The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-02
GOLD IN ARIZONA
Some Famous Strikes Have Been Ma
In the Territory.


Some Famous Strikes Have Been Made
In the Territory.
Phoenix, Ariz.. Jan. Some famous
gold strikes have been made here. On
a hill which from a distance looks to
be very pointed, but which is really
fiat-topped, is the famous placer dis
trict of Rich HILL Here a few years
ago some one found nuggets of gold on
the very top Of the rough, rugged
mountain. Placer claims were staked
out and a large camp sprang up as II
by magic. Pint cups full of rich mug
gets were picked up in a day and for
tunes were made. But IL did not last.
The deposit seemed to be local, and as
II occurred on the very top of the
mountain there seemed to be no ledge
from which It could have come save a
barren seam OF CLASSY quartz which
cropped out at one point. The old
miners theorized on the matter and
came to the conclusion that the rich
deposit was the debris of some great
pocket Of ore that had been in the
ledge near by. but at a higher point,
and that erosive action of past ages
had worn 1T away. leaving the gold on
the top of the hill. That was many
years ago and to-day a few Mexicans
exc out a poor living there on the hill
top. getting a few good nuggets occa-
sionally and always gold dust.
Near by the Rich Hill is the Weaver
district. a district rich in gold a few
years ago, but worked out. Eastward
from these two regions and down along
the main gulch and in the side ravines
of the Hassayampa is a region famed
in early days more for its danger than
it's richness Westward along the base
OF the mighty piles of granite is a
gulch cutting deeply into the mountain
side. This is Fools Gulch. Recently
a few belated gold-hunters stumbled
on a ledge there that looked good, and,
proceeding to develop a little, they
found fine ore. In a few months they
sold their two claims for $4,000. A
lively camp is there now.
on the top of the mountain from
which Fools gulch issues is the Var
nell mine. 1t looks to be a different
climate and different region to climb
the mountain from the gulch to the
Yarnell In the valley below the char
acteristic flora of the arid region
administrations members of the aca-
cha family, the cheosote wood, or
greasewood, several varieties of yucca
and the ever-present sage. On the
mountain above are scrub oak, juniper,
spruce. cedar and some pine. Such is
the influence of altitude.
Across the valley that lies far below
is the great Bonanza Congress. This
mine was one of Dennis Mays discov-
cries. May dug so or 60 feet of shaft
and ran a few levels to expose the
ledge. He struck ore rich enough TO
pay hauling overland to Prescott, a
distance of rs miles by wagon road and
then shipped to a smelter at Ell Paso.
That demonstrated the value of the
property and a buyer was soon found
in the person of that enterprising and
successful western capitalist. Diamond
Joe Reynolds. Development was inn
mediately begun and a 40-stamp mill
constructed. with ooncentrators. The
ore is a sulphide of iron and gold or
iron pyrites known in the early days
of placer mining as FOOLS gold. But
to-day almost any mining fool knows
its value and 25 carloads a month of
its concentrates now leave the Con-
gress for an eastern smelter The first
concentrates were hauled TO Prescott
and shipped from there. The owners
of the mine had long projected a rail-
road that should take out of the re-
gion the products of the mine and also
go farther south and tap the Great
Salt River valley at Phoenix. Part of
this line. from Ash Fork to Prescott.
was constructed during Diamond Joe's
lifetime. After his death the execut-
ors and others combined to finish the
work and less than year ago the rails
were laid into Phoenix. Since that
time the Congress mine. now owned
partially by others. has been worked
with a large force. and is daily mill
ing 100 tons of ore. while the potas-
sium-cyanide process treats an equiva-
lent amount of the talings or residue
from the mill.