Arizona silver belt., 1897-04-22
CONDITIONS AFFECTING THE
 MINING INDUSTRY.

Arizona has witnessed during the past year pronounced revival and growth in those industries which are essential to her advancement and pros- perity, and in no direction has progress been more marked tEan in the devel. opment of her mineral resources. And what is equally gratifying, this expan- sion has been healthy, to great ex- tent free from the element of specula- tion which in former years was sup posed to be inseparable from mining so much so that such enterprises were invariably referred to as "ventures." ."
 There IS nothing ''dead sure" in this world; chance enters into all our calcu- lations, in every avenue of human en. desvor; and it is blessing that it is so, for without it life would be colorless,
 and every incentive to ambition and enterprise would be lacking. There IS 8 fascination about the search for treas ure hidden in the rocks and blended with the dross, which has been great stimulus to the development of our mineral resources. The hope of
 striking it rich" has sustained the prospector through years of weary toil, danger and privation, and when confronted by disappointment it has spurred him on to renewed effort. The prospectors were the vanguard of the industrial army that has peopled the great west. The prospector blazed the way for those who came after him equipped with the knowledge and re- sources needful to unlock natures treasures and enrich the world with gold and silver and the baser metals of industry.
 Mining as now conducted is as legiti. mate as any other business, and Its re- wards are not less certain; and for this very reason there is closer calculation on the part of the purchaser, and the prospector realizes less from the sale of his claims than formerly. The day of fabulous prices for undeveloped properties has passed, and the ten dency in mining as in everything else is toward lower level of values.
 The factors which have chiefly in fuenced the expansion of the mining industry, in Arizona as elsewhere, are the material cheapening of machinery, appliances and supplies of all kinds, and the very great improvements effected in processes for reducing ores and refining base metals. The ne- cessity of cheaper and more efficient methods for the reduction of ores has stimulated American inventiveness, with the result that ores which few years ago were refused as practically vslueless. are today being successfully treated and yield satisfactory return.
 We must not overlook the fact that this cheapening of processes has de- terrent influence on new districts de. prived of railroad communication and having to compete with the older and more fayorably situated camps which enjoy low freights, In these old camps they are now enabled to treat their re- serves of low grade ores and tailings, and thus increase their output, with the danger of swelling the production of the several metals beyond the worlds necessities. In that event the new districts, where crude methods of reducing high grade ores are em- ployed, are the first to feel the ill., effects of break in the market and must cease operations until the condi- tions improve.
 There is nothing more diseouraging to good town or district than this continual state of uncertainty, which psrslyzes effort and prevents substan- tial progress. Such is the position of Globe, and those who have remained here through many years (with a firm faith in the merits of the district) will recognize the truth of what we have said. Globe has been hedged about by adverse conditions, and the only wonder IS that it has sur vived them and kept so we'll to the front among the mining camps in Ari zons. That this position has been maintained is due to the rich copper ores with which the district abounds, but as we have before stated, the limit of development under present condi- tions has been reached. Further ex- pansion will come only through cheaper and quicker transportation, and 8 railroad has become an absolute necessity. The construction of rail road to Globe before the close of the present year seems reasonably assured, and following its completion mining will develop new life and Globe will become one of the most important min ing centers in the entire west.