The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-24

advantage. The location of the new Queen
shelters at Douglas is taken as an enort
on the part of the Phelps-Dodge people 10
secure a central smelling point. almost
equally accessible to the Copper Queen.
Detroit and MocteZuma, and IL this De the
object Douglas was well chosen. In adoi-
ton to the three big producing mines
previously named, Phelps, Dodge & co.
also control the United Globe property at
Globe, ella county. Arizona, and are de-
veloPing new mine called the Sierra de
Cobre. lying in the heart of the mines or
the Greene Consolidated, at La Cananea.
The residents of Douglas are all hrm pc
hevers that the policy of the Phelps-Dodge
people is TO do the smelling of all Arizona
confident that the town will soon be a rival
or FL Paso as smelling point.
TO RIVAL Ell PASO.
While the rivalry of a little two-year-old
town in the desert with such an old and
firmly established smelling point as Eel Paso
seems ridiculous at first blush, there is
more in the claims than might be thought,
even though the Douglas people are all
boomers of the first rank The Queen ton
mage alone is big item and the Calumet
& Arizona also has its smelter here. This
is now turning out nearly 100000 pounds OF
refined copper monthly and the capacity
is soon to be increased 80 per cent. by the
blowing in of another furnace. The Calu-
met & Arizona has by no means reached
the possibility of production with single
shaft in turning out fifty tons OF refined
copper every day in the year, and has a
second shaft sinking In promising ground.
in addition to which the four Calumet
babies all of which are likely TO be max
ing copper within another two years. Ii Is
presumable that this will come to
Douglass for reduction and IL will be but
natural for such properties as the Wolverine
x Arizona, Higgins and others to follow
suit in locating smelters at this point. The
water supply at Bisbee has been inadequate,
though judging from the way in which
water is now being forked from the Calu-
met & Pittsburg, Higgins and Copper
Glance properties there is plenty of the
aqueous fluid in the Mule Pass mountains
when the proper strata and depth are
reached. AT this point. Douglas, there was
supposed to be unlimited water when the
town was located, and although there has
been some anxiety because the supply was
not up to expectations, the amount now
being secured, and that can be rendered
available, seems ample for all requirements.
The town of Douglas claims 5000 people
and probably has 5000. or perhaps few
more. The way population counts up where
there are MeXicanS sheltered in abode build
ings is a marvel. There has been ram
pant real-estate boom, but this has sobered
off bit, though prices are still higher than
the prospects of the town warrant The
site is an excellent one being on a plain
big enough to house all the people of
Arizona in a single city. Just across the
nearby line Is the Mexican town Oh Aqua
Prieta Ozark Water, where there is mescal
for those that have cultivated taste for
swallowing something that tastes like aqua
FORTS and makes the drinker maniac II
he sticks to his tipple faithfully. There
are also other attractions in Aqua Prieta.
chief among which is the bull ring, said to
be the finest in northern Mexico, and where
Mexican holidays are celebrated by glorious
fights between men and bulls in which the
bulls have about the same chance that they
would have in any other shambles, and the
fol hnI
injury as any active-foOted carpenter would
run in climbing a twenty-foot ladder. Lest
the Mexicans should reap all the glory of
this Institution II may be said that Dull
| fights given in honor of the leading
| American holidays as well as for the native
| fiestas and are well patronized by the peo-
| pie from the American border. The ever
| glorious Fourth of July was celebrated last
| summer in Douglas, ending with a bull
| fight at Aqua Prieta. The celebration was
| a great success, although a deputy sheriff
| shot a man on the street and there were
| few hold-ups and minor nlishaps of that
nature.
A RECORD FOR HOLD-UPS.
| Speaking Of hold-ups. Douglas probably
| holds the banner for that peculiar form of
| diversion in the Southwest. Naco was good
| at the game once, but the glory Of Naco
| departed when the railroad completed
to La Cananea, and the hold-up game -four
ishes only in live towns. There is plenty
| of open gambling in Douglas, with silver
stacked up in rouleaus at the crap, faro
! and roulette tables The Mexican line is
also handy, and when gentleman accus-
| toned to the strenuous life 'goes broke"
| what is simpler than to drop black hand
kerchief over his face, with holes for the
| eyes, and in company with friend SIM
| ilarly circumstanced, or, If necessary,
| alone, walk into the open door of some
saloon, throw DOWN gun or two on the
| dealers and bartender, stick up the peo-
| PIE inside, put the coin in canvas ore
| sack, and make his getaway" out of the
| back door and across the Mexican line.
| The game has been successfully worked on
| a number of occasions.
| The population of Douglas is various. A
number of the American citizens tempo
| rarily domiciled there are prepared on
| short notice. or at the sight of a strange
| sheriff from another county, to depart
| hastily across the Mexican line. Some of
| them remain on the other side permanently,
| for excellent reasons. There is also a con-
| siderable Mexican popula ton the Ari-
| IONA side, some Of the members of which
| would greatly prefer not going back, be-
| cause the laws are enforced in Mexico, and
shooting is the penalty for many crimes.
| Withal, Douglas has in the main a good
| class of people, and like ell other new and
woolly towns, will work out it's own saliva
ton in good time.
| HORACE ]. STEVENS.