Arizona weekly citizen., 1881-03-06
The 8Iining and Commercial Future oi
 Arizona.
s.F. Nsws Letter ]

with the failure-temporary II no
 otherwlse-of the Comstock, the specu
 lative instincts of mining operator
 have turned. almost insensibly, in th,
 direction of Arizona and New Mexico
 For long time Arizona remained un
 der cloud, and the man who invested
 money there was regarded as being
 worse than a kDave-that is to say, ' fool. Nor can it be truthfully denied
 that Q majority of the earlier specula-
 tiOns,were disastrous to investors, Ol that in numerous instances conner
 cial ventures in that direction were
 synonymous with loss. What ha:
 been, therefore, may be admitted without circumlOeutiOn, as also the different status now existing, and the
 probable future, fraught with promises
 Of greatness almost unparalleled in
 tue history of mining development.
 The false lights of the past are no cri-
 terion for the future, inssmuch as
 they furnish no basis of reasoning
 We all remember how, in early days,
 California was looked upon as being
 unfit for agriculture, or, in fact. any
 other great industry than mining. Ne
 imported our WI eat from ChIiI, our
 manufactures and much of our pro-
 visions from New York, and he would
 have been regarded as non cOmpOs
 mentis who was iar-sighted enough to
 predict that, in generation, Cali
 foTnIa would become one of the lead
 ing granaries of the world; that it's
 valleys and foOthills-brown and bare
 10 the eye, in our autumnal months
 possessed the capacity of yielding
 cereals and fruits in unlimited quan-
 titles; that plsins and mountains
 which seemed devoid of nutriment,
 should nourish vast herds of.cattie and
 hOcks of sheep; that our foothills
 should be covered over with yine-
 , ards, the fame of whose products
 should reach across the Atlantic.
 Yet all these have come 10 pass, aad
 more. Tle skeptIcs, who trst look d
 on in doubt, became convinced, } their profit; aud those who first V
 Lured lIved to see their hopes irucu
 50 1t is with Arizona. Those V D
 nave stood by her during evil report
 are now r,aping their reward. Dis
 Irict after district IS discovered, named
 and developed, from each Ot which cDmes the flow of precious melals-hrsl
 almost iinpeJcepiible iu the great az
 gregate, then gradually increasing
 until figures are reached that no
 longer demand, but command, atten-
 ton, Tie question of the day is,
 Shall CaliforniG ignore these faetsi
 shall CalilOrnIans De content to lel
 Chicago, Philadelphia, New York
 and Boston lake the cream while We
 must content ourselves with the skim
 milk? Or shall San Francisco, which aspires to become tue worlds bullion
 market, make an effort worthy oi her
 self 10 attain that proud positionY
 What are our stock boards and brokers doing to bring paying or promising ArlZUua mines before the publicl Comparatively nothing. Excepting the Silver King and one or two others, here are no AriZoua mines listed OF the boards. Net in Tombstone alone there are a dozen mines which will begin paying dividends before the year Is out. h the adjacent district of Mule Pass are copper mines, the surveys of which prove them tO be almost inexhaus,iole, the ore running 60 per cent. in metal, whereas the celebrated Calumet and Hecla of Lake Superior, discovered by the younger which yields but per cent. Of metal to the ton, has paid dividends amounting to 1000 per cent. on Its cspiiai. The Copper Queen al Bisbee (Mule Pass turns out from its fur naces 25-p0uud ingot of copper every ten minutes during the twenty four hours. It's claim is an immense quarry of copper ore; there is no need of tunnels or shafts; they can simply blast Ou. the rock, run It on an incline 10 the furnaces, and extract the re- suits. There are others there like il awaiting development.
 We have mentioned these two prom inent districts to show what energy and enterprise will do, but there are many others wort y Of investigation by spectators and capitalists. Hart ford, Evans, Swisshelm, Dos CabeZas, Arivaca Orc Blsnco, ne Frees, Globe, San Xavier, Martinez, and numerous other inning places, would amply repay visit of inspection. Eastern men are dropping into these places daily for observation and investment, but Californians are comparatively l scarce. It's the old story" Give | dog bad name and hang him." Un- less this policy of " nOn-lLtercOuTse is speedily changed, we shall have | the spectacle of Arizona's millions | vending their way east on the Atch- ! ison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. !
 As to the commercial outlook in | Arizona, it is decidedly promising 10 | her merchants. The influx of popu- l lation-promising something like 30,- 1 900 during the current year-natural- ] ly increases the demand in all lines 1 of business. IL is matter of doubt, 1, though, whether San Francisco will l retain that trade, 10 any extent, much l longer. In the first place, our mer- chants make no effort to retain it. 1 hey wait for the trade 10 come to ! them, instead of seeking it. That policy nightanswerI If there were only l the Southern Pacific railroad entering lhe Territory, but with the Atchison, Topeka and SaDia Fe and the Atlantic 1 and Pacific 10 contend with, by and 1 by San Francisco will be cit out in 1 he cold. It's all very we'll to say in excuse, heavy freights," " railroad l etc. sd nsusesm, but l there are other things not considered l by your surface growler. Par exam pie, the heavy grades before reaching Los Angeles, and the immense des- erts afie- !, aving it, and before reach ing Tucson Or Benson, the connecting DO mt for Tombstone. Now, on the otEer hand, the eastern roads will run rich agricultural sections, which promise abundant freight. They connect directly with the man. ufactories, and can offord to run cheap. It is, of corrse, impossible that when the Southern Pacific con- meets with Kew Orleans, and our wheat crop Is transported thlther, as outlined in Mir. Huntington's recent ,raach --a r,ov Cpf louv frei Uhts from