The Arizona sentinel., 1898-12-24
ALETTER FROM COL. BEAN.
He Writes About the AjO Copper
 Mines.

The following letter has been re- ceived by the Pick amd DriU from Colonel c. c. Bean, who is develop ing the Ajo copper mines in Yuma county:
 l bought steam hoist in Denver to go down 800 feet and the ma chinery 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 wiazes; the walls in admirable con- dition, after the suspension of operations for thirty years; lots of ore all around-brilliant peacock and sulphides-that make one smile. l am in blissful ignorance of what these long neglected beauties will divulge or betray in our future ac- quaintance, but am going to send them to the school of mines at the university of Arizona and shall expect that under the skillful mani pulation of my friend Professor Blake their character and attain ments 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 evident ly not the result of drainage, but were filled hy fowage, being not more than l20 feet below the sur face, which is good for ''starter." :" We are fifty miles from Gila Bend. and forty miles from Sentinel on the Southern Pacific railway, with trotting course all the way; how ever, not hut, hamlot 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 at the other, which ought to be variety enough to suit the taste of the most fastidious pioneer.
 It seems delightful to once more resume the pleasure of sleeping on the ground and gazing at the wonderous constellations as they majestieally march athwart the depths of space Of what use are watches and clocks, when one can determine the hour of night by a glance at the heavens and behold Jupiter's moons with the naked eye? Years ago when camped with Ike Bradshaw and Bill Randall, at the base of the Bradshaw noun tains, 1 had the pleasure of seeing three of Jupiter's moons My companions saw them likewise; and old Bradshaw-whose father was a Methodist preacher In North Caro- llna-having been reared meath the sanctuary, broke the silence of of our surroundings with the fervor of the old hymn sang at that time Tn all the churches Of the land:
 AS shepherds watched their focks
 by night,
 All seated on the ground -
 The angel of the Lord came down.
 And glory shown around"
 "There is no doubt about that whatever" said old Ike, "the glery 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 a glory we shall never see, EnIess we strike it rich" They are both under the sod; reth had crossed the plains with bull trains in '49, and had prospected the Pacific slop from British Columbia to the City of Mexico, but they have crossed the last plain that stretches between time and the unseen glory in which they believed.
 THE average amount of sickness in haman life is nine days out of