Bisbee daily review., 1908-08-23
CANANEA CAMP
ITS MAGNITUDE
AND PROSPECTS
Tremendous Task That Was
Accomplished by Manage
ment Through DR.. Ricketts,
During the Past Year.
lspecial Correspondencel


LA CANANEA.- Mexico, Aug. 22.-
aCananea spells a lot to the people
of this country And to go there now,
If one has been there during the past
six months, is a tremendous educa-
ton. It is probable no big mining
camp ever had such a knock as Cana
nea did the day the works were shut
down last year.
One day a population of 10000 hap
by, prosperous people-a week from
that day a population of less tnan
5000, and all of them fearful of what
the day would bring forth. There is
no depression like that-when men
lose their Jobs and without hope of
getting another in the same town and
possibly no job at ell anywhere Tor
months. When Cananea shut down
last year there was every reason tor
il from the company's standpoint and
from every business phase one might
hook at it; but it certainly blasted the
hopes of the men and women who Tor
years had depended upon the mines
and mills and smelter for their daily
labor and their daily life There was
a stampede for the outside. and in
many instances the people really went
wild. There was nothing ahead, and
the camp was dead. The business
houses, in many instances, closed
their doors, and in every instance lost
80 per cent of their business. There
were three times as many empty as
occupied houses, and there was aD-
soIutely no credit.
This lasted a very short time; until
the less stable element had passed out
of the camp and until a reorganization
rs ha 9rranpP6
There was some work right along:
development in the mines continued
in small measure some improvements
were inaugurated at the concentraror,
and the smelter was entirely rebuilt.
All this called for some labor, but not
much, judged by the numbers of men
working their in the past. And so it
went for several months, Cananea as
dead as could be, and with everyone
guessing as to the future. Copper
prices remained extremely low, and
as everyone believed the shutdown
was because of tn slump in the price.
there seemed little hope for the i'm
mediate future.
But all at once more men were en-
pIoyed DR.. Ricketts,, the manager, or
dered Captain Kirk, mine superintend-
ent TO do a bit more work and get
out some ore, and David COie, the as
siStant manager. who was at the plant
nearly all the time between the SHUT
down and reOpening, saw to it that the
mines did produce some ore; saw 70
it that the concentTatOr was put in
perfect equipment; that the ore bed
ding plant and retaining equipment
was ready for hard operations, and
that all was prepared: and Mr.. Shell
by, the superintendent of the smelt-
ing end of the great plant, FASTENED
his work, SO that when the signal
was given his most important portion
should be there with a ready answer.
This slight indication was heralded
with the utmost pleasure by all. But
when the order came to resume opera
tions, notwithstanding the fact that
copper was still low in price, there
was general gladness as well as sur
prise CThe fact was of course, that
the shutdown was ordered because.
the management saw the necessity
for a rebuilding of a large portion of
the plant and the TeaTTanging of other
portions and a general culling and
economy throughout that would tend
to increased production at less cost,
and really the price of copper had lit
tie to do with it,
Well, just three weeks after the re-
sumption actually took place the writ
,er was in Cananea. There were not
50 many employees, because for one
reason but half of the plant was in
operation. But there were smiling,
happy, hopeful faces; business houses
with ample assistants and with dis
plays of most attractive character,
with the very evident intention of do
ing business in town where there
was business to do. There were not
50 many empty houses, and in fact
there were none of the better class;
there were no stores with wooden
blinds at the windows; there were no
hotels nor boarding houses closed
down. There was education in every
foot of the way from the Southern
Pacific depot to the concentration. 1t
was the education that assures one
that the American is ound TO fall on
his feet because he is always looking
for a foothold The American sees
his job slipping out from under him
and ne hustles another, and where he
is there also the foreigner finds labor,
and so at Canauea, with the success