Arizona republican., 1897-12-10
CHALCEDONY PARK.
Features Tributary to
 HOlbrOok.

Holbrook, Ariz., Dec. S.-(Special correspondence of The Republican, l. Chalcedony Park, or what is com mon1y known as the petrif1ed forest, has something of a mining proposi- tion associated with it, while the opening of the cement beds is in the same line.
 Three years ago an agent was sent out by the Armstrong Abrasive com pany of Denver and he secured min eral claim, as I understand. Since the establishment of a station at Ad- amana, several miles east of Hol- brook, the company's supplies we e shipped from the forest to that point and there transferred to the cars and billed to Denver The plan of the Abrasive company was to work the petrified wood into emery, there being a market for that article. It is learn ed that the company met with com parative success on the undertaking. The company operated a ten stamp mill in the forest. The claim has been cancelled. More or less of ths petrified wood has been taken out and sold at Holbrook and in curio estab- 1ishments elsewhere. It is told of tourists, one party in particular that they expected to see the trees stand ing erect in their majesty and dis appointment was manifest when the contrary was found to be the case Ten days ago a special agent of the government was accompa jed by Hon. F. M. Buck of this place on trip to the forest. The agent inform ed MT. Buck that he would recom- mend the appointment of keeper in the event of the 1,400 acres compris- ing the forest being set apart as a national park, which is soon to be made possible. Mr. Buck has taken a great deal of interest in the park Or forest and the appointment may fall to his lot. The forest is very little advertised and it is one of Arfzona's attractions that should be made better known in the east, where so little at tention is paid to our natural re- sources. Special conveyances can be secured, as we'll as guide, in Hol- brook.
 Vast beds of cement exist within six miles of Holbrook and farther south, on Silver creek, are bodies of the deposit. Samples have been sent to California for testing purposes and satisfactory reports have been re- turned to those interested in bringing the cement into notice The statue of the old Indian chief, Manuehto, stands on the premises of Colonel Cotton of Gallup, N M., where Manue- tito was best known. In Holbrook the cement was used in the construc- tion of the Schuster and Louie Ghuey buildings, as also in the plastering of MT. Schuster's residence. While in HOlbrook during a winter season I was witnes to the construction of the Schuster building and was told by the masons that the. cement was worked in very satisfactorily On reliable authority I am informed that the diff ficulty experienced in securing rates was an obstacle to development. There is a fine opening here to a syndicate, for it is certainly good thing, all conditions being favorable The rail road company has used thousands of barrels of Portland cement in the construction of the Williams, Walnut and Seligman dams and it seems strange that the deposits of cement in Navajo county have not been worked out for the purpose of filling a great need in these instances. In the cement beds and petrifiled forest lie untold wealth for capital to de- velop into profit and Navajo county will yet be a center of attraction Her stock and wool interests are great, why not so in respect to the above?