Bisbee daily review., 1904-06-29
UJarren nlinin9 District
done no harm.

dope no harm.
 Since 1899 there has bee a very large increase in the total tonnage Of ores concentrated by the various min ing companies. In 1899 600 tons of tailings were produced daily; this amount was proved to be harmless.
 In 1903 the daily output of tailings by all the companies amounted to 1i50 tons per day. or more than double the amount discharged in 1899, and as this amount is likely to be increas ed in the near future the farmers are perfectly justified in asking the com panies to take such steps as will so lessen the evil that it will be harmless to their interests. Last year Presi- dent Kimball requested us to take such action looking to the impounding Of our tailings as far as practicable under the difficult existing conditions
 The task set us was one of extraor- dinary difficulty, involving large out lays. IL was recognized by President kimball that the charge, effecting as 1t did very large daily output, and raising new and difficult problems for solution, could not be effected in day or month. We willingly assented to his propositions and We are glad to be able to report, that the work is so far advanced that We are now impound- ing, in the canyon at Morenci, all of the tailings discharged from our Long fellow concentrator; also that we are collecting and hauling to our railroad bridges not less than 400 tons of tail ings per day from our Clifton concen- trating mills, and this We are striving 10 improve upon. At the present moment fewer tailings are allowed 10 escape from our works into the river than have escaped at any time in the past 10 years.
 We therefore would respectfully sub nit, that this important work which is being carried out every day, alc which is oben at all times to the in- spection of the public, is sufficient proof that we are earnestly and Loyalty performing all that We promised to Jo
 We do not doubt but that the farm CTS are having a trying experience. The long continued drought which has continued for five or more years, can. not have failed to inflict greivous harm on lands irrigated by an alkaline water. For years We have had but little Of those steady, persistent rains, which. continuing for days, dissolve and wash cut the excess of alkai ac- cumula;ed under irrigation. The ac- cumulation is unavoidable and can be demonstrated by very simple expert ment. If an ounce of common salr is dissolved in glass of water ana poured on cubic foot of pry valley soil, both water and salt will be ab- sorbed. If thecubic foot of dry val ley soil is now exposed to the hot sun for a few hours, the water will evapor. ate but not so with the salt. The salt cannot evaporate; it remains in he soil and destroys its fertility. If the soil is exposed to long continued shower Of rains the rain will re-d.s- solve the salt and extract it from the soil, which will again become fertile.
 This is exactly what occurs IT na ture. The San Francisco river, three miles below Clifton. carries 45 grains Of common salt to the gallon Dur ing years of drought much of this salt is retained and held by the soil, which is thus affected adversely. The tail ings are free from deleterous salts, but We recognize that what in reason able quantity would be beneficial might in excess ecome harmful. and We wish to assure you and the people of the valley that We are willing to do everything in reason 10 remove all cause for complaint.
 On the other hand we beg that you ask for no more than is reasonable. No matter where our mills are placed in this district some tailings, but not enough 10 do harm are bound to es- cape. If the courts rule that the tail. ings must de absolutely impounded, the companies would be forced to take their metallurgical works out of the territory, and this would effectively destroy the best market the farmers have.
 The drought cannot last forever. With the heavy rains which must come sooner or later We feel certain all trouble win disappear and that the