The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-24
GOLD FIELDS OF ARIZONA
JOHN H. HIsE RELATES THE LEGEND
OF THE ..LOsT MINE"
Says Alaskan Discoveries Are EXag-
Eernted - Predicts Great
Future for Arizona.

John Fl. Hise, who is interested largely in
mining in Arizona, is in the city. the guest
of j. H. Slater, a real estate dealer living
at No S70 Central avenue. He is greatly
interested in the reports of the big gold
strikes in Alaska, but was more interested
in the press dispatches Of a few days ago
telling of the rediscovery of the Lost
mine" of southern Arizona. Mr.. Hise was
associated with his father when the latter
was surveyor general under Clevelands first
administration, and had a good opportunity
of studying the mining country of southern
California and Arizona. Previous to that
time and for about twenty years he had
been directly concerned in gold and silver
mining. He has been to New York and is
on his way back to his possessions. He
intended staying severaPdays in this city,
but the excitement over the finding of the
Lost mine" will probably cause him to
return earlier than he intended, as the To-
cation of the mine is very close to several
claims he holds in the granite hills in
southern Arizona.
The Lost mine was always supposed to
be in southern California" he said yester-
day evening. in talking with a Journal re-
porter. knowledge of it dates back to
the fifties. 1t was discovered during the
excitement of the discovery of gold in Cal
ifornia by some 'overlanders.' They re-
turned to the coast settlements and had
large quantity of gold. The story of their
doings is told in many ways, but they prob
ably started back to work their claim after
telling few people in a general way the
location of the mine. Their first attempt
at returning met with defeat. They
lost their way, and returned to the settle
mentS for fresh supplies They nearly per-
ished in the desert They replenished their
supplies and started into the desert again,
and were never heard of. This was the
history of the mine, as far as it was known,
and since the loss of the mine the accounts
of it's richness have grown until the i'm
preston has prevailed that the person who
should find the Lost mine would become
a Croesus.
From the Geographic dispatches it APP
pears that two men have located the mine
in the granite hills about fifty miles south
of Sentinel Ariz. 1 have a claim down
in that country myself, which l always
speak of as being about siXty-tive miles
south of ella bend pronounced Heela
bend) L know it is rich in the mineral,
but have never attempted to work it, be-
cause there is no water near. There is a
claim near mine, however, which is being
worked. 1 do not suppose that the Lost
mine is any more valuable than either of
these, and yet they are all extremely val
liable. l have passed along the border OF
the desert many time and looked across
at the granite hills and wished could
prospect there. But what would that
mean? l would have to rig up tour-horse
teams to haul water, for there is not
drop anywhere in the hills, so far as is
known. And then the horses could haul
very little water, when the amount they
would require themselves is considered. 1t
would be necessary TO keep water wagons
running back and forth all the time to keep
those at work alive. This has prevented
many a rich strike in those hills, which are
full of gold, for the average prospector has
little money to pay expenses with. These
hills would be Staked off with claims from
end to end If people could stay there to
work.
L think that after awhile capital will
come in and run water along the foot hills.
This could be done by pumping it a dis
lance of forty miles. This is not a great
undertaking if there is assurance that the
expense will not be dead loss when it is
incurred. When this is done l predict that
the richest gold fields in the world will be
developed"
What do you think of the Alaskan dis
coyeries? % Mr.. Hise was asked.
1t is a 40 article repeated but it is eX-
aggerated. The people who are coming
back with their gold which they washed
out in a few months have probably almost
exhausted the supply, of gold which is to
not last long. Placer mining is merely
where nature has done the work which
after while man must do to continue
operations in given field. The first to
reach the field gather up the easy gold
first They are the placer miners and
probably the most of this kind of mining
is over on the KloNlyke. The poor mans
picking is gone. Nothing now but expen-
sive machinery and almost unlimited CAPT
tai can develop the mines and take paying
ore out in the future. This is the reason
that many thousands who go to Alaska will
be disappointed. Thousands will no doubt
go and most of them will be sadly dis
appointed They will starVe and freeze to
death by the hundreds. The people ought
to know the truth knowing it will keep
many at home, but there are many who
will go anyway and their skeletons may
be found in the mountains some day to
tell the tale.
Il had rather take my chances for sue
cess in the hills and deserts of southern
Arizona and California than in Alaska. In
the former country there is perpetual sun
shine. Water can be carried with the pros
pector, but warmth and sunshine cannot
be carried to the Klondyke. The southern
country is probably the better gold field
of the two If the truth were known. Ari-
IONA does not get credit for all its out
put of gold For instance, / carried s., 1000
in gold out of the territory in a valise as
hand baggage took it to California and
had it coined and California got credit for
it's production. Thousands and thousands
are carried out in the same way and the
State having the mint is credited with it.
The placer mining is about played out and
hence there is no sudden big finds like those
coming from Alaska. What is needed is
capital to work the lodges and take the
gold from the quartz. Give us that and
Arizona will show to the world the best
gold fields in the world
Mr. Hise talked also about the copper
in the country. He says he has some valu-
cured large capital to work. The United
Verde mines, he said, are owned by Mil
lionaire Clarke, of San Francisco, and are
worth fabulous amount. He said the
Rnthschilds Offered so 900 600 in cash for