Arizona republican., 1901-08-01

Mines and Minerals of Arizona /:


The mineral development of the Min eral creek region which has been hith- erto retarded by the delegation of ex- ecutive and expert work to inexperi- enced men, promises to open up next fall in lively manner. Formations similar to the old Dominion and the United Globe of the Globe distrio. which is at the head of the Mineral creek region, have been discovered in the region of the Ray copper mines. and that old property itself will likely be put on the list of producers next win ter It has fallen into the hands of the Lewlsohns of New York, whose agent at Tucson is Zeckendoif. The Lew isohn Bros. are perhaps the greatest purchasers of copper ir the world. Their acquisition of the Ray and a number of other copper properties in various parts of the country recently indicate that they are deslrous of conn bining production wlh consumption, saving for themselves the profits which other copper companies receive when they purchase of them their matte and bullion.
 The failure of the Ray mines thus far Is ascrlbed to the inexperience of En- glish agents sent here from Europe by the Ray Copper Mines company, Linn tied, a British corporation which ex- pended nearly a million dollars in equipping their Arizona properties. Young bon vivants sent here to direct the operations of the mine squandered thousands of dollars on club houses, golf links, libraries, wines and all things available that go to make up a life of luxury in metropolitan city. Mexican employees, emulating as nearly as possible the example of their em- ployers, filled up regularly upon the most obnoxious varieties of red wine, and with the combined efforts of em- p!oyers and employees pendemonium was as frequent as mineral develop ment. An immense amount of digging in the ground was performed, however, and we'll posted mining men say that tremendous bodies of ore--low grade. but capable of profitable treatment un- der experienced rnanageinent--have been uncovered. A big concentrating plant. reduction works and a large amount of machinery were put in, the most of which have been found worth less for the treatment of the character of ores found in the Ray mines.
 The English people forming the Ray Copper Mines company, Limited were interested in the famous Rio Tlnto mines Of Spain, and the only theory that can be framed accounting for the lack of precaution on the part of these capitalists to employ skilled and com petent agents Is their own ignorance of the things prerequisite to successful mining and an overtiowing exchequer from the copper vaults of the Spanish mines. The effect of the English fail ure was demoralizlng in London to an attempt by American mining men 10 form English stock companies for the development of Arizona mines, not wlths. anding the fact that the proper ties of the Detroit Copper company at Morenci are owned l,y members of a stock company, who stand very good chance of becoming rich by the dlvi- dends of that company which had it's birth in speculation and long chance.
 In the neighborhood of the Ray mines are great number of copper lead, gold and silver prospects, and many. and in fact nearly all. the prospects show a combination of the metals. A few of them are being developed slowly but steadily. Reports have come in from several companies which promise to de- velop copper holdings of more or less importance. The Troy Copper company, under the management of Chas. H. Cut ting, the Manhattan Copper company. with Barney, Martin & Co. In charge and the Kennedy Bryan syndicate. are three prominent instances. Another is the Arizona Copper Mountain com pany. composed largely Of Minnesota capitalists Captain P. P. Parker, the representative in this city, says:
 "The surface indications on our prop- erty point to vein of about 200 feet In width. A tunnel started on the east slope of the mountain and now In 75 rect has exposed the usual conglomer- ate formation, carrying copper carbon ates and oxides, which is taken in that district as an indication of a perman- ent deposit We are installing track and ore cars''