Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1881-03-10
THE SOUTHERN COUNTRY.
Overland to Arizona-Jots by the
Way = Mines ON the Colorado
Mineral Park-A Rich Camp, Etc.

WIC~KENsRURG, Feb. %, 1881.
EDITOR SENTINEL: We are thus far on
our journey-550 miles from Eureka. My
last was from the Colorado River. The
first day out we met a couple OF men who
had found a gold mine about forty miles
from the Colorado River. They had got
capital from Chicago, and were going to
put up a 4O-stamp mill. They wanted to
buy thirty quartz wagons. 1 afterward
learned there we're quite a number Of
mines discovered in the same locality, and
it bids fair to be a large mining district.
Our next place Of Importance was Min
eral Park, about rs miles from the Colorado,
Some say it is fifteen and others eleven
years old. The first excitement there was
about eleven years ago. People flock here
from all parts Of the Territory. A great
deal Of prospecting has been done, and q
number Of valuable mines discovered, but
owing to its distance from the railroad it
was partially abandoned. A few stayed
and tried to work their claims. They had
to ship the rock to San Francisco. OF
course non but the richest could be ship
ped, and by the time the returns came
they were in debt. They finally got a mill
here, but as the rock is half gold, and the
mill did not save it, none but 5000 or $500
rock would pay. This is destined to be q
great mining district. There are tons and
tons OF low grade ore here, but they must
wait patiently for the railroad, which will
come within twelve miles of here. 1t will
be a year before they will have a boom.
Capital has not got this far, but when it
does come and commences to develop this
country, there will be another big excite
ment. for they have mineral, and lots of it.
The principal mine now being worked is
called the Lone Star. They are putting
up five stamps to concentrate the ore. The
owner was a stock man. He stumbled on
it by accident while walking over the hills
looking for stock. A man in company
with him said the rock was rich, and they
located a claim. He has had several part
ners, but they all became discouraged. He
has taken out thousands and thousands Of
dollars, but it has all gone for working
purposes. l was shown some very rich
rock, with native silver all through it,
which assays up into the thousands. 1t is
about half gold. Most Of the mines in
this Territory have been found by what IL
called 'tender feet" / met an old '49er
here just starting out with his jack and
pony. He told me this was his third visit
to Arizona, had been to all the new ex-
elements and could find nothing, while
people who scarcely knew what a mine was
were making new discoveries every day.
Mineral Park is IN isolated place. They
get their freight from San Francisco BY
ocean steamers and river boats up the
gulf to Vaudeville, and then thirty miles
by wagon. 1t takes the steamer twenty
four days to make the trip up and only
about one down. They have a daily mail
by blackboard to the railroad by way Of
Prescott. and daily mail by Perry to
Phoebe. OF course everything is high
here. l will quote q few articles Bacon
and hams, rs cents per pound; -four, $40
per 100 pounds: grain, z cents; potatoes,
/ cents; butter, Is cents per pound; one
bar Of soap for 80 cents berg ought to
be here with his soap factory; eggs, 81
per dozen. A yearling brings $50 a head
some difference from Eureka, where you
have to almost pay the butchers some
thing to kill your cattle for you. Board is
$40 per week and meals rs cents. Lodg-
ings they have none, except in your own
blankets. About seven miles from here is
o camp called Chloride. SO called from so
many miners making their living by
chloriding. One man told me he had
often made $25 q day. Some old Nevadans
had started up q furnace to smelt ores.
They fred up the day I came away, 30 I
did not learn II they made a success.
This Is the district where Dave Buel and
Ike Bateman operated for n long while.
The climate here is very healthy. They
have a little deserted mining camp and
have but one mill running. 1t has been a
large and lively camp, the same way with
Wickenburg. The vulture mine used to
have to hanl their ore here fourteen miles
to get it crushed now they force the
water up TO the mine. and have an 80-stamp
mill running and work ores from SIS
up; II Is all gold. W~ickenburg is desert
ed, and what town there is left is at the
mine. CHAs. II. FIsxx.