The herald., 1895-03-11
RECORD OF A DAY SOUTH OF THE TEHACHEPI

past Robinson's ranch, Ritter's 'stone
house" and across the black mesa-so
called from the numerous black lava boul-
ders. covering the ground-until finally
we descend into the valley formed by
Martinez Creek, passing the Pumping sta
ton of the Congress gold mine and the
ranch house of the Piedmont Cattle Com
pany, of which the Hon. Thomas Brown
IS managing director, we shortly stop at
Congress, which is the station for the
Congress mine and its city of 1000 people
The Congress mine is one OF the most re-
paid big returns from the verv grass roots
to its present depth, nearly 1900 feet, at
time when freight by wagon train was
$18 per ton. The Congress mine was a
continuous shipper of ore, valued at
from 500 to $500 gold per ton.
During which period prior to the erection
of its forty stamp min the spawls from
the ore-sorting tables accumulated to the
extent of 10000 tons in great dump
awaiting the erection of crushing and
concentrating mill to free the metal from
its encasement Of quartz. At present the
forty stamps and twenty-four concentrat-
ing tables Of the mill are working right
along and turning out about carload OF
concentration per day, worth probably
$3.50 per ton.
Two hundred and fifty men are employ
ed in and around the Congress mine and
mill, and fully as many more are working
upon contiguous claims and within the
town caring for the little army OF work.
ers. The Congress Company have built
excellent and commodious eat
ing and lodging houses, good
school is being conducted and
the various trades are represented as well
as usual in camp of its size. The Con-
gress property was lately sold to the pres
ent owners for a million, or thereabouts,
nd ha nonora1 ro n Of the
management and the company's affairs
the purchasers seem well satisfied with
their acquisition. Numerous other prop
critics are being developed in the vicinity
of the Congress mine that bid fair to at
tain prominence in the near future. The
advent of the railroad. having greatly
lessened the expense of working, fuel, ETC.,
will simplify development great deal
over the old methods, when it was neces-
sary to transport supplies by wagon from
Prescott over mountain road for dis
lance of sixty miles. Leaving Congress
the road bears straight for ''Vulture
Dome" one Of the most prominent land
marks in Arizona and which once seen is
never forgotten.
Crossing the desert from Congress to
the banks of the Hassayampa the road
skirts that stream until it enters the old
town. OF Wickenburg.I where in theGold
days of stage coach travel and Apache
ambuscades, very great portion OF Ar.
| zona's early history was made. 1t was
here that Don Miguel Peralta bought the
| gold dust from the Weaver placers, humid
! reds of thousands Of dollars worth being
washed out yearly. Probably the coarsest
| placer gold in Arizona, most of it having
| been found upon the very summit of Rich
| hill, very high and precipitous peak
| disconnected from the adjoining chain OF
mountains the history of which is
| familiar to all Arizonians.. The Honor
able r. +. Kirkland, f. Grant, K. Far
| ley, and others, at present residents OF
! Phoenix, all helped in making the his
tory of Wickenburg an interesting one.
1t was here that TON" Bullock
of the Prescott and Arizona Central
made one of his remarkable winnings at
| faro when the limit was the ceiling, and
| everything went but Salmon river dust.
1t was in Wickenburg that George Mum
| roe induced the tenderfoot to accompany
| him to the graveyard and help disinter a
| corpse for Doc Pearson, and when the
gang who were in the joke opened fire and
apparently killed Munroe, the tenderfoot
remarked "I'll stay with you, pard, and
while he straddled Munroe's body opened
fire with both guns aiming wherever he
saw t1ash-and it was here that Munroe
and the gang went broke trying to
square the tenderfoot" and save Num-
roe's life the next morning when the joke
got out. And it was here right by the
bank of the Hassayampa, whose waters
make liars hot, we used to sit and listen
| to Margarita, Juanita, Rosita and Marie
| while they sang of the roses of Mexico.