Arizona republican., 1897-12-01
THE NEWS OF JEROME.
Another Letter From the Big Coppe
 Camp-Wants the County Seat.


 Jerome, Ariz., Nov. 30.-(Special Correspondence of The Republican.)- This mountain city of Arizona has a ! county seat bee in her bonnet. Yes, there are people in these parts who think Jerome is in line for promo tion, the strong point offered being growth and wealth of minerals, par ticularly so in copper. Geographically
 the aspirant is not in it But strange things will happen sometimes and who knows but what lightning will strike Jerome? AS yet she is not an incor- porated city, but that position will probably be granted her during the next session of the legislature. Je- rome is proud of the big copper plant, of the rapid growth which has come to her in population and business and of the Verde valley, which stretches for miles below her and which admits of great possibilities. Only this year the Kirwagen & Haskell place, almost in sight, has produced apples alone that nettsd 5000 pounds, selling a.. from to 6 cents per pound, to say nothing of peaches, pears, grapes, melons and vegetables. The ra ch has contributed the bulk to this mar k5t, Prescott taking second place. Nickel & Nichols dairy has grown to be paying investment in nine months and there are others who draw largely upon Jerome, giving in return milk, fruits and vegetables. It is over three months since I paid the camp visit and I am tempted to repeat much that has been said, tor no camp in the ter r1tory offers a greater fund of good stuff," as we newspaper people ex- press it. 1 shall not discuss mining matters at this time, leaving that as windup and giving it place under. the usual head. What the town needs worse than anything Is ire protection, and why the property owners will wait to ''lock the stable door after the animals are gone," I cannot see. She has experienced two fires, but they were insignificant as compared with what is possible at any moment. The United Verde Copper company carries insurance, but the town people the insurance companies will mot touch with ten-foOt pole" The risk is too great. The business houses were never more heavily stocked and there are many more of them than was noted three years ago when I first saw Jerome. The copper compa will supply the water free for fire protec- tiOn when called upon, but there are, many who will not join hands in a proposition that means safety, hence the project is a dead letter While there is natural drainage, yet a sew age system is essential and it can be established at littel cost. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" and ithe quo ation applies to both of the propositions protec- tion and that of health. Street clean ing nesd not cost any firm or individ- ual business man over a dollar a month, but to do 1t properly conc5ri of action is necessary These remarks are made in all kindness, and 1t is hoped before I return in December that at least the first two prop ositions will be in force.
 Mary improvements are in progress and it can be said without fear of contradiction that no town in the ter ritory has made a.better showing in proportion to population than Jerome in regard to building, and it would be even better if the ground was avail able. The indications for 1898 are better than in 1897, and a few re- marks on this point will appear in a subsequent letter. Con O'Keefe com pleted Improvements to his store in October, involving an expenditure of s3,000. Mrs. Boyd's new three-stcry frame, now known as the St. Charles hotel, cost in the vicinity of S3,500. The lessees opened the house last month, or late in September An ad- dition was made recently to the Je- rome hotel involving an expense of S1 900. David Connsr entered in an agreement with a Chicago party to lease the two stores being put on to the Exchange building Conner oc- cupies. Conner had but $500 when he started to build the original store building in 1894. He will put $4,O00 into the added two stores of brick, which will be ready for occupancy, as the Hotel Chicago, on Christmas day. The company cottages and others of slightly appearance on the hill and below the county road, are numbered in the list of improvements. At least $40,000 will have been expended this year on buildings below the ct1 1per