Arizona republican., 1899-03-31

vestihule and office, and the building
 will be heated throughout with steam
 and lighted by electricity. Modern ideas will prevail in the plumbing and
 interior finishings. It is expected that
 the hotel will be opened about August 1 F Of this year.
 Within the corporate limits, even
 rCw, there are many good business
 blocks and buildings. Cornelius l O'Keefe has erected a three-story and | basement building of cement, said to
 De absolutely fire proof. David Con-
 nor has a large two-story brick block nearly completed; Hoover & Cordinec
 gre putting up a cement building sinIi-
 lar to the O'Keefe block, while the al-
 ready completed and tenanted Clink- | scales block, the Kuchler. the Munds,
 the Bradley, the Merrill block. as well
 a: :he Boyd building and the large fur 1 1iture warerooms of Sam Landon, line
 tie main street on either side. Me
 Tai land 6 Hooker, the Lanham Bros, Joseph Tamborino. and others, have | tuilt up the lateral streets substantial ". The sound of the hammer and saw is heard on every hand, and in short time the town will be built up more cOGpactly than eyer and with better class of structures.
 The finest block in Jerome will be
 the new Masonic hall in course of cree ton by the copper company. Like the
 new hotel it is to be of stone, iron, steel and brick The basement front ing the town will be rented as stores,
 and will have plate glass fronts and show windows. The ground floor is to
 be occupied by the T. F. Miller com pany with a stock of dry goods, cloth ing and general merchandise The second floor will be devoted to thea ter. with fully equipped stage, scenery, etc, and which can be utilized on oc- casion as a ball room and assembly
 hall. The third floor will be given over to the secret societies for lodge rooms. The fraternal societies are we'll represented in Jerome. There are local lodges of the Masons, Knights of Pythias, Odd fellows, Red Men, Work men and the Rathbcne Sisters. All are in fiourishing condition. The Ari- zona Grand Lodge Knights of Pythias is to hold its annual gathering at Je- rome next May.
 There is but one drawback to the growth of Jerome-the scarcity of available sites for new buildings. The town is perched up on a side hill, par ticularly the residence portion, level ground is scarce, and grading expens- i've. Most of the residences and not few of the store buildings are level with road or trail on one side, and perched upon stilts on the other.
 SOCIAL SIDE OF LIFE.
 It has become the thing to call Je- rome a mining camp" The term is a misnomer. This phrase gives a false conception of the community. The popular mind uttered by the tales of Bret Harte has come to believe a min ing camp to be place where there is no law but that of might; where every thing is wide open;" where female virtue is so rare an exotic that it's dis covery is a signal for general fiesta; where money is scattered right and left, drinking and gambling the con ventional relaXations, the popping of pistols of hourly occurrence and where human life is of less value than the scantily filled hide O. cayuse.
 Jerome is in no sense of the term mining camp" While there are a few placer mines in the vicinity, no- tably in the Cherry creek district, no gold is being taken cut in quantities to attract those classes that have made Dyea and Skaguay infamous. In all it's aspects Jerome more nearly resem- bles one of those towns in PennSylva- mia which gather around the immense iron mills and refineries close to the coal fields. It is a seven days and seven nights week camp. Theoreti cally the big smelter never shuts down. is much the same as any other day of the week. Its population is composed of wage earners, not spec ulators or gold hunters.
 There is no jail in Jerome, nor has there been one since the last fire, and the need of one is not vividly apparent. While there are many saloons there Is little drunkenness to be seen. The men are either very moderate or else they are we'll seasoned.
 The personnel of the white men em- ployed at the plant ranks very high. They are quiet, orderly sober, intelli- gent and thrifty class of workmen. Many have been here for years, and own property which brings in hand some rents Most of them have come 1ere from the east and have their fam lies with them.
 When accommodations offer there is ln abundance of social life. Balls, pri- rate functions amateur theatricals, gatherings, and social affairs If public and private character enliyen / he isolation from the outer world. / When the new theater is in readiness, [ will be the means of attracting trav-i ling companies to Jerome, and wherf If merit they are always well patron zed
 The average wages earned byI the gorkmen is doubtless higher than in my community in Arizona, if not in II the west, and the cost of living is lso probably higher. Skilled} labor eceives splendid remuneration, and hat class appears to be prosperous and yell content. The ''boleta% has never nade it's appearance inl)Jerome, and ever will so long as w A. Clark uides the destinies offhe copper ccm- any While that company runs carding house close to the works, no is used to force employees Q patronize it It is the same in re-