The Washington times., 1901-07-07
RICH STRIKES In ARIZONA.
Reports of Fabulous Discoveries
Credited by Experts.

Two Zones Which Are Said to Con-
tain Nearly All the Ores KNOWN to
Man - WickenburE. New Gold
Camp, Now the Centre of Activity.
| PHOENIX, Ariz. July 6.-At no time
in the history of mining in the South
west has there been rush into field
which has equaled in volume the present
influx Of miners and capital to a great
| recently discovered district in central and
| western Arizona. Explorations being
made through the country north and far
| northwest of Phoenix are disclosing a
| wonderful rich mineral territory; so rich
! in fact, that reports coming from there
! are apparently of a fabulous nature were
| they not borne out by conservative min
ing men in the district. From Wicken-
burg and the Congress mine, for 125 miles
! west clear to the Colorado River, and for
many miles southwark, lies this great
area, which until now has been virtually
an unknown land to the white man.
Without a doubt the dryest and most
! desolate land in the United States, and
| until a few years ago the home of rowing
| bands of fierce Apaches it has been given
! a wide berth by the prospector few
| daring gold seekers occasionally ven
| tured TO explore its trackless wastes OF
desert. totally devoid of verdure and wa
ter but the majority fell victims to hun
ger and thirst or the quicker action OF
the Apache bullet At various times dar-
ing prospectors have found traces of gold
and copper in great quantities, but the
inaccessibility of the region has prohibit
ed thorough exploration.
Since the great strikes Of gold made
near Wickenburg three months ago new
In he
country, and, backed by Eastern capital,
expeditions into the district are being re-
warded by discoveries of a remarkable
nature. Unusually heavy rains and snow
in the mountains have lightened the task
and put water in portions of the desert,
where that most necessary of all things
to the miner has rot been seen for years.
There are two distinct mineral bearing
zones in Arizona. These zones run nearly
parallel through the whole Territory, eX-
tending into Utah and Nevada on the
north and Mexico on the south, each vary
ing from five to $50 miles in width, and
containing within these limits all the we'll
known minds of Arizona. The eastern
zone follows the line of the Tushar Noun
tains. south in Utah. passing west OF the
San Francisco Mountains in Arizona, and
included in this zone are the celebrated
Crown King in the Bradshaws, and far
ther south the rich copper mines around
Globe, and south via Tombstone and Bis
bee. into Mexico.
The western zone takes in the De la
Mar gold mines in Nevada, and farther
south, the Chloride mines above Kinee
man, the Contact group. and the old
Crown Silver mines, near blackberry; the
Hillside and Copper Creek, on the head
of the Bill Williams River and all the
well-known mines along that river, and,
farther south in Yuma County, the Har-
cuvar and Harqua Hala. Also in this dis
trict are the Congress, (which lately sold
for s., ,000, ,0O0 and all of the wonderful dis
coveries near Wickenburg and northern
Maricopa County.
In both Of these zones, and traced by
the same formations, as well as by va
riety of minerals, each contains nearly all |
of the ores known to man.
The geological is largely sedimentary. |
also metamorphic. Dikes that have been |
forced through the upper formation, by |
subterraaean forces fitting the shales, are |
in some instances nearly perpendicular. |
Very large deposits of iron and lime are |
seen along the entire length of these |
zones.
1t is the southwestern portion OF the |
western zone that is now being explored |
and only the vastness Of the area to be |
covered prevents a semblance to an eX- |
cited rush. hundreds of prospecting !
parties have gone into the region within |
the past sixty days, and hundreds OF /
others are now Quitting for that pur-
pose.
Two years ago A w Warwick, repre-
senting strong English syndicate, or |
ganiZed an exploring party and went into |
the Bill Williams district, and Santa 1
Maria region, adjoining. Desert Indians |
had reported enormous values, and they /
We're frequently seen going into Yuma
and other towns with bags Of gold after |
trips into those remote parts. Warwick 5 /
party spent thousands Of dollars in the
examination, and returned to civilization |
with glowing accounts Of the natural
wealth Of the isolated desert. The cOun-
try they said, is literally checked with
Iodes. and the diversity of minerals is
remarkable. Copper, gold, and silver are
present everywhere. The lodges cropping /
on the surface, showing almost pure lead,
are plentiful.
The Indians. zealously adhering 70 their
commandments, spoke Of cJun-
try of remarkable wealth. but they re-
fused to define the location, as according
TO their theory Of theology, their pass
ports to the happy hunting grounds would /
be Cancelled If they aided the whites in re-