Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-11-22
PRESCOTT.
SOMETHING ABOUT ARIZONA'S
 NORTHERN METROPOLIS
The City and How 1t LOOks---The Great Mines That Give it Life--A Visit to Several Active Camps---The
 Outlook for the
 Future.
corr. Mininq and scientifc c Press.

the county seat Of 1aVapal county, the largest subdivision of the entire terri tory, embracing an area of nearly 3J,OOO square miles. This immense county larger than many states Tn the unlon- will doubtless be divided, and already the question of division Is being agltated. But Prescott will always remain the prin- cipal city in northern Arizona. It is al
 ready largely in advance of any other town ill population and is the center of movements in business which will tend to increase it's relative importance.
 Prescott is beautifully located. It IS circled about by hills, but the site upon which the city IS built is sufficiently lev el The court house square, with it's trees and greensward, stands in the cen ter of the city, and ranged about this are business streets The court house cost $75,000 and IS a fine structure. Is Is sur mounted by a tall tower, in which the city clock strikes off the hours of the day as they come and go. Several of the merchants of Prescott have their business houses in good brick structures and plans are perfected for at least a halfdoz- en similar buildings to be erected within year. A good brick hotel was receiving its finishing touches during the visit Of our correspondent. There are some beau tiful and tasty homes in the more desir- able quarter of the city, that of Ex-Gov- ernor Tritle being among them. The climate of Prescott can hardly be sur passed by that of any city on the Pacific coast. There are 300 sunshiny days in each veal, as shown by the signal-service reports, and the quality of the atmosphere is unequaled. The elevation of the city above the level of the sea is about 5000 feet, so that the air is pure and dry. Very little snow falls during the winter, and the summers are not excessively warm Showers come during the summer, which keepl. the vegetation green and lend a freshness to the landscape. The health and enjoyment of the inhabitants seems
 to be far above the average of people Tn most parts of our country.
 | Whipple Barracks, military post of l the United States, Is but mile from <, Prescott. The location is extremely 1 pleasant, and the presence of the troops | contributes not little to the social and
 business importance of Prescott.
 Prescott is reached by rail via the At
 lantic & Pacific R. R. and the Pres
 colt X Arizona Central, being at the ter
 minus of the latter road, "A miles south
 of its junction with the former at Pres
 colt Junction. The Prescott < Arizona
 Central passes through immense stretches
 of stock and agricultural lands, and one
 cannot fail to have some appreciation of
 the future possibilities of Arizona as he
 rides across the fresh plains of this DOT
 tion of the territory Vasts herds of
 stock are pastured here while occasional
 ly one sees cultivated areas which pro-
 duce as fine fruits as can be raised even in California. Prescott Is the focus of
 extensive mining interests. There are
 few institutions in the city itself which
 would suggest this fact, but nevertheless
 it is true. No great mills, with their
 laundering stamps, are to be found here.
 There is only one institution within the
 limits of the city which reduces ore, and
 that IS a sampling plant. But within a
 radius of 60 miles there are innumerable
 properties, in different stages of develop
 ment, some of which are now only pros
 poets, while others are great ore-produc-
 CTS and dividend-paying mines, with mills
 or smelters turning out bullion. In this
 article we cannot enumerate more than a
 tithe of the better properties. We will
 first catalogue the leading mines or
 groups of mines, and then give detailed
 information as to few of these. We
 may name the United Verde mines (sil-
 ver-copper) at Jerome. 28 miles north of east from Prescott; the Congress mine
 lgold), 55 miles southwest of the city;
 the Senator mine, 12 miles east; the Boggs and Blackberry mines (smelting
 ore), 25 miles southeast; the Ryland, 45
 miles south; the Crowned King (gold and silver), 30 miles south; the Bell mine (silver smelling ore), in the Big Bug dis trict, IF miles southeast; the Prince mine and Tuscumbia mill (30 men employed) at Alexandra, 30 miles south; the Cop , per Basin, 10 miles southwest; the Rapid Transit, War Eagle, Silver King, and other properties in the Hassayampa anC : Bradshaw districts; also the extensive hy draulic properties on Lynx creek, ' to l. miles east; the Hillside mine, IS miles west (now shipping gold and silver ore ! also the Eureka copper mine, owned by the same company and in the same local l, ] ity. Then there are the Baumann grouI of mines, 15 miles east, in the Black Hill I and a great variety of properties in similar state of semi-development. Besides the exclusively mineral prop
 critics, attention might be directed to al K extensive onyx quarry which has recent s ly been opened, and which has beel
 noticed to considerable extent by loca 1 papers and even by outside journals This property is situated about 25 mile
 
 l. of 200 to 300 acres. There are II claims The onyx is taken out in slabs of almos c any desired dimensions, the strata bein q unusually thick and well defined. Pro
 Falkenau of San Francisco, who recent l. visited the mine, witnessed the blastin
 of a slab from the quarry, and he state
 that in all of his experience he has neve
 seen a mine which equals this Ill respeC to the enormous size of the blocks obtain Il able
 !; Although the rock taken from the mine 'l in question is not, strictly speaking, e pure onyx, it yet has most of the qual $ ties of that substance, being susceptibl D of high and brilliant polish, which en IS phasizes the varied and beautiful colo u ings that may thereby be developed. Is will prove highly prized substance fo e the manufacture of table and bureau top > mantels, etc., and when readily secure 's by the opening of the properties, an when its beauties become more general e known it will meet with a ready sale an e prove profitable mine to its several owr ,i CTS.
 II While at Prescott, our corresponder I- could not resist the temptation to visit th IS great silver-copper mine at Jerome, know 's as the United Verde. The camp is br 30 miles from Prescott, but on account ( o the heavy grades in the road leading { U the mine, a good part of one day is occr n pied by the stages in reaching this dest V nation For 20 miles the way is compaI
 atively smooth, the road being through th
 low hills which enclose Prescott on tn
 south and soon reaches Lonesome vale,
 an almost level stretch of country extend IS ing to the foot of the Black Hills. B. Sanders Station, 20 miles from Prescott n the traveller will stop for a good, heart " dinner. From here forward the heavy wor " of travel begins. The next ten miles al n succession of steep grades, and for a ,s most the entire distance the roadway d cut out of the sides of mountains, wit ,e frowning cafions extending hundreds ( n feet below. This road was an expensiy st one to build, and except for the great va it ue of the property beyond, no compan i'd would have ventured upon the work of i le construction. Arrived at the mining cam 1r we see the buildings of the company a to most hanging upon mountain side. A site had to be graded for every structur m The few buildings in the town of Jerom n. half mile further on, are similarly sitl le ated. The present plant of the compan in consists of smelter containing two fu
 naces, rock breakers, etc; and there al
 also hoisting works, carpenter and blac