Arizona republican., 1902-11-23


 piece of rock showing threads and specks of gold all through it, his amazement can only be imagined. Then he climbed over all that big dyke like a monkey, dislodging pieces show ing for the most part the same threads and specks, not one of them without some sign of value therein.
 For a day or two thereafter he dared not go back into that hill lest in real barrenness he should see that his dis coveries had been those only Of a man in a somnambulistic dream. Not until his wife climbed the hill with him and found there the same threads and specks of gold where John had smote with his pick was he sure of himself and of his find.
 Well, I need not recapitulate here -the results of the very considerable development work that has been done on that property since, and all con firming reasonable estimates of the values therein. Since then scores of accomplished mining experes from this county and territory and from abroad have examined it and pronounced the Ben Hur as a treasure deposit abso- lutely inexhaustible, as promising as any yet discovered in Arizona, which is saying quite enough. or course some men are inclined to be envious, and some to have an exaggerated idea of any such thing brought to their att tention,s but the Ben Hur is there to speak for itself to those who are just and reasonable, and the same may be said of those new Black mountain dis coveries.
 Having made the foregoing represen- tations we beg leave to make the fol- lowing suggestions:
 So far our Phoenix board of trade has been very active in discharge of its functions notwithstanding the sup pressing influences of our semi-tropic climate. If a zone of treasure one tenth the value of that described above and not nearly so accessible was trib- utary to any city the size of Phoenix in Nebraska, Iowa or Dakota the board of trade of said city would take hold of such propositions as ours and inves- tigate the same with the frenzy of a dog fight, with an enthusiasm incom- prehensible to natives of such a fairy land as this.
 Our suggestion respectfully tendered is this: That the Phoenix board of trade. adopting its usual conservative, thor ough modes of examination of all mat ters of public interest submitted to it, appoint a committee Of business men like Walter Talbot, Leo Goldman, Col. Christy and Dr. Ford, and two mining experts to investigate all the conditions surrounding the old and new discov- cries of this region. The gentlemen above named are all capable of filling a place on president Roosevelt's cabi- net, and if they should practice on this investigation the same capacities of perception and reflection. the same methods of conclusion as has made them rich, trusted and hOnored, every body concerned could ask no more re- liable a revelation than theirs. We suggest to the people at large that it is now time we take our material in terests out of the control of politicians who have butchered them in the past two years and put them under control of such city boards of trade as those of Phoenix, Prescott and Tucson, who are in a position to make the most and best Of all propositions cffecting pub lie prosperity.
 While the board of trade cannOtlegis- late or decree it can arbitrate and ad- just such conflicting interests as those of cattle and sheep herders and those of ranchers and herders. It can as certain what territorial and national legislation is needed, and, most of all, it can compile facts and figures bearing on all resources in reach of such cities; have such compilations on file for ref erence aud on such basis make general reports from time to time to the world. The representations of such board will surely be considered by everybody as reliable and trustworthy, SO that we need never more suffer from such dis trust of us and our propositions as we have suffered in the last two years.
 We mention as the first and most | important topic of investigation that which is now absorbing many other ambitious parts of the territory-the building of a big shelter for doing custom work for tributary districts whose fuel and water supply is uncer- ] tain. We have directed shelter men ] to investigate for themselves but they never did so, and never will. That should be the work of board of trade which assuredly could in time produce all the estimates required in such a | case and the smelter would be realized | Such compilations would also serv, ] those who propose to operate these