Arizona weekly citizen., 1882-01-22
THE RAILROAD MEETING.
4 Tirasy Movement Projected Railroad from
 Tucson to the Gulf Of California.

4 Tirasy Movement Projected Railroad from
 Tucson to the Gulf Of California.
 { An enthusiastic meeting was held in
 Levin's hall yesterday afternoon by
 many of the prominent citizens of Tue
 son, to consider the feasibility of con-
 strGcting railroad from Tucson west
 ward through Cababi and Gunsight to a
 point at tidewater on the Gulf of Cali
 fornia.
 The project has been a subject of fre-
 quent discussion in these columns, and
 the country through which the proposed
 road will run is well known to contain
 mines of undoubted richness and extent.
 The meeting last night was well at
 tended by the representative men of the 'city. among whom were the following: Messrs. r. R. Fully, F. A. TIitle, W. C.. ! Davis, c. NJ Stiauss, F. E. Pomroy, J. H. i Toole, Chas. Hudson. Ben. H. Hereford,
 J. B. Allen, W. J. Osborn, L. C. Hughes, D. B. Nichols, A. NJ. Smith, c. F. Daley, Thos Gates, J. $. Mansfield, R. F. Biv- 1 IDS. J. A. Whitmore, D. Veiasco, James
 Buell., c. J. Wimple, T. F. Ryan, c. B.
 Sessions, Col. Prouty.
 Hon. F. R Fully was called to the Chair and Mir. C. Nj. Struuss was chosen ! Secretary.
 The minutes Of a previous meeting
 were read for the information of those present, and pertinent remarks were in | vited.
 Gen. ]. E. Alien gave his views, and 1 having been over the proposed route
 they were full of practical suggestions
 and weight.
 Col. r. <. Tritle, who had also ex- amIned a large portion of the route, l thought the road as a mere speculation | might be mace q highly profitable in- vestmeut, and as a means of developing 1 Pima county to the westward and making | 1t tributary to the city of Tucson, the
 road would possess q value beyond the | expectations of any one present. The | road also, at no distant day, through an | important saving of distance, would un- ! doubtedly make an important link in ! transcontinental thoroughfare. The | cheapeniug of freights tO Tucson, by the | saving of distance to tde-water would ! be an important consideration to the merchants of this city and to the miners
 along the route.
 Mir. D. B. Nichols gave valuable infor- nation concerning Port Lobos, the pro | posed terminus of the road, and thought | the route practicable.
 Mir. B. F. Bivins thought his company
 would give the road material aid in its | con struction. He believed the road
 would be built and urged its speedy con- struction.
 Messrs. c. Nj. Strauss, B. H. Hereford, ! l.. C. Hughes, W. J. Osborn and others, made appropriate and encouraging re- marks, and the question of name for | the road was referred to the committee appointed at the previous meeting. The feeling was unanimous that the road WAS a necessity to the city and that l its importance was apparent to every | reflective person, and no efforts should | be spared in making its construction an | event of the immediate future.
 Inc meeting adjourned to meet at the same place at 3 o'clock this afternoon.
 Ups and Downs of California Mine.
 Few mines have had a more checkered career than the Sumner mine in Kern county, California. Six years ago it would Lot have been swapped for the best mine in the State. 1 few years later it was sold at sheriff's sale for the paltry sum of S16OOO. Originally it was the property of J. ?. Jones, who in i'm provements and development, expended nearly one and one-fourth of a millions of dollars. The hoisting works alone cost in the neigh borhood of S35O,0O0. Of machinery there are two pumping engines, each val ued when down at Sl0G000, two hoisting engines, two engines for lowering the pumps and two donkey or force pumps. The mill situated on the river, about three-fourths of a mile below was q costly affair In addition to its 50
 stamps 1t was fitted up with every mod ern improvement, bullion vaults and all, and justly it was said to be the finest and most complete mill on the whole Pacific coast. But the ore was of low grade, notwithstanding the immense quantities to be met with on every level, in every stope and winZe, s per ton | hardly paid interest on the princpal, l and the mines account stood always on the debit side of the book. Wages were reduced. The miners quit work and threatened riot, but finally went in at the cut rate. In another six months came a second re- | duction, not only of wages but Tn the number of men employed; nearly all of | the discharged men coming to Arizona, the others continued work at the reduced rates. But the bullion vaults continued empty and every blast seemed to open new reservoirs of water, till the pumps were no longer able to control the stead | ily increasing volume. Experts were | then sent to make special examination, | and they reported back that all the ma l chinery in California could not pump the l Kern River dry. and such a thing would
 be necessary before the low grade ore l could be made to pay current expenses ! Without more ado J. P. tied the GOrdlan | knot in his purse-strinGs. The pumps
 were taken out and the water filled the 1 lower levels, and with the exception of
 q few men who were allowed to coyote | above water for pockets and punches Of l good ore the mine was virtually aban- | doned. and later on at sheriff sale was | sold to meet a debt of the amount named. Coyoteing still continued, the ! extracted ore being crushed on per cent
 age at the mill below. But now 1t IS re- liably stated that some few months 1 since a man blasting a bunch of ore from
 the fo1t-wall unexpectedly opened a
 large body Of high-grade rock that
 worked SG0 per ton. Means were then
 taken to work the mine properly, and
 looking towards an economical manage ment. It has been decided to utilize the the rivers power for the compression ot
 air which, being conveyed t0 q receiver
 in the engine room, will then be used
 instead of steam The total cost Of con- | pressors is estimated at about SiO,UOO, an almost exact amount required each year
 for steam purposes, the ecompressors pay
 ing for themselves in about one year.
 From the present favorable outlook the
 indications are that the Sumner mine
 will vet be a bonanza to its owners.
 MR. HEsING, proprietor of the Illinois
 Statts Zeitung, and owner of the mining camp near Aposura, lately raided by the
 Indians, passed through Tucson en route to San Francisco. The development oI his mining property has been checked
 Although severe, it is but momentarily
 as he intends to re-cOmmence operations
 and develop his mines for what they art
 worth The Indians thoroughly guttec
 the camp, but did not inlure the ma ' chincry. The attack was made near . noon-day and NIT. Weberling, the Super , intendent, was walking on his porcI D when the Indians suddenly appeared ] ] l. ta n-Tvn nrn.7