Arizona republican., 1899-09-27
EARLY FROSPECT0Rs.
The Beginning Of History in the Je-
 rome Dist-iet.

MT. G. V. Kell Of PayScn spent IW-
 CT three days .-f las. week f1 Jei' me
 the guest Of his niece. Mrs. F. w HOW
 ard MT. Kell is probably one O. thf
 be:,t posted men in the territory, s fa1
 as the history of the Verde mining dis
 tr:ct is concerned. and speaks mos el'
 tertainingly of incidents thas occurred
 here over a quarter Of a century ago
 says the Jerome Reporter.
 In 1852. MT. Kell left Henderson
 Kentucky, for California. and was ir
 time to share in the rich gold fou11 OF
 the headwaters of Feather river. He
 prospected for twenty years through
 California, Nevada and Idaho, and
 finally in 1875 found his way to Pres
 colt, thence to Jerome, since which time he has traversed every f-i-'5 of
 ground in the Verde district, and ha- to his credit a partnership in locations of what is thought to be the best min ing properties in this district.
 In May, 1875, the government moved the Indians from the neighborhood of Cottonwood tc, Camp Verde, the SOL disrs abandoned their adobe buildings on the HaskeIl-Kirwage ranch, first removing all the doors, windows and in fact, all the woodwork to their new station. In July Of the same year
 Q875) Mir. Kell came over from Pres cctt and purchased what is now the Haskell-kirwdge gen ranch for $500 where he made his home for seven years. His arrival was before the old est settlers now in the valley had put in their appearance, and in fact before any family: had taken up their home. On the Verde.
 The ranch received some attention flQm MT. Kell, but the greater part of his. timsi was devoted to prospecting the mountains about Jerome.
 In 1876 Mir. Kell discovered strange horses in the valley and set cut to find their owners. Near what is now the Jordan ranch he came upon John ODoughterty, who conducted him to camp. where te found Captain Boyd and Ed ODougherty. This party was cut prospecting. well equipped to carry on their searches in an intelligent and systematic manner. John O'Dcugherty was a skilled assayer, and had with him an assaying outfit. Ed O'Dough- erty was a medical student-it does not appear that he ever held a diploma and looked after the health of the lit tie band. The captain had the experi- ence.
 
 spirits. a partnership was formed and the four worked in harmony as long as they remained in this locality.
 camp was made in Deception gulch where W. w. Nichols now lives Cap tain Boyd looked after the camp; MT AeH made a trip to Camp Verde every week for the mail, and supplied fresh meat for the quartette; the O'Dough- erty boys devoted all of their time to locating claims and making assays of ore found. In connection here it may ba said that a mining district was or ganized, the captain was chosen pTesi- dent and MT. Kell recorder.
 The first lcdsdions were the Chrome and Azurite, now part of MT. Clark United Verde property, valued at mil lions. Copper at that time was 1i0t in as great demand as in this age of elec- Iricity-silyev was what they were af- ter principally, and for that reason they placed a greater value On the Chrome and AZurite. The Cliff was also located; the Equator was thought ! well Of by them at that time, as is wit messed by the recording of three paral- ] Tel claims, covering the property n0w known as the Copper Chief and the 1 Iron King. The Oak and Nellie were i two of these claims. The locations by i John Duke and the JoTdans came some | time later. but Of these more anon.
 The United Verde property was held i by the fcur partners until 1882, whs1 l it was sold to Tr;tla, Thomas & Co. i for $15, 900, and they erected a thirty l ten smelter and operated it for enc | year, when they struck the copper suI- phate they could do nothing with 1t ] and so closed down the plant, tc' re- | main so about eighteen months, when i Mir. Clark appeared Cn the scene with | J. L. Giroux. The history Of the mine i from 1884 the time MT Clark gct it, i is too well known to need repetition | here
 There was no doubt in the minds Of the four men who located the United Verde mine that it was well known 10 the early inhabitants of this section, the Je9uits. These early miners drove a tunnel cn the Chrome 160 feet; a twenty-foot level was dug then drop Of four feet was taken. and 50 on throughout the 160 feet Tn a niche in the tunnel a cedar cross was fCund-the basis for the Jesuit story also ICck Hammers, axes, stc. The supIoSition is that the smeiting was d-ne at the river
 At the time this. hardy band Of pros DectCr5 came to Jerome there were ID "a miles in the valley. The Br;stows. and Wingfelds came from southern states two years later. At he expiration cf seven years a lew lCuses d-tted the vallay and Mc. Kcll 'ound that he Oould not breath well in .bei populous section. sold his ranch to John Goodwin for s1 1.500, and made his way to the TCnto Basin country, where le says a fellow has plenty of pure air with which to fill his lungs
 John O'DcU2heIty went to England 9 interest capital in mining property, md died there. Ed, CT Doe as he vas known, died in the Tonto country 1r. Kall and Captain Boyd each have cations in the Tontol Basin country, sd take as keen an interest in mining $ they did when they came to Jerome h l. t