Arizona republican., 1898-12-16
A LETTER FROM COL. BEAN
He Writes About inc HjO Copper
 Hines.

The following letter has been re-
 ceived by the Pick and Drill from Col
 orel c. c. Bean, who is developing the Ajo copper mines in Yuma county: | I bought a steam hoist in Denver to go down 500 feet and the machinery is
 at the depot here and shall get it into
 the Ajo Basin in about two weeks.
 We have inspected and surveyed 40
 acres of mineral ground on the surface
 and underneath, and have found the
 old underground workings extensive
 and very interesting. Some 700 feet of
 tunnels, drifts and winZeS; the walls
 in admirable condition, after the sus-
 pension of operations for thirty years;
 lots of ore all around-brilliant pea
 cock and sulphides-that make one
 smile. I am in blissful ignorance of
 what these long neglected beauties will ] ldivulge or betray in our future acquain-
 tance, but I am going to send them to
 the school of mines at the university
 of Arizona and shall expect tha. under the skillful manipulation of my friend
 Professor Blake their character and attainments will prove to be of the highest order. We have found two small oval ponds, in our explorations, and are satisfied that living water will be found with further depth, as these little reservoirs are evidently not the result of drainage, but were filled by floWage, being not more shan 120 feet below the surface, which is good for a starter" We are fifty miles from Gila Bend, and forty miles from Sentinel on the Southern Pacific railway, with a trotting course all the way; however, not a hut, hamlet nor human "critter' is met with between us and civilization. At one end is heard the screech of the locomotive, and the howl of the coyote a. the other, which ought to be variety enough to suit the taste of the most fastidious pioneer
 It seems delightful to once more re- sume the pleasure of sleeping on the ground and gazing at the wondrous cancellations as they majestically march athwart the depths of space. Of | what use are watches and clocks, when 1 one can determine the hour of night l by a glance at the heavens and behold Jupiter's moons with the naked eye? | Years ago when camped with Ike Brad | shaw and Bill Randall, at the base of l the Bradshaw mountains, | had the | pleasure of seeing three of Jupiter's My companions saw them like wise; and old Bradshaw-whose father was a Methodist preacher in North Notwithstanding been reared meath the sanctuary, broke the silence of our surroundings with the fervor of that old hymn sang at that time in all the churches of the land
 "As shepherds watched their f1ocks by
 night,
 All seated on the ground
 The angel of the Lord came down.
 And glory shown around
 There is no doubt about that what ever,'' said old Ike, 'fthe glory shown around and they saw it as plain as we see Jew Peter and his moons, and them fellers were not prospectors like Us; they were sheep herders, and they saw the same stars that we see. But they saw glory we shall never see. unless we strike it rich.' They are OC;5h under the sod; both had crossed he plains with bull trains in '49. and mad prospected the Pacific slope from British Columbia to the City of Mexico, { put they have crossed the last plain hat stretches between time and the lnseen glory In which they believed. 1