Arizona republican., 1896-10-14
WHY HE WANTS es 4.,,I.aI|', 5aR Clark and His Jerome
 Mine. The Property Is of Fabulous
 Wealth.
In the Even. of Bryan's Election the Jerome Mine Would Produce
 Tons of the White Metal.

A correspondent writing for the Los Angeles Times gives the following logical reasons why w. A. Clark, of Butte. Mont., owner of the famout Je- rome mines, is in favor of the free coinage of silver: 'srhere is a mine in Arizona about which the greatest mystery is pre- served It is rather easier for the pro verbal rich man to get through the eye of the needle than it is for any man not in the employ of the management to get into this mine. The miners are as mum concerning what is to be seen under lthe surface as any discreet man could be, when he knew that his posi- tion depended on his silence. Of course such policy at once stimulated curlos- ity to know what is under ground. Speculation arises as to whether it is so wonderfully rich that the owners do not want the world to know how good it really is, or SO poor that they are afraid to have it known how poor it really is.
 'HThe mine in question is the United Verde at Jerome. The owner is Hon. w. A. Clark of Butte City, Mont, and Jerome, Arizona. The mine has gone on producing year after year, with con- stantly improving facilities for work ing the ores. The smelling plant is the largest and most expeditions in the southwest. It is therefore probable that this mine is so very rich that its 1,o1d a1oti rather than poor property. In fact it is a rich property. While osltensibly it is a copper proposition, it is very rich in silver and gold particularly silver. And judging from the fact that a French syndicate had under considera- tion the purchase of the property at $50,000,000, it may safely be said that the ore body is of considerable extent.
 ''Mr. Clark had two reasons for pre- serving the mystery with which he has enshrouded his mine. He is business man, a thorough business man, and fully appreciates the value of keeping his affairs to himself. One of his req sons for withholding access to the property is that the copper syndicate, of which he is a member, could not know the extent of his copper source It is indeed an immense body of metal "a tremendous deposit. The ore is nc paltry lead, or lode or vein,' but a great mass, so huge as to be beyond calculation. It is a great part of the mountain wherein it lies It is as wide as city block, perhaps miles in length and for all that it known its deptf may go to the center of the earth Work can be done in this ore mass fol months without taking out a ton O. waste. Such a body of copper as there is here is not paralleled half doze1 times on Ehis globe. Hence MT. Clarl proposes to keep its extent to himself
 There is another reason, however that while MT. Clark may consider i as concerning himself only, is of politi cal import in these wild days whe1 men are working and talking an, dreaming of free silver The Unite, Verde is silver mine. In fact it ma, be said to be two distinct mines, thougl practically all in one body. From tn water level to the surface it is silve property, carrying some gold. Beloy the water level it is a copper mine though carrying gold and silver i moderate quantities. Without goin into the chemistry of the propositio nature has, with the coming and goin Of the centuries, been making a might rich silver mine of the United Verd within reach of the surface Whe through the throes of the birth of tn world that ore mass was thrown tc gether it was all homogeneous, uppe and lower levels alike. It was an o1 rich in copper, gold and silver, carry ing sulphurets and silicates and othe chemicals. The ages passed, and tI chemistry of nature acted on the ors within reach of the atmosphere. Witt out going into bechnicahties of the prt cess, it may be said that oxidation ( the sulphuret in the body within reae of the percolations of the atmosphe1 formed a sWlphuric acid, which leache the copper, depositing it elsewher This action, combined with that of u silicates, which preserved the gold ar silver practically intact, so transformt all ore to the water level or with. reach of the atmosphere, as Ito remo7 the baser ingredients to an immen
 ueSree. ldue reSupL IS UnaC Une SllV
 and gold have been left there, and pa of the great mass of ithe United Ver
 mine is a huge silver deposit Much
 it will run 1000 ounces to the to
 Think of it! Here is ore wider than
 city block, higher than a ten-sto
 building and as long as many of t
 streets of Los Angeles; it is ore wi
 but small proportion of waste aft
 the surface debris has been remove
 and every ton of it has from fifty
 1000 ounces of silver. Is it any wo