Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1895-02-20
Alonr the Colorado RIver.


 the Needles, they are a revelation. Some time since, while at the San Xavier in Tucson, Arizona, a very prominent mining engineer, know ing that l was interested in mining. asked me if 1 had ever been along the Colorado. "If not, said he, do not go back to New York until you have seen that wonderful rich coun. try in gold, silver, lead and iron" Tin had not theu been discovered in any quantity, said he. l have spent several weeks in a careful examina- ton of the different mining districts and as result I can say that within the next five years the country be- tween Ehrenberg and Yuma will surprise the world in its output of gold, silver and lead. Copper does not amount to anything, but iron, manganese, zinz and other minerals will come in time, when cheap trans portation and living can be had. The great cement belt of gold east of Ehrenberg, ths gold veins nearer the river, the great gold vein at Picacho-the fness free-milling belt or gold ores I have ever seen, together with those further back from the Colorado, will astonish us all, while the rich silver and lead districts of Castle Dome, Eureka and Silver districts will open the eyes of our silver producing sections. Just at present but little can be done on account of the high cost of provisions and the exorbitant rates of freight. Think of it Five cents per pound for beans, potatoes, flour, barley or oats; $23 to S30 per ton for hay; $40 to $50 per thousand feet of lumber; eight cents for onions and ten cents for all other vegetables, twenty to twenty-five cents for bacon, ham and lard; fifteen cents for sugar; fifty cents for coffee. Ia these times the miners cannot stand it and live. But the grand keynote has been struck by a company of wealthy capitalists. whose names are purposely with from the public at present, who have at Barritr Rocks on the Colo rado river, near Picacho, large millsite for water power for the largest electric plant over con- structed. The river at this point is divided into four channels or water ways by great piers of rock thirty five to seventy feet above the river and having a base of from 100 to 150 feet square, being 75 to 125 feet apart and extends out into and down the river far enough to give room for the construction of from 100 to I5O distinct water wheels which can be built so that they will stand in lines or series of three or four each. one or different shafts in line. At first one wheel or a series of wheels will be put in and be con- nected to a I000-kilowatt generator the largest ever built. Lines will be put up first to the mines and mills which, by the time the wheels are ready, will be in operation Then, as fast as the demand in- creases, other wheels or series oi wheels will be put in. These wheels will be suspended or hung from iron or steel bridges which will rest on the great piers which nature has already constructed.
 The entire work will be of iron, steel and aluminium. In short the plan is this: To furnish power and light for running all the mines mills, furnaces, smelters and reduc- ton works within 8 radius of lOl miles; to run a narrow guage railroad which will be built to connect the mines and mining plants with each other; to run steamers from the Needles to Yuma and the Gulf; to pump water for irrigating all the valleys along the Colorado, aud also into the canals that will be built to irrigate tke great ol the Colorado below but adjacent to Yuma; to supply power to every manufacturing industry, to every fsrmer, fruit grower and mechanic who may want it and who shall set tie along any of the lines of the plant within 160 miles of the main station. Will it be donei Yes, sir; and within the next five years, mark my words. Do you know, within the area named there are at least 1000 good mines that will furnish ore for nearly 10000 stamps or their equivalent in crushers, smelters and other reducing appliances; and that from 10000 to 5000 horse power can be developed at Picacho and Barrier Rocks. There is no other such place on the Colorado, at least below the Needles. While at Picaeho I found that i: cost the great Enlish pumping plant Sl3z per day for wood alone, not count ing the handling of it. The electric company will furnish the same power for S16 per day. No wonder the pumps are idle at the present time. Moneyed and mining men experts and mining engineers from Montana. Idaho, Colorado and the Cakotas are quitly coming into these sections, carefully examining the mines and minerals, getting the price of properties and reporting to their principals, and in all l have met I have found but one man, Montana bloater who did all of hi: prospecting in a boat with well filled demijohn, claiming that he was sent here by all the millionaire: In Montana, and he condemned everything, yet tried to get bond on one of the best mines on the river Before I go I may report again You can rely upon this section on the Colorado coming out all right | in a little time.