Los Angeles herald., 1905-08-26
NEW ROAD OPENS
BIG MINERAL ZONE
ARIZONA & CALIFORNIA IS
BEING BUILT
RICH ORE ALONG THE ROUTE
eeoIosIst Tells Of Wonderful opportu-
nltles for Mining In Eastern Part
Of State When New Line
Is Completed

The recent visit to Los Angeles by f.
M. Murphy Of Prescott, Ariz., president
Of the Santa Fe, Prescott G. Phoenix
railroad and also president of the new
Arizona & California railroad, has had
a tendency to attract much interest to-
ward the latter road, which is now
under course of construction. Railroad
men in the past have been inclined TO
view the building of the Arizona &
California railroad merely as an aux
iliary of the Santa Fe for the purpose
Of making possible another great trans
continental line to the Pacific coast, but
they are now awakening to the fact
that this new road means vastly more
to California and Arizona in the way OF
mineral development than 1t does from
the standpoint of transcontinental
traffic. Stephen Bowers of Los An
geles, well known geologist, says Of
the opening of new mineral zone:
"A casual review of the mineral zone
that the new Arizona & California rail-
road traverses easily confirms the
opinion that this new road will eventu
ally become one of the most important
in the way of gold and copper develop
ment of any road of like mileage ever
built in the state of California. In re-
phenomenal strides in the production
of copper but If the rich prospects
along the California side of the new
road, which have long remained unde-
freight transportation turns out as
we'll as able experts have represented
them, there is no reason why California
should not eventually divide with Ari-
zona the honor of being the premier
copper producer of the United States.
Route of New Line
"The new road commences at Wick
enburg Junction, Ariz., on the main
line of the Santa Fe, Prescott e.
Phoenix railroad and proceeds almost
due west to Bengal, Cal, where a con-
nection is made with the main line of
the Santa Fe railroad. The total mile
age of the new road is about 174 miles
and the only difficult tunneling of the
entire road is at Granite wash, east of
the Colorado river, where an S000-foot
tunnel has just been completed, asI
stated by President Murphy.
"The new road will pass through. the
Indian reservation in western Arizona,
and enter California in the pass be-
tween the Riverside and Chemeheuvis
There are several rich copper prospects
and mines all around the ranges for
several miles on either side of the
Colorado river, where the road enters
California, and for years they have
only awaited the coming of railroad
to make them prominent producers.
For example, in the Chemeheuvis there
are copper outcrops extending for dis
have been shipped that carry from $45
to $50 in value, yet not enough to trans |
port them overland to the Santa Fe
but will pay we'll when they can be
dropped down the stream short dis
tance to the railroad.
May Build Smeter
There is already fairly estab-
lished assurance that a seventy five
ton smelter will be built on the Colorado
river at Empire flats, where the rail-
road will cross. The new smelter, it ls !
understood, will be an amalgamation
of the Colorado River Gold e. Copper
company, Copper Basin Mining com
pany, Mount Whipple Mining company
and the White Eagle Mining company.
and the ores from these various prop
critics will be the original source of ore
supply for the new smelter.
ION the Arizona side of the river the
new road will directly benefit a large
portion of what is known as the Bill
Williams River country, where several
copper mines, as the Osborne, Blanchard
and Dome mines, have operated for
several years in the mountain ranges, !