Arizona republican., 1890-07-20
THE TUCSON SHELTER.


 herself over the starting up of her so long neglected shelter.
 The history of the smeter is quite ln- teresting from its at present successful standpoint, inasmuch as it covers a considerable period of Pima County's ups and downs financially.
 Originally, in the days of mining pros perity, it was erected in the Santa Rita smountains, at what is known as the Columbia mines, and was used for the reduction of copper ores. Later on the mines were closed down and the smelter became the property of Marshal Paul, who offered to move it to Tucson and put it in readiness for work if the people would subscribe loan of five thousand dollars towards defraying the expenses. This was done, and the shelter was soon ready for work at Tucson. The general depression prevailing in the mining industry at the time of the erec- | tion of the shelter at Tucson, for custom purposes, was such that a lessee could not be found willing to undertake to make a success at business that seemed so risky in time of general stagnatiOn.
 After lying idle a long time, a MT. Geist, formerly connected with Pueblo mel ter, came along, and, expressing a desire to take hold of the smelting in- dustrv, and on account of the confidence he inspired from being considered a practical man, he readily secured lease of the Paul shelter on the most favor able terms, had sidetrack built and for time convinced the people that he really intended to do something but all such hopes were dissipated when Mir. Geist came forward ask l ing the leading business men of Tucson to sign petition requesting | the legislature to empower Pima county | to donate sl5, ,0OO of its bonds to him for | smelling limited amount of ore. In | the meantime, MT. Geist secured large quantities of galena ores from the old | San Xavier mine, and had changed the copper shelter to lead basis. The recollection of the Narrow-Gauge bonds, and other similar unprotitable experi- ments of Pima county, was yet too fresh in the minds of the people of Tucson, and they refused to encourage Mr Geist with $l5,000, reasoning that if the smelting business was not profitable enough to pay it's own way, MT. Geist would shut down the works as soon as the ore provided for in the $l5,0OC donation had been smelted. The failure to get the fifteen thousand dollars cooled off Mir. Geist's ambitions in the direc. ton of smelting in Pima County, and although considerable ore had been accumulated at the shelter, MT. Geist and his staff pulled their picket ropes and proceeded to pastures new, leaving the people of Tucson to congratulate themselves on the narrow escape they had had of adding one more to theii already brilliant list of donations in aid of securing capital for local development
 The Geist lease has not yet expired but has almost run it's limit. Some time ago a sub-lease was secured by MT Charles Gooding and associates, and without the slightest sound of trumpets the smelter blew in, the intention being to run on the old ore while ar engagements are being perfected fol a constant supply of suitable orc from the rich mines in Pima County. The shelter has been alternately TUT as a copper and lead shelter, according to the class of ore being worked, shut ting down only long enough to make necessary changes. Its capacity is 3C tons day, and the mining men who are well informed of the possibilities O the output of the mines expected to con tribute ore, say that double that capacity can be readily supplied with suitable ore Starting as it does with home capita and enterprise, it will be run for tho people and economically, and will bt enlarged as business requirements die tate. The good such an enterprise does a city like Tucson and mining regior can scarcely be overestimated, and the starting of the shelter is harbinger O no mean proportion, as to the mining prosperity that well informed people believe to be close at hand. Phoenix will watch the experiment with inter est, with view of emulatiug the ex ample.