Arizona republican., 1902-05-01
Mines and Minerals ef Arizona
THE JEROME DISTRICT
A Colorado Exper Says It Is the Best
 Ever.

J. M. Ross Of Boulder. Colorado. who has been here for some months. coming to Arizona for relief from asthma, has returned from Q visit to Jerome. Mir Ross is a mining expert of many years experience and his opinion of the Jer- ome district could not be better He says he has seen some big mining camps in his day but he does not recall that it has ever been his privilege to inspect reduction works where everything w-s so nicely arranged and in such perfect order as at the United Verde and where there seemed to be such an ineXhauStible supply of rich ore. Better still the necessary 1luXes are found right on the property. and even they return q percentage of val ues that pays for their handling. He did not try to go through the mine. as the rules are well known, but he did make careful note of the surface indi- cations. not only on the United Verde but on the adjoining properties. And what those indications mean when de- veloped is already well known to the public now familiar with what the United Verde is producing.
 He was asked regarding the ledges or copper deposits in the section and said that there is great difference of opinion as to the formation of the country, whether the mineral lies in lodges or in vast deposits, and if the mineral is in ledge formation at all the ledge must be a mile long. Along the mineral zone are several big properties in course of development. Next to the United Verde and on the other side of the same hill is the proeprty of the Venture Hill which has been closed down for a few months but on which operations will begin again shortly. Next to that the Black Hills and Dec atur companies are sinking as fast as possible with excellent shOwings. Then comes the TreadWell, where with 400 feet of work a ledge 49 feet wide is in evidence and next to that is the Cop per King and the Copper Chief. The Copper King is down 800 feet, and there are onw in evidence vast ore bodies estimated in value up into the millions
 Asked regarding the Venture Hill which lies nearest the United Verde, he said the character of the ore is identic&lly the same as the United Verde, only the workings are not so deep and there are less sulphides. The workings are considerably nlSner up on the hill than the United Verde, and he predicts that when the same level is reached the ore will be identical in character. Samples that he brought back with him from both properties bear out his statements.
 The tunnel on the Socrates claim of the Venture Hill goes almost straight into the hill for 400 feet and the lesa hundred feet is in ore. with ore still in the face of the tunnel. How much farther it goes no man knows. At that depth a drift was run at right angle from the tunnel for a distance of 135 feet and is still in ore. The drift was run in this direction to get under yer tical shaft started on the surface. The company proposes as soon as opera tions ar presumed to run a WinZe straight down on the ore body from the face of the tunnel for probably 200 feet, and for the purpose will proba bly put in an air compressor and q horse Whim.
 Altogether MT. Ross thinks there is every reason to believe that the Ven ture Hill as well as some of the other