Los Angeles herald., 1893-01-03
SOMETHING AS TO THE NEEDLES,
One of the Greatest Gateways
Into Southern California;
The Center of an Exceedingly Rich
Mineral Country.
A Thriving Railroadg Town-ExteDsive
Ssa Reduction Works-The New Rail- ~
>" road Building to Southern sss.. ssss.
iii NUtah-Mojave Indians.

TBy z. K. Booth,l editor of. The Needles Eye.
Needles is located in the eastern ex'
tremity of San Bernardino county. on
the banks OF the great Colorado river
$50 miles from San Bernardino and
about 300 miles from the city of Los An.
geles, and in the center of mineral
producing area. 1t is both passenger
and freight division point for the At
lantic and Pacific railroad, and the prin-
cipal shipping and supply point for all
the surrounding mining camps up and
down the Colorado river. aasaassss sl.ss lssss
Regular steamboat traffic is conducted
by the Colorado Steam Navigation COM
pany, whose large boats snd barges ply
the river between Yuma, on the South
ern Pacific, and Needles, and as far north
of Needles as Ell Dorado cafion, 100 miles
distant, in Nevada. These steamers
carry large quantities of coal and sup
plies to points north and south on the
river, and bring in return the produc-
tions of ores or bullion.
About a year ago a Colorado and
New York company Of capitalists pro-
cured tract of land on the west bank
of the Colorado river, upon which extern
Give reduction works have been built,
and are now being successfully operated.
In connection with the proposed extern
sion of its plant for smelling, and as a
feeder to Needles and the Atlantic and
Pacific railroad, this company has al
ready made survey and let grading
contracts for the grading of railroad
spur north from Goff's station, thirty
miles west of Needles, to penetrate one
of California's richest mineral districts,
known as the Providence, New York and
Vanderbilt mining districts, in this
county, and to eventually tap the vast
coal fields Of Southern Utah.
There are at present about l20 fann-
lies here. In 1890. according to our
census enumarator, Needles had popu-
lation of 562. Since that time, that
number has been nearly doubled. Nee
dies has fine public school building.
1t was built about two years ago at a
cost of over $4,000. The school las
large attendance and employs two
teachers.
Fourteen miles down the Colorado
river, and at the point where the A. 4
P. railroad crosses the river, is located
the great cantilever bridge, which is
claimed to contain the longest unsup-
ported cantilever span in the world.
The bridge is $50 feet long from bank
to bank, and the unsupported span is
800 feet long.
In the vicinity of Needles, along the
Colorado river, dwell the Mojave In
dians, numbering about 1000.
Eighteen miles north, at the old
abandoned Fort Mojave, on the Arizona
side of the river, is located the Herbert
Welsh institute for the education of the
Indian children. 1t has an average
attendance of about $50 children.
Nearly every branch of business en-
terprise is represented here. A national
bank will soon be added. There is one
weekly newspaper, The Needles Eye,
now over years old; two churches,
Catholic and union; one large hall for
secret societies, splendid opera housein
the new school building. The railroad
company have built for their own use
one of the best depot buildings on the
road. five large ice depots, extensive
shops and roundhouse.
The chief support of the town has in
the past come from the railroad, but the
recent building of reduction works and
the development of the mining inter-
ests will tend to add new sources for
support and revenue to the town, and
eventually result in the upbuilding of
an important point, as its natural loca-
tion deserves.
The place takes its name from some
peculiar shaped peaks near the great
bridge.