold and silver to make them of great value. A per son travelling over this district for if teen miles, seeing lodes and rich float on every hand, will feel impressed that he Is passing over one vast bed o1 ore. One mine Is being opened by Mix & Co.,, where large excavations have in bygone ages been made. Nc one knows, or probably ever will, who the old people were that did the work The tools with which they did it, are the only record they have left. AL ready tifty-six stone hammers have been found, which seems to indicate that the only tools with which they had to work stone were of stone. II must have been g. slow process, but Cortez found among the old Monte zumas, large amounts of gold and