Mohave County miner., 1901-04-13

Two NnlnRS-but great Nthibu VI Ahc ult
which the famous Vulture mine yielded
in former days and the crude and
wasteful methods Of reduction which
we're then employed. What is said of
the Vulture workings is also true of
nearly all of the mines worked in Ari
IONA in the earlier days.
Although the territory was the last
section of the western part of the Uni
ted States to be pacified through the
subjugation of its bloodthirsty native
inhabitants, it is now coming to the
front by leaps and hounds as a mineral
producer little more than decade
since prospectors were unable to safely
explore its mountain ranges An arid
climate and lack of facilities for com
muuication added to the difficulties of
the miner. But no part of the Pacific
coast today, Alaska perhaps excepted,
is so promising as a future mineral pro-
Queer Until the last two or three
years all the mining done 10 the ter.
ritory was practically surface scratch
ing The famous Vulture mine near
Wickeuburg whose tailings are now be-
ing worked over for the fourth time
and which Is about to be reopened
after long period of idleness, has only
been mined to a depth of about 30 feet
But it is estimated to have yielded to
its former owners, Notwithstanding
their wasteful methods of mining, from
I6OOOOOJS to 2S,OOO,OOOS in gold, silver
and lead In all probability a fabulous
amount of wealth will be extracted
from it with modern methods aud APP
planes by the time it, lower levels
will have reached the depths attained
in California mines
One popularity about nearly all of
the mineral deposits in Arizona is that
the mineral bearing material occurs in
enormous bodies. The ore in these
massive veins often reaches one hun
/ dred feet in width, contains good val
ues throughout, and is in spots and
/ streaks immensely rich, running often
| into the tens Of Thousands of dollars to
/ the ton. The recently discovered gold
/ bearing ledge a few miles from Wicken-
burg is of this order. Mining opera.
tions are, therefore, conducted neces.
sarily on the most gigantic scale. The
number of men to be employed is
much larger than in the average gold
mine in California, and the big smell
tiers and reduction works attached to
most Of the larger properties operated
require an equally large number of
skilled workers.
The chief mineral products of the
territory are gold, silver and copper.
As producer If copper Arizona is fast
approaching Montana. A few years
hence it is likely to excel that state as
a red metal producer, for while the
latter's deposits are confined chiefly to
a small area, Arizona's copper lodes
crop out in almost every mountain
range covering hundreds of square
miles. 1avapal county alone has pro-
duced minerals worth 100 0,OJ0S.
Since 1888 the territory A. whole has
turned out about l,2))O00OJO pounds
of copper. 1t is undoubtedly richer in
silver than any other section of the
Pacific coast, aud along the banks of
the Colorado river is gold bearing
quartz which is fabulously rich. Rail.
roads are opening up the country.
Capital is being invested without stint
Water is being systematically con
served. Mining operations of the big.
gest kind are being started and ten
years hence Arizona will probably lead
the Pacific states in metal production.