Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1902-04-02
MINES AND MINING.


 Val Verde, by the addition of ten stamps, and another engine to run them with. Five more Wilhey con centrators will also be added.
 The company which recently pur- chased the New Year mine in Big Bug district is installing large hoisting plant on the property and will have it in operation soon. Just as soon as it is completed a large force will be employed in the develop ment of the mine.
 The force of miners at Congress are said to be increasing every day and the prospect good for full force of men very soon. The mill has never been closed down for an hour since the strike has been inaugurated. It is the intention of Superintendent Staunton to keep it in operation if pos sible, but he is firm in his determina- tion that he will not yield to the unions demands, even if the entire property has to be closed down for months.
 The Chicago Mining Review says: "Mining instinct is the one indispen- sable requisite in the profession. With it a man is almost sure of sue cess; without it he is hopeless fail ure. From time to time, especially across the water, discussions arise as to who is a mining engineer and who not, how you can tell an engineer when you see one, and so on. There is no rule and it is impossible to make one. Often a man with 10 edu- cation and no pretense of being an engineer will make a commercial sue cess of a mine in which a technically educated mine has failed. Often a lessee takes hold of mine after an engineer has given it up, and makes big mine out of an abandoned prop erty. To be mining engineer it is necessary to have more than an edu- cation. To be a credit to the profes- sion, one must have, in addition to education and instinct, an infinite ca pacity for hard work. No school of mines can teach the two latter and this is why so many mining school graduates fail as practical mining men. The following rule has been given by which to detect spurious engineer: When a man parades around in high boots, flannel shirt and corduroy suit, uses long words where short ones will do, and tries generally to lead people to believe that he is the only man who knows anything about mining, and that all others are mere uneducated asses, then you may know that that man is not an engineer, never will be an en- gineer, and is a fraud.
 The Fl Paso smelter will be in operation by the middle of April, and will employ 900 men. It IS one of the largest smelters in the world.
 Senator Clark of Montana, from the committee on mines and mining, on Thursday favorably reported the bill already passed by the house amend ing the act for the protection of lives of miners in the territories. The bill provides that owners or managers of every coal mine at depth of 100 feet or more shall provide an adequate amount of ventilation of not less than S3 l3 cubic feet of pure air per sec oud for every fifty men at work in the mine, and in like proportion for a greater number.
 The bill as reported to the senate strikes out the house provision that workings shall be kept clear of stand ing gas, and also strikes out the pro vision that workings shall be kept clear of standing gas, and also strikes out the provision that all owners shall employ shot firers to fire shots once a day when the mine is in oper- ation, but they shall not be fired un- til all other employees shall have been hoisted ont of the mine. Violation of these acts constitutes a misde- meanor.
 The report of the discovery of a large bed of saltpeter in Fl Paso county has been widely sent out to newspapers and has interested capi- tai outside of Texas. As a result the reported deposits are to be thor oughly investigated under state su peryision. State Land Commissioner Charles Rogan at Austin has received scores of letters from people in all parts of the United States during the past several days, making inquiry concerning this reported discovery of a vast body of saltpeter. In order to obtain further information concerning this deposit of saltpeter Land Com missioner Rogan has instructed State Land Agent J. D. Siator to proceed at once to Fl Paso county and make a thorough investigation of it's extent and character. He is expected here the latter part of this week. Land Commissioner Rogan also received letter from a person in Birmingham, Ala, making inquiry concerning the discovery and stating that if the re- port was true he desired to purchase 10000 acres of land in that section of the state.-El Paso Times.
 Ed Block had a successful trip to San Francisco on business connected with the Merchants Mining company. He says the condition of the company is excellent at present and the mine is looking better than ever. He ex- poets to lave tomorrow or next day for New York on a business trip for the company and expects to be able pretty soon to put up mill for work ing the ore. The development of the mine at present and the amount of ore in sight will justify the erection of mill.
 Under date of March 24 the Mod ern Copper Mining company issued the following circular to its stock holders: During the last month number of mining experts have vis- ited and examined the property of the Modern Mining company. among whom were w. M. Evans of the Cop per Queen Mining company, R. w. Murphy, formerly an Arizona miner, but now ma;,a,rr of the New York store @. We iieriord, Texas; and on their recommendation of the same we have paced large lots of our stock. Mir Eyans says in his written report: In my judgment 400-foot shaft with r oper crosscuttings and driftings will develop bonanza that will go down Niih the history of the territory of Ariscna, which will throw millions ct dc;i .s in the channels of trade, ant -, mployment to many who ac- ok for situations Mir.