Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-12-20
Opening Of a New Min
ing Camp.
GREAT COPPER STRIKE
Phoenix Citizens are the Owners of
Copper Claims Which Promise
Rich Returns and the Develop
ment Of Which May Give Mari
copa County One of the Largest
Copper Claims in Arizona.

Desert Camp, Dec. 17.-(Special cor
respondence of The Republican Here
| the desert calm is broken from early
morn until dark by the heavy artillery
of the miners who are making a con-
certed and vigorous attack upon the
| treasure vaults of the earth. The crust
is being shaken by the dynamite blasts,
shafts and tunnels follow the rich veins
of ore to the depths where nature holds
the richest reward, and on all sides new
camps are appearing in the hills to
mark an era of pronounced activity
This desert camp is located Immediate
ly on the firing line. The earth seems
to have contracted a nervous chill for
| it is shaking violently as I write. Its
power of resistance grows weaker, and
the miners are fast breaking into the
vaults where are stored the unknown
wealth of the world.
The desert camp is the home of
| Charles P. Pierson, superintendent of
/ the Desert Copper group, and his assis-
tants-a new and interesting copper
! strike which is a product of the desert.
Unlike some strikes that have been
made on the desert this one is remark
able in the character of the ore found
and the abundance of the surface pro-
duct. The mineral zone which con-
| tains the desert group is one of the
| richest in promise I have seen. The
! surface points dnIsistakaby to
wealth of copper below. Not only are
the well known marks apparent every
where, but, as if afraid these might
be overlooked by the prospector, nature
/ has unveiled portions of rich veins and
/ left a most alluring spectacle to entice
the miner into the mysteries below
! where these rich specimens found their
/ source.
1t is not strange, then, that men like
| Captain ]. G. Evans, Thomas E. ,Dal-
ton and James C. Glanville of Phoenix
are enthusiastic over this newborn in
the family of mines. 1 had frequently
heard of the desert group from mining
men, and this was the first camp to
attract me in my pilgrimage to the
! Castle creek country.
The gentlemen mentioned, VINO are
the owners of the desert group, have
reason to place confidence in their
properties. La Count writes that the
best copper mines are found wearing
an iron hat. The desert group chal-
| lenges all comers on the style of it's
dicer and wears a porphyritic smile on
! it's face as well.
There are nine claims in the desert
group, which bear the following
| Desert Boy" phoenix Boy" "Phoe-
nix Girl" Dalton" RED Top" Iron
Cap Great Eastern" There is also
mill site which is located under the
name Desert Boy owing to its prox-
unity to the mining claim bearing that
name. The development of the claims
has barely begun. All told there is no
more than two hundred feet of work.
This is taken up by open cuts which
strip the outcroppings of the veins, and
shafts sunk to determine the pitch and
width of the mineral bearing stratas.
The Desert Boy" and Desert Beauty
claims have been given the most at
tention. The former has considerable
width of vein matter exposed, and rich
ore has been taken out of an open cut.
\ shaft is being sunk also. The Desert
Beauty has a vertical shaft fifty feet.
The dip of the ore is plainly marked in
the sides of the shaft, presenting a
face of seven feet. The shaft goes on
down in search of a wall, but at the
present depth this has not been en-
countered. A drift will probably be
run to tap the ore chute at this verti-
cal depth, and thus open up stopping
area of considerable value.
The strike of the mineral is north
west and southeast, and this desert
zone can be traced for a long distance.
The borders of the zone are marked by
the side monuments of the claims
which have been located by the Phoe-
nix gentlemen, and prospect holes driv-
en- in to ascertain the exact width of
the zone. The undulations of the des-
ert hills frequently open up the mineral
and show the width of the lodges. Here
and there are rich veins exposed by the
process of erosion, lifting their richly