Arizona citizen., 1877-05-12
ARIZONA.
As Viewed by a Chicago Tribune
 Correspondents.

Early in April, Mir E. H. Hummer of
 the Chicago Tribune, came 10 Tucson
 and visited other points Tn Arizona.
 Here is his first letter:
 TUCsOS, ARIZONA, April 6.
 Ever since the first discovery of gold
 in California, there has been a strong
 impression among miners that in the
 country embraced in what is new Ari
 ZOna was to be found the true LI Dora
 do. Amazing stories were related by the
 early Cathr Ic missionaries to this re-
 glon of its wonderful mineral riches.
 One told of a nOunsai r to the west
 ward w""-a pu:o silver was gathered
 by the handful from the crevices of rocks. Friendly Indians confirmed these reports. In the Mexican States of Sonora and Chihuahua rich silver mines were discovered more than a century ago. They have been worked
 by the Mexican Government with the lazy IndOlence characteristic of that l people, with out modern machinery and with reckless waste, and yet have returned greater percentage of silver to the ton than any mines elsewhere in the known world. The discovery of l gold and silver in Arizona by white men ante-dates the California discovery
 by at least half a century; and there is evidence found in the eXhumed rel | iCs of the AZtecs that that once famous race knew of the wealth hidden in ! theIr mountains and mined for it in their primitive way. But the wild 1 Apaches succeeded the Aztecs in the | inheritance of their country, and for nearly a hundred years pretty much all knowledge the white man has had of its mineral resources has been deriv- ed from missionaries, who in turn like ! ly obtaIned their information from the Indians. These reports, together with the cOntiguity of the rich Mexican mines on the south and the Nevada and Utah mines on the north, have furnished theorists with sufficient data to locate the MOTHER LODE
 In this Territory. For many years past mining has been impossible here, owing to the hostility of the Apaches, who have held a more deadly enmIty towards the whites than even the say age Sioux. Their great tribe, divided into numerous wandering bands, held all the mountain region. Prospecting could be done by the whites only in. large bands. and even then it was hazardous, but never, l believe, with out satisfactory results, so far as the discovery of silver Tn large paving quantities was concerned. The fast nesses of the mountains furnished the most perfect natural protection 10 the marauding bands, and their pursuit and punishment by the whites was next to impossible. This state of things continued until some five years ago, when Gen. Crook reduced the Apaches for the first time in their history tOI submission For the past three years there has been little trouble from h. dians Tn Arizona, and prOspectOrs have been at liberty to uverrun the the cOun- try. But other obstacles, such as the great distance from water or rail com munication wi;h the old mining dis tficls of the coast, the high price of provisions, etc, have prevented i'm migration, and proved an almost ab- sOlute bar to the introduction of mills and machinery for working the mines which were partially developed. But in the face of all this the reports of wonderful discoveries that have from tune to time come up from Arizona, have set California street in a fiutter and made the Comstock tremble for Its laurels.
 Just now there is MORE INQUIRY ABOUT ARIZONA MINES Than ever, and 1 must confess that these same rumors (which, however, are no longer rumors but realIIes) have brought me to the capital of the Territory, one object being 10 give. your readers early and reliable infor- nation concerning this newly devel- oped mining region which, if l am not greatly mistaken, Is likely to Occu-I py no small share of public attention during the next few years at least. All the hills and mountains of the Terri tory abound IL gold, silver, copper, and lead; there is no dispu,ing that, and from the crOppings, which are traceable every where, the precious metal ores are found to be of unusual richness. l have been shown numer- ous pieces of pure virgin silver broken of from surface croppingS, and specI- mems of rock showing silver Tn Its na- tive state nearly or quite pure. And these are not exceptional cases; they apply to the mines of all sections of the Territory The other day l was shown a number of pieces of pure sill yer, each as large as a hens egg. though irregular in shape, by MT. Chil- son, owner of the Silver Nugget mine, !. situated some distance north of here. They were broken off the ledge. Af-I ter seeing a few such specimens, onel can readily believe the stories of scrap | ing pure silver of the ground. The completion of
 THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD
 To within forty miles of Yuma has very largely increased immigration to lhe Territory already, and has encour- aged capital to invest in the vevelop- ment of mines The Southern Pacific places Arizona within forty-eight hours of San Francisco. By the old meth ods it required week at least by the most direct route which kept up a weekly intercourse I find everything