Arizona republican., 1892-10-30
ABOUT BISBEE.
The Home of Modern Cliff
DWellerS
And incidentally the Most Extensive
Mining Camp In the Great
Southwest.

Bisbee, situated within few miles O
the southern border OF Arizona in Co
chise county. is at present the most ex
tensive mining camp in the territory
and although the mines are owned anC
worked by the one company, the camp
is possessed Of many advantages. The
company of which Ben Williams i,
superintendent has spared no pains tc
add to the comfort OF those employed
in the mines and big smeters which
furnish employment tor five or six hun.
dred men and sustain a population oil
1000.
A free library building, two stories
high, with an elegant hall for public
meetings and headquarters for secret
societies is maintained by the company
and supplied with many thousand vol.
umes OF wholesome literature and by
the leading periodicals of the world.
Almost every paper published in Ari-
IONA may be found on file.
A hospital is maintained in good
style for home for injured or super
animated workmen. Nurses are pro-
vided and medical skill employed, be-
sides plenty of food and comfortable
clothing all free of cost.
The principal mine. the Copper
Queen, 10 the most extensive copper
mine in the territory and has been OPP
Grated for many years. There are
three great hosting works, viz, Cop
per Queen, Holbrook and Gear, all Of
which are connected by tunnels. So
extensive has been the working that in
some places acres OF worked out land
has csved in, leaving crevices through
the hills looking like the work OF q
monster earthquake. The output has
been immense from this mine, and
great mountains OF Stag have been
built of the refuse from the smelters,
which contain the largest engine and
heaviest machinery in the territory.
One engine alone has $50 horse power
and runs nearly all the machinery of
the entire plant.
The mines as well as store, smelters
and business houses are lighted by cleo
tricity for which purpose three dyns-
mos are required. The Stag from smelt-
ing is drawn away by pony engine on
little railway and is deposited in the
valley below. Thirty wheelbarrows
holding 900 pounds OF the moulton
matter are drawn away on fat car at
time. So complete are the works that
even the dust which is carried up
through the throat Of the great furnaces
is utilized. This dust ia swept from tho
corrugated roofs and moistened, after
which it is moulded into bricks by an
ingenious machine working on duplex
inclined plane and which turns them
out at the rate CT ten minute. These
bricks are then burned and smelted as
they run high in copper.
At present the mine is limiting pro-
duction and some idle men are in the
camp, 30 while Bisbee is a good place to
live for those who are there, it is not a
place to seek employment. The town,
as seen by lamplight, is q weird
but interesting scene, as it is in the
shape Of a Y. either side OF the town
being in guIch with q ridge between
till the center of the town is reached
after which it lies in single gulch with
one street. Most Of the residences and
some business houses are on the hill
sides, and the inhabitants may we'll be
styled modern cliff-dwellers, as to reach
many OF the residences it 10 necessary
to climb two, three and even four flights
OF stairs built up the rugged cliffs and
precludes the possibility OF carrying .
jag to the family residence. Perhaps
this 10 where the familiar hymn OF
1--WE Won't Go Home Till Morning"
originated.
The town contains one church build
ing and school house erected by the
company which would do credit to \
town of larger proportions. An opera
house which by the way seems to be
we'll patronized stands on bluff near
the town but toe far away to walk out
between acts. Bsbee is forty miles
from Fairbanks at which place narrow
gauge road connects it with the Santa
Fe line which runs to Guaymas. This
road is owned and operated by the Cop
per Queen company and on this they
carry all material and supplies to the
camp. One OF the largest general
merchandise stores in the territory is
run by the company. They carry a
stock OF about $4,000 Several smaller
stores are run by private individuals.
Every line OF business is well repre-
scented and ample hotel accommoda-
tons and restaurant facilities provided.
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