Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1889-08-21
A couespouden, of the Cour;er. vhs

A correspondent of the Courier, who signs himself "Miner." attempts to an swer recent paragraph in this paper in
 which Mir. Rookwells views on our
 mining resources, and of the practical
 way of working them were briefly given. He styles the paragraph as ''communi-
 cation" which il was notand refers to it
 "as refuse coming from a mining ex-
 pert" The wtiter, who. by the way, 1t
 IS evident, Is not ''mlner,s and 1t is
 safe to say never saw mine, takes an
 enthusiastic, theoretical view of the sit-
 uation and as an illustration of what
 may be done here. points to Denver, Socorro and Pueblo. There is just as
 much force in such an argument. as
 there would be to refer to the big four ingS mills ot Minneapolis. which arc kept constantly running from one years end to another, manufacturing flour from wheat raised in the state of Mime. sota, as an illustration of the wheat growing possibilities of Arizona. Un- fortunately. however, for both proposi-
 tlons, as argument, applicable to Arizona, we mus, take the cuAdi,ions as we find them here. While 1t is a very simple thing for an editor or q business or a professional man, in Prescott, to sit down and write abou, the possibilities of the country and about the mlnes having the capacity of I,ooo tons per day, to supply reduction works with. 1t is not so simple and easy proposition fos man possessed ot knowledge of mines and minerals. to go into the hills and there figure 1t out. There is not . man, woman or child tn this town, or in the country around, who would not like lo see big
 reduction plant in Prescott, in success
 tut operation, but enc could waste tons
 ct ink writing about it without securing
 even small plant, unless the ore to run
 one can be shown to capitalists. All
 theoretical talk about such an enterprise
 Is merest chaff, and amounts to nothing.
 What we want Is reliable data, with
 which We can 90 to capitalists, and get
 ting them interested, be able to demon.
 strate the truth of representations made
 Capital will not invest in such an enter
 prise on the chimerical theory or repre-
 sentation of one who knows nothing oi
 mining or of our mining resources.
 NIT. Rockwell has devoted several
 weeks to an investigation of this prop0-
 sition. He started out with ideas a
 enthusiastic as the "miner," who criti-
 cises hlm. He took samples ot ore
 from the various mining districts and
 assayed them. He made measurements of
 ore on the dumps and in claims. He is
 fully competent to do all this intelligen,ly
 and to report in accordance herewith.
 His report has not yet been made. but
 what was published in this paper was
 obtained in casual conversation with
 him. He expressed the same view to
 miners, who have since been inter-
 viewed by the editor of this paper. and
 who fully coincide with him. Mir.
 Rockwell is pleased with what he has
 seen. He says there are some excellen,
 mines in the county and innumerable promising prospects. But what the county needs is development. He will formulate plan tor this and submit it in his report whereby if the plan IS adopted and carried ou, miners can find market for thelr low grade ore and obtain means ,o go on with the work of developing their properties. He has not been able to devise q plan, how ever. whereby ten-inch strata of medium grade ore can be transformed into a six-foot vein. Neither can he figure out a profit on $4o ore. where the cost of mining and transportation is that amonnt There is a great abun. dance of ore around Prescott No one doubts that. The problem hertOfore, and now is, ''how to successfully treat it and leave margin for the miners" Even with reduction works in Prescott, much of this ore will not allow any mar gln after paying. iranspo,ta:ions here. The problem will find solution in time and it will be practical and not ,heore,- ical.