Arizona republican., 1901-09-21
LA CANANEA AND BIsBEE
An Interesting Letter Distriptive of
 Big Mining Operations.

A-t Oatiai-tt sOilor.i. MeNico. sept lS. 1!-l.-tSpe cia! Cores oondence os the Republican, This summer has wit ness4d a scene of great activity in the mining districts of southeastern Ari- zona and. norihern Mexico. The ex- pcnditures on deveiopnent work haze been greater perhaps than in any pre- vicus ySar and the movement for better facilities and appliances has been gem eral throughout the district The enterprise of greatest moment has been and Is that of the Cananea ConsoliSa:- ed Copper company. whose mines and shelter plant is generally we'll known. are situated in the La Cananea group of mountains. some 40 miles south Of Naco. the border city.
 An expenditurs of slightly over $7 7.5oO for freightage from Naeo to the mines induced the Greene peorie. t. build standard guage road in to their plant. To obtain a concession for such pro- position under the Mexican law, they are compelled to connect with some seaport within the republics domain. SO San Jorge has been selected as the destination of the road. Between Naco and the mines all of the location and nearly all the construction work HAS DctH cOAipActeu of track is laid. A party of engineers IS now in the field at tf1e other end the line which will be completed from the coast to save a long continental rail haul of construction material The old Dominion. another property of this company come GO miles from the coast. will be connected with this through line and it is chiefly to create an outlet for that mine. that the work is being pushed from that end. It .s understood that first reserve of ss00.- GOO has been set aside for use on this work.
 At the mines rapid progress is being made toward completing the narrow gauge road which hauls the ore into the shelter. Three miles of track has been laid and this much of the line fig now .T operation supplying ore from the larg est mine. Grading on the balance Of the line is nearing completion, but as the work is all side hill and in a tough rock formation it is not hoped to have tte full line in running order before Christmas This narrow gauge will be nine milss in length and connect the smelter with six different ore produc- ing shafts.
 At the smelter improvements are go- ing on apace. Another Mitchell hot blast furnace is now in operation and three more are ordered to be erected as fast as possible. This will make a battery of six furnaces of the largest and latest pattern which will have a daily capacity of nearly s25.0Qo. \ large new pattern fue-dust brick maker is now enabling the company ta utilize all the rich fiue dust entirely. which was previously very crudely handled and with great waste. This means quite a saving to this plant as a large percentage of this dust runs some 65 per cent copper. A magnffi- cent new power house is now in course of construction and when completed will stand as one of the best plants il. the southwest. The machinery and building foundations are all of solid stone masonry and the plant will be of capacity equal to supplying air pres sure to the smelter as well as electric power to light the works. the camp and all the mines. Wires are now being strung to carry electrrc force anu lighting power to all of the mines. whose shafts and main tunnels and drifts will be provided with incan- descent lamps The facilities for slar dumping are being improved. the troi- ley line being changed and extended having been ordered.
 Relative to the mines it can truly Ec said that the work is now far beyond the prospecting stage as is witnessed by these many and heavy expenditures in Improvements. Undoubtedly the Cananeas are destined to be among the first on the list of the worlds greatest copper producers. as a trip oyer the properties will soon convince any one.
 The ores generally will reach a high CT percentage in copper than those of the Copper Queen at Bisbee. although they will not run as high in gold and silver as side products. The ore now being smeited will average well up 70 14 per cent and litt'e better although in view of the expense of wagon haul ing and the prospects of soon nsins the railroad. enormous quantities Of easily worked lower grade ores have been dumped awaiting frture developments. All the workable ores will be used as plans are now out for q concentrating -afII ~oon ta ba rnn o1 and rhrOiizh