The copper era., 1906-03-29
WHERE AN EMPIRE is
BUILDING.

In the history of the mining world
that section known as "the south
west'', which includes southern New
Mexico, southern Arizona, the north
ern part of Sonora and chihuahua,
and also a corner of Texas, has
made a new record, and one that
eclipses all other records of rapid
development.
During the past few years the min
eral output of this section has more
than doubled. Hundreds of miles
of new railroads have been
built, and other new roads are in
contemplation and under construc-
ton, while new plants are being built
as fast as development work in the
mines will justify.
The southwest includes the Rio
Grande, Mimbres, ella, Santa Cruz,
Salt river and Colorado river vallies.
In this section are the prosperous
towns and cities of FL Paso-the best
city in Texas-Las Cruces, Silver City,
Hillsboro, Deming, Hachita, Lords
burg, Naco, Nacozari, Clifton, Mo-
renci, Douglas, Bisbee, Cananea,
Tombstone, Benson, Nogales, Tucson,
Yuma, Phoenix, Globe and several
towns of Importance in the ella val.
ley, all of which are hustling business
centers, and many of them are
rapidly growing into cities of i'm
portance.
This section is today producing
more copper than Michigan and is
crowding Montana for first honors in
the output of red metal. But its
mineral wealth is by no means con-
fined to copper alone, for it is a large
producer of lead and the precious
metals.
It's pastoral and agricultural re-
sources are almost without limit, and
it affords the best market for farm
produce in the world. Vast as are
its mineral resources, it is probable
that with the completion of the great
irrigating enterprises now under way,
its returns from agricultural pro-
ducts may in a few years be in the
lead.
1t would be almost impossible to
mention the various camps, or even
districts, that are rapidly coming to
the front in the southwest. Money
is pouring into the country for the
development of it's mineral resources
by millions. There seems to be no
end to it. Almost any property of
merit con now be financed.
Labor is scarce and wages good.
There is not an idle man in all this
vast section, unless from choice.
1t is safe to say that there is not
another section of the world where
conditions are more prosperous,
where the opportunities are as great
or the people more contented and
happy.
In the southwest every man has his
chance. A laborer today may be a
capitalist tomorrow. Many of the
most prominent citizens of the coun-
try came here a few years ago as
capacity have amassed fortunes.
Many others, it is true, have been
able to avoid the tickle goddess of
fortune by failing to grasp the golden
opportunity at the critical moment.
Every man has had, or will have, his
chance. 1t is up to him. If he does
not get rich he can at least make
good living, and accumulate a COM
potency for old age.
With a temperature ranging from
that of the torrid to the frigid zone,
with a climate superior to even that
of far-famed California, and with
mineral and agricultural resources
second to no other section on the
globe, it would indeed require a most
vivid imagination to depict the flu
ture of the southwest. What has
been accomplished in the past twenty
years will be surpassed in the next
five, and so the march of progress
will continue with each cycle of time,
until the southwest will have her
manufacturing centers like Pitts
burg, her health resorts like Los An
geles and her commercial centers
like Chicago, while surrounding them
will be millions of prosperous people
who have reclaimed desert wilder
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