The weekly Arizona miner., 1882-02-24
Letter from Castle Creek.
CASTLE CREEK, YAvAPAI Co.,, A. T. l
 February l5. 1882.


 who has passed the last few years in the southern portion of this Territory may not prove uninteresuing, as he has succeeded Tn finding, in much maligned Yavapai county, that which he did not find in the South-a large and exhaustless field for mIning enter prise. Frankly, was advised by my many good friends of the South not to come North, as there was nothing in it. Having no per sonal motives, their advice in this particular was doubtless disinterested, but how very far from the mark they were l am really only just discovering. Surprise has given place to amazement, and in spite of the
 various causes assigned for the past apathy concerning thevast mineral resources of this County, I really fail to comprehend it. l am thankful, however, that l can, with truth, speak of the matter ill its past sense, as from present indications "boom'
 magnitude is impending, in gold, silver and copper. Of the recent discoveries in Cave Creek district will say nothing, your read CTS having been doubtless well posted about mi hing matters in that section, remarking in parenthesis, that I saw some remarkably well defined and promising gold lodges in close proximity to the now famous 'Red Rover." From that place l travelled to Tip Top, and was there met with the assu- rance that apart from that dividend paying mine, l would find nothing except very small leads where 'chloriding' was done by a few independent souls who preferred free dom to enforced labor in pernicioGs atmos- pheres both inside and out of the mine. In view of the very striking evidences before me, twas inclined to accept the above statement cum nag1ao gTGnde SGLiS, and I am glad that l did so, for few weeks of pa tlent research after men and miRes have abundantly proved that the assurances re- ceived were either dictated by some jealous and selfish personal consideration, or were due to ignorance, and, of the two, I hardly know of which would feel most ashamed. In district called "Humbug," and never was there a greater misnomer, l find a camp within two hours ride of the Tip Top mining camp, which excels in the magnitude of its mines, the high average grade thereof, and the facilities for treatment, anything of the kind 1 have ever seen in Colorado, New Mexico or Arizona. I make this asser- tion calmly and dispassionately, and defy any unpredjudiced party to contradict itl 1 cannot however do justice to this camp in so brief an article as this must of necessity be made, but will pass over the tOlerably good trail to the Hot Springs, on Castle Creek, introduce you to the hospitable Mir. and Mrs. Duncan and their charming family, l not forgetting to bathe in the hot and pei | lucid waters, and, mounting our horses, couple of hours up Castle Creek will bring Us to a small canyon, up which l will guide you for perhaps a mile and then you are Tn the copper belt. Copper! Why, there are mountains of it! I noticed tunnel some 9 feet, about 5x7, run right into the vein. How wide the vein itself may be 1 cannot conjecture. Passing up the Creek, another mass of green stained rock strikes my eye. | Dismounting, 1 examine the croppings of another immense prospect, showing copper glance in kidneys. Crossing over good i trail which leads us to Whipsaw Gulch, I find the camp of two oi the most typical of | Western mineFs-generous, hospitable and rich (prospectively). But joking aside, if virtue exists in copper, Messrs. Roberts and BUchannon are rich indeed. They possess some or leads on which good showing up" work has been done. 1 think 1t a safe assertion that if a furnace was erbcted, these two gentlemen could keep it going for a year and more without removing more than surface rock. The copper prospect is sim ply immense, and 1t has been dormant all these years during which 1 have seen so many searching for that mineral, IS like certain attribute of the Almighty: ''It passeth all understanding. Not long, however, can this be the case, and if you viii kindly give publicity to this and the future articles 1 should desire to write the copper of Castle Creek, and the gold and silver of Humbug district, you will doubtless call the attention of capital sts and others interested, and thus do jus ice to d section of the country in which We all, directly or indirectly, have personal interest. As for myself, am so convinced of the future regarding this County, that l nave cast the die at last, and after many years of a somewhat nomadic career con- 7inced of the futility of wandering further, nm content to abide the issue of the sure and certain ''boom" impending.
 Respectfully. yours, HUME.
 A Typical New Mexican.