Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1899-11-15

Mining in northern Arizona seems to be attended of late with many surprises, and pf all the transitory conditions to sacs one from a silver era of the earls days 10 distinctive gold and copper one of the present, the recent discovery of platinum on Cataract Creek intensifes the scene m this mineral zuns to such an ex- tent that the latest strike is simply bewllderlng. Another feature, too. is the accidental manner by which this precious mineral was run onto" and of one state that il a woman was at the bottom of 1t all, ' as shs has been in many instances where wealth has figured in one way or another, We trust there will be no reflection on her motives, other than that of the good she has sc- complished in this particular case of again making the sterner sex fall all over themselves in their greedy gallop for riches and renown.
 At Williams, the gateway to the new field of this minIIg excitement, there resides a charming lady by the name of Mrs. Hummer. When not occupied in house cleaning or simi- lar work. she devotes her time to literary pursuits, and principally ' those works which treat scientitical- ly of geology-or what the rugged Hassayamper vocabulary would term formation" matter. Attend ing the researches of this lady in en- tightening herself with that curios- Ity to see what was inside of every piece of rock or ore handled, she has also become somewhat of an expert assayer, and IS now and has been for some months past, duly recognized as an expert in the profession and, better than all else, her certi6cates S of assay were the efforts of muscle, and not the result of a squlnt at the sample, like so many men assayers are said to be guilty of.
 At any rate, Mrs. Hummer was entrusted with the care of a few ounces of porphyry and, with zeal ous regard of her trust, went right te work and fired up the furnace aud pulled out the mortar. Her patron wanted to know what was in. it, and when the cupel was drawn and the little button extract ed she submitted 1t to every con- ceivable treatment known to re- duction processes, and failure at tended every test. Neither nitric nor other stronger acids would phase the button. She resorted then to research in study, anu im- mediately imparted the result to firm of analytical chemists in Los Angeles. In a few days returns came back that the sample contain ed S2Ol.50 in platinum, $l5 in gold and 2l per cent aluminium.
 The discovery of these platinum beds took place over three months ago. Today reports from that vi- cinity are to the effect that wild rush is on and that every man in the town of Williams who could get on the ground has staked of a claim. The widest excitement prevails and there seems to be no doubt but what the discovery Is we'll founded one.
 The original locator is II. C.. Shsrpneck, an expert in the employ of Geo. r. Smith, banker of New York city. MT. Sharpneck was visitor in Prescott last spring, and while here took an option on some claims owned by R. J. Atkinson, of Iron Springs. He went from Pres colt to examine some copper claims on Cataract creek, and 1t was hile so engaged that he took samples f everything ID the line of formations there, that this wonderful discovery was due. In making locations of what seemed to him at the time to be copper claims, Mir. Sharpneck also included MT. Atkinson in one location. He writes to Mir. Atkin- son concerning the wonderful revela- tions of the discovery, including the certificates of assay and general in formation of the discovery from which We take the following:
 "I have just returned from Los Angeles and had three different samples asssyed, so 1 know there can be no doubt of the richness of the claims. The samples were taken from three claims in three different groups. That from the upper strata of six feet carries less than that from the strata below in the canyon' fifty