Arizona republican., 1898-10-12
ABOUT TIE VERDE.
The Great Copper Mine Was Once Condemned.
John Parish. inc Noted Expert. Ad-
 Not 10 Purchase If.

Senator Alexander Benham Of Los Angeles spent yesterday in Phoenix re- newing old acquairtances. The sena- tor was seen by Republican reporter at the Ford last night just before his departure for Tucson, and he talked Interestingly of his travels in Arizona in the days of the Tombstone excite ment
 T came to Arizona first in 1884" said the senator. My first visit to the territory was with John Parish, whom l had engaged to examine for me what is now the United Verde mine. We spent some time there together, and MT Parish made a careful examina- ton of the mine and the adjacent min eral country. He condemned the Unit ed Verde, and relied upon his juds- ment and did not purchase the prop erty, although I had the money with which to pay for it. If I had known as much of mining then as I do now the United Verde would have bsen mine. I have since become familiar with the property through many long visits with MT. W. A. Clark, the owner, at his home in Montana He is very proud of the property. I hsar mining men speak of the ledge of the Verde There is no ledge there, and there never was one. On the surface there were large number of small stratas which lead from the surface to the great deposit in the heart of the noun tain. These stringers were sent out merely to invite the prospector's pick. You hear the ledge of the Verde vari- ously estimated at from 250 to 800 feet dn width. There is, as a matter of fact, no end to the great deposit or zone up to the present development of the mine The expression, there is a mountain of it, which you often hear Tn the hills, can be applied to the Verde with impunity. It Is without ques- tion the biggest mine in the world. If it were more favorably located it would today be a greater copper pro ducer than the Calumet and Hecla-
 Mir. Clark says the Verde will be- come the greatest producer in the world. As fast as he can build ground with slag he will add new smelting fa- cilities. What has become of John Parish? He travels on the coast and in Colorado and Nevada, and has the reputation of being a very icompetent mining expert"
 Senator Benham was in Tombstone Ill tuc I1C UC1iCsOS tAdI Tombstone will become an important camp again some day. You heard, , said he, "of the project to open up the deep workings on the Comstock lode? Well, the Tombstone mines will be opened up in the same way. There seems to be no end to the possibilities in deep mining Tombstone will be a tstter camp some day than it ever was"
 When asked his opinion about the recent discoveries in Arizona in the desert regions he said: There will be new strikes in these desert hills fre- quently Arizona is but part of the great mineral zone which traverses the western side of this continent There are many lodes yet hidden which the action of time with its erosive winds and floods will denude. Any person travelling in the desert regions can see that the formation of the mountains and hills are susceptible to this ten- dency on tho part of the elements. The blind leads will have to give up their gold some day. This accounts for the discoveries we hear of in the desert hills, to my mind
 Senator Benham will return to Phoenix in a few weeks when he will take a trip to the mines in Castle Greek. district.