The copper era., 1904-06-30
"REMINISCENCES OF EARLY
 DAYS IN THIS SECTION.
Story of the First Location of the
 Famous Metcalf Mines.
From silver City Enterprise.


 noticed reference to the discovery o
 the Clifton copper mines. Perhaps ar
 account Of their location may be Of in
 te-est to old timers. The first mines
 taken up were known as the Church
 property and were located by Nal Pals
 Stone, Bill Reed. Jim and John Bull
 lard, John Swisshelm, Little Webb
 and Joe Yaukie.
 My brothers, ROoert and John Met
 cali, owned copper mines in the Burro
 mountains. These mines were sold, conditionally, 10 Capt. F.. E. Ward ol Detroit. The captain sent out par ty to examine the property. When
 these men reached Silver City certa' n
 parties informed them that mountains of copper were to be found in Arizona.
 Wards agent arranged Shat brother and I should proceed to the Burros, pile up all the rich ore in sight, and spend week or ten days in getting the mines in shape. In the night a friend came to our cabin and told us that when we were safely off in the Burros, Captain Wards party intend ed to go to Arizona and make their own locations. Fearing that our gle would be broken up, we decided to go Co Arizona and locate all the copper We could find.
 The next morning brother Robert, Stant Brannan, myself Pas Velade and four Mexican guards started of Osten- siblv for the Burro5 but really for Arizona. In order to get there first we made forced marches and made the trip in four days We hal no trail to follow, only rough mountain country, and nothing to guide Us but brothers memory of the different peaks, he having been over the country once before.
 The first camp we made was near the Blue hole, in the Butros. The next day we crossed the Cila and camped on Blue creek. On the third day we crossed high mountain and night overlook us before we got to the bot tom on the other side. The hill side was very steep and rocky and brushy, and the night was so dark that we could not see each other or the bur ros more than few feet away. Some pulled the burros while others pushed them. The hillside was so steep that we were obliged to hold to the bushes as we went down, and we threw rocks ahead to see if we were in danger Of going over a precipice. Once felt snake under my foot and heard it rat tie, and not daring to let go Of the bush, to which I held, I stamped the snake until it stopped rattling. We packed our burros, ate some cold bread and slept the rest of the night. The nexc day we arrived at what is now Clifton.
 The next day brother and ] went ovec the ground north of Chase creek, and Stant B-annan prospected south Of the creek. He discovered the Long, fellow and had some of the ore in camp when we returned. The next day We located everything we could iind showing copper.
 Our first location we named the ''Metcalf" and it still goes by that name. When we had built the mon- uments and put up the notices my brother said, "To whom shall we give the first extension? "Charley Shan non and Bella Hughes,' 1 answered. Bella and Charley goes" he said, and wrote the notices. And so the famous Metcalf and Shannon mines were To- cated.
 When we bad located all the ground we wanted and were getting ready to go home, Captain Wards agent and party arrived. Being short Of pro- visions we returned to Silver City, leaving them on the ground. Our last camp ou the road home was in Wind canyon. In the morning before leav- ing for town, my brother wanted Pas Neladc to have his soldiers shoot at a tree to see if they could hit an Indian. Pas asked him if he did not know that they had no bullets or powder. He explained that it would not do to give them ammunition, for they would throw down their guns and run if they saw an Indian, and the Indians might pick up the guns and shoot us.
 After resting two or three weeks we | hired Mexican miners and went back | to do the assessment work on the | mines. We held them for about eleven years and then sold them to a which, after getting the leeds out of escrow refused to pay the l balance due.
 All the old timers who were COD. nected with the Clifton mines have | eft Grant county. I would be glad to | near from any of them, wherever they | may be living. JAS. K. METCALF.
 The following is evidently from the | 'ersitite pen of Frank Alley, the poet | ariat" of Arizona: