Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1903-11-28
COOPERATIVE MINING.
Its Merits lntelligently Set Forth BY
An Observing Miner.

Wickenburg, Nov. 27.-(Special Cor
espondence).-I note with interest the
article in Tuesdays Republican con-
corning the organization of a company
by Phoenix merchants for the purpose
of exploration and development of the
mineral resources of the county around
Phoenix. The idea is a most. sensible
and feasible one and there are many
reasons why it should prove profitable.
not only to the organizers but to the
town as we'll.
Take this section for instance. In
the Black Rock, Blue Tank, Vulture,
San Domingo and Picacho mining dis
tricts there are many prospects which
have surface showings indicative of
large and profitable ore bodies beneath
and in 80 cases out of 100 they are
owned by men who have not the means
TO do anything with them and do not
know how to interest the necessary
capital for development. In many
cases the deepest workings are only 10
and Is feet deep. but the showings at
this depth are more than enough to
warrant extensive development. There
are many strong and well-defined
lodges in this section carrying good
surface values and development work.
where done intelligently, has generally
shown better values with depth and
with drifting along the veins. In some
cases the results have been astonish-
ing, as in the ORC Grande. Here the
showing on the surface, while not rich
enough to cause the owners to do much
work indicated the existence of a
good property. The property was To-
Gated and relocated but none of the
various owners seemed to have the
time, money or ambition to dc much
work. Finally three outsiders" came.
here and stumbled across it. secured it
and went to work. But a few feet of
work revealed an enormously rich and
large ore body. one which is a wonder
in any mining country. Phoenix men
might have found it, but the men that
did get it are the ones that did the
work and there is the whole thing in
a nutshell.
Ben Hatfield sold his one-siXth in
terest in the ORC Grande for 800, 900
shortly after the discovery and they
call him Lucky" Ben Hatfield. 1t
would be more proper to can him
"Plucky" Ben Hatfield because he with
sense to do a little work to see what
they had.
1t don't cost much to prospect or de-
velop on a moderate scale If 1t is done
honestly and intelligently The cost of
working three good men and paying
all camp expenses should not be more
than $4O0 or $500 a month. according to
location and three men can sink 100
foot shaft in this section in from 40 to
go days. according to the hardness of
he at N
here a 100-foot shaft and a moderate
amount of drifting and prosecuting
will demonstrate the nature and value
of the property. Three men in two or
three months time can generally de-
termine whether a prospect is worth
going ahead with or not; often I'm less
time than that. But the trouble here
is that the prospects are generally
owned by one or two men who haven't
the means (and often the inclination)
to do the work, SO they wait year after
year in the hopes that someone will
stumble across them. Here is where
Phoenix or Maricopa county eXplora-
ton and development company would
come in. Such a company, when or
ganiZed, could employ a good man TO
make a thorough canvass of the prom
Using prospects surrounding Phoenix
and Wickenburg. When one was
found that warranted development. it
would probably be no trouble to Sc
cure a reasonable working bond for a
year or more from the owner or own
ers. Then the company could start
two or three men doing intelligent de-
velopment work. If the first property
did not turn out well, search could be
made for another and in a section like
this it would be but a question of time
until the company would secure a
valuable mine. BY working this way
the gambling or lucky" feature of
mining, as some call it, would be al
most entirely eliminated and it would
simply be a question of stickto-
iveness. The company might be for
tunate enough to open up a profitable
and rich mire the first time. but if
they did no. there would be no cause
for encouragement.
If twenty. fifty or a hundred or more
Of the Phoenix merchants and resi-
dents would organize a company as
outlined in the Republican and sub
scribe for Stock enough among them
selves and friends so as to have a
monthly income of $500 or more it
would not financially embarass any of
them and the ultimate results would
be more than profitable to all con-
cerned. And all the money wanted
would eventually return to Phoenix, or
the most of it, either through the
mines or the merchants. Later on
when a property had been found which
proved to be worthy of development,
the company could offer stock for sale
on the outside if it wished. bringing in
new money to be spent in Phoenix and
vicinity.
1t is such ideas as this and on a
larger scale that have made Denver
and all Colorado the prosperous section
it is.
1 offer the above suggestion to the
merchants of Phoenix in the belief that
the experience and knowledge gained
of this section during a three-years'
residence here in the newspaper and
mining business may be of some value.
Respectfully,
DICK WICK HALL.
PROSPECTS AND MINES