Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1893-02-01
IMMENSE WEALTH!
Of Gold, Silver, Copper and
 Asbestos Found
IN rms GRAND oANyoNt
A Boom in Store for Flagstaff and
 Northern Arizona.

General W. O. o'Neill was inter
 viewed yesterday in regard to the
 recent discoveries of mineral in the
 Grand Canyon, and he gives very
 enthusiastic opinion in regard to
 the outlook there. The principal
 mineral discoveries which have been
 made are about 45 miles north of
 Flagstaff, at q point near where
 visitors go to view this greatest of
 all wonders in nature. There is a
 good road the entire distance from Flagstaff. to the top of the great gorge, and two trails have been
 built down into the canyon. One is
 known as the Hance trail, and has been used for several years by tou-
 rists, to go down into the canyon ! and return. The other one is of
 more recent date, and is known as
 the Cameron, having been built for
 business and not for pleasure, by
 one of the disooyerers of the mines.
 Speaking of the mineral deposits,
 Mir. O'Neill says that one of the claims is simply a mountain of ore, copper predominating. Assays have been obtained as high as S5 per cent in copper, and from S26 to $50 in silver ana the same amount in gold. The vein can be traced for a distance of 3,0O0 feet on the south side of the river, and is expoSed to view on the orth side ot the river, but as far as known has never been prospected there.
 NATURE HAS DEVELOPED THE CLAIMS
 By the river cutting through t so that work is being pushed on the them at depth of 2Oo0. There is sandstone capping to the forma- ton to a depth of about l.500 feet, and the mineral is found underlying this, to a depth of 5000 feel from the top of the mesa.
 Excellent specimens of mica have been obtained in the canyon, and 1 there are indications of being,quite a l deposit of it. Mir. O'Neill brought l away specimens with him which will square four inches. Unlike other mica that has been found ia Arizona, this is firm and tough, and | does not break easily as the more brittle mica found does.
 He says that the Colorado river Is lower at present than it has ever been knowh to Do before, and that | placer gold is as abundant there on the bars and in the gravel as 1t Is ia | the San Juan country.
 TwESTY-FTvE CENTS PFR PaN Is about the average obtained from the gravel. Disappointed prospect ors from the San Juan country are finding their way down to the Grand Canyon.
 Mir. O'Neill's special mission to the Grand Canyon was to make an examination of the asbestos mine discovered there, and he states that 1t exceeds his most san yuine expectation. There is a we'll defined ledge of it about four feet n width, there being eleven claims ocated. A fiber of from one half 1 neh to four inches in length can be obtained, making 1t valuable for the purpose of weaving. He sent about .wo hundred pounds to the Johns manufacturing company of New York, the largest manufacturers of goods in the United States, who pronounce it equal to anything hey have ever seen, rivaling in text Ire the product of Canada, which t present is the principal source of upply of raw asbestos. 
 NEW COAL FIELDS.
 When asked as to the extent O he recently discovered coal bedf lear Flagstaff, NIT. O'Neill said hey were located about sixty miles northeast of Flagstaff. There are bout twenty men at work there. f put very little development had ,een done yet. In sinking twenty eet two veins of coal were discov- ( red, and one little seam oi about g inch in thickness. This | Eas found nearest the surface Be- ! leath this was found a vein one cot in thickness, and still lower a . -ein six feet thick. Samples of this 0 alter had been sent to Trinidad a md was found to possess excellent q oking qualities. There is already l ak of building a railroad to these ' oal fields, and if coal is found to . xlst there in any considerable quantity road will no doubt be 'Vilt soon. This would then be the earest point to the Grand Canyon. e 'elng only about thirty miles from h here.
 The discovery of these coal . elds promises to revolntionize T mining, as cheap coke win be ob- II ainable from them. O