The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-25
A Southwestern Excursion

SOUTHWESTERN EXCURSION
Arizonal Does it convey any idea to the news
paperman but visions Of the Kicker the bepistoled
subscriber and the graveyard beyond the pressroom
Where the editor keeps his collections
Does it suggest anything to the citizen but SOM
prefo hats, long snaky hair and mess poker gamesi
Yet it is possible to ride thru Arizona and see
none OF these phenomena In fact canot see them
without making special arrangements, telegraphing
IN advance and getting friend to 'fake'' bad
for him.
Arizona is large plot of ground It contains
ll3ooo square miles or about 10000 than Min
nesota Its population is upward of 100000 and it's
industries under the combined influence of the
structon of railroads to the mines and the irrigation
OF the plateaus have grown to respectable proportions
Arizona is just the of busy fight in con
gress over the question of joint statehood Arizona
being Joined with New Mexico in a bill which passed
the house but was defeated in the senate and whose
resurrection is being attempted in conference The
country well understands that the people of Arizona
are averse to accepting statehood in partnership with
New Mexico for two New Mexico is dom
mated by Spanish half breeds while Arizona is Ameri-
can; Arizona has been carefully financed while New
Mexico is plastered with debt case of joint state
hood the white people of Arizona would be outvoted
in the legislature by the mixed hordes of New Mexico
and the settlers fear they would be swamped in the
New Mexico scheme of finance. So the people of
Arizona are unanimously against joint statehood and
they are sore at President Roosevelt because Of his
advocacy Of this unpopular measure. In fact you
have to go to Arizona to hear President Roosevelt
freely discussed. The street talk there about the
president would transport one in thought back to
the warm political campaigns Of the SOS when par
ties fercely antagonistic.
The southeastern Of Arizona, which visited
is great copper mining camp. From Ell Paso
Texas, west, numerous valiant efforts being made
to extract the from the mountains, many Of them
successful Across the line in Mexic, there
camps, among the largest of these being the Cananea
camp, belonging almost exclusively to Colonel Greene
the gentleman who went to Boston last fall to make
window panes of Thoms W. Lawson and ended by
taking lunch with him at swell club Colonel Greene
is reputed to be killer, but I did not visit his
camp engage him in controversial conversation I
cannot say. But you will find in Arizona many men
who will tell you that the colonel's reputation
slayer rests very insufficient foundations In fact,
they say there killers in Arizona any longer.
They say get killed in Chicago readily
than in Arizona You meet with sudden death in
either place if you seek it, but in Arizona you
safe you in Boston or Ann Arbor Mich, if
you mind your own business and have business to
mind.
On the American side the great mining camp is
in the Warren mining district It is spur Of the
Ell Paso Southwestern railroad, about 200 miles west
of Ell Paso, Texas, and only few miles from the
Mexican line. The chief camp Tin Arizona a city,
however aged or demure, is camp) is BisDee, city
of some l8 1000 population, located in spread Of the
mountains mile above the sea level and cramped in
by projecting horns Of hills until it's houses forced
sheer up the mountains to height oe 400 500 feet
from the street. By daylight Bsbee is not much to
look at, but by night when the lights twinkle in all
these houses the view is like theatrical spectacle
Three streets have been laid out and named
Main street, Brewery gulch and somebody's canyon.
Business brisk along these thorores, for there
5000 men employed in the mines and the monthly
payroll upward of half million dollars. It is mainly
spent in Bsbee since there other place to spend
it. Legitimate trade lourishes, but the blot upon
Bisbee is that much of this cash is thrown Immediately
upon the gaming table. The leading saloons also
gambling houses, a bar side and faro, roulette
and other games along the other. When the mines
pay off the trade at these places is enormous The
mine not enamoured of this phase of life,
as they believe that gambling removed many
more of the men would make investments and settle
down with their families I Informed that there
was bill in congress against gambling in the terri
tory with fair prospect of it's being enacted
The two leading mining companies in the district
the Copper Queen and the Bonanza Circle COM
panies. Both doing we'll Minnesota people will
be most interested in the Calumet & Arizona, which
belongs to the socalled Bonanza Circle Of mines be-
there many from the north star
state actively interested. These mainly from
Duluth. The chief is Thomas F. Cole, copper wizard
who has made SO many successes and SO few fail
that he is already hailed the copper king of
this country One of the directors is c. d'Autremont,
and democratic politician of high standing in this
state. The Bonanza Circle mines in the Warren dis
trict have recently been put under the superntendency
of D. W. Powell, formerly manager for the United
States Steel company at Duluth ~ Mr.. Powell has
already made great success of his management of
the mines and is easily the most popular individual
in the district The suavity of Mr. Powell s manners
and his tact have contributed to solve several threat
ening problems and the owners of the mines con
graduating themselves upon having such man at
the head Of their operating department. There is
good feeling between labor and capital in the district
There is also the best Of understanding between the
mining companies. There is such contest arose
between Heinze and his opponents in Montana. In
Bisbee the miner who finds himself trespassing under
ground another man IS property reports the facts
pays for the he has taken and stops work in that
direction. In mine I shown wall of rich
which the men had just struck, but it not
being cut down Why's Because measurements had
shown that it belonged to the next claim The mine
operators exceedingly proud Of the high OF