The Tucson citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Ariz.) 1901-1928, 1902-02-19
Douglas on the Boom
Large Reduction Works

DOUGLASS. Ariz. Feb. 19.-The de-
cision OF the Phelps-D Dodge Company
to locate cir smelling and reduction
plant at this place. which is twenty
eight miles southeast OF Bisbee. Is
more than of passing Importance to
this town and in connection with the
construction OF the railroad. it has
caused a great boom. A great deal of
building is going on and lots in the
center of town are held at high fig
ure. One man who purchased small
lot for $3.50 less than amonth ago
was offered $4,000 for the same prop
erty but refuses to sell it for less than
S.. 200.
1t is predicted that this town will
become the commercial center of the
surrounding districts and that the rail-
road and smeiter will give an impetus
i to operations in the neignooring min
! ing districts. A large number of pros
| pectors are securing the surrounding
| country for promising prospects, and
many new claims are being taken up
daily. The country around Douglass
is said to be well mineralized and the
| lodges contain rich veins of copper.
although they run low in silver and
gold. Owing to the previous difficulties
of transportation, the shipments of
ore from this country have been very
| light, but large quantities nave been
mined and are piled on the dump. AS
soon as the new road Is ready to
handle all classes of freight 1t Is anti
cipated that large shipments will be
made.
Superintendent Douglass of the Cop
per Queen Company has gone to New
York, where he will close up for the
machinery to be used at the smelter
Plans for the smelter are now being
drawn and Surveyors are now in the
field, one mile west OF Douglass, max
ing calculations and when they are
completed, men wi.l be put to work
excavating for the foundations. The
smelter as it Is now planned will have
daily capacity of about fifteen hun
dred tons Of ore, with the plant ar
ranged in such a manner that 1t can
be enlarged when necessary. The pro-
poseu plant will De used for the treat
ment of refractory ores and shipments
will ne made 10 this point from all OF
the plants of the Phelps-Dodge Com
pany. This place was selected for the
smelter on account Of it's location and
water supply. rhe plant will not be
ready for operation until late next win
ter.
Phelps-Dodge and company have de-
nounced over fifty additional pertin-
ances adjoining their mining property
in Sonora. The mines IN the State of
Sonora, just below Douglass are ex-
ceedingly rich. AS an instance of the
vast size of some of the lodges, the
Moctezuma Copper Company at Ma
cosari is wording a vein 100 feet wide.
An English. syndicate has been organ
lied with a capital stock of $50 900
for the purpose Of operating mines
in Sonora. but ashort distance from
the International boundary line. 1t
is proposed to begin work at an early
date. The company now has a repres-
entative in Sonora looking over the
field and they propose to make their
headquarters at Douglass.
Samuel e. Harding, a mining expert,
representing Topeka, Kans., capitalists,
was recently in Sonora, where he made
several investments in mining proper
ties for the men he represents. He
secured number Of claims In the
immediate vicinity of the MocteZuma
Copper Company's mines. He has now
gone back to Topeka to arrange for
the development of the property winch
he has recently purchased.
The outlook Is bright for large city
here when the new reduction works
are completed and all the enterprises
now under way are carried out. Prop
erty here Is on the jump and a num-
Der of business men are coming in
from other places and establishing
business houses here.
For wedding, birthday and house