Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-17
James Morgan. Octogenarian Miner. Is to
Make Inspection in Mohave County

A NESToR among Los Angeles
"a mining men,, James Morgan, un-
- Weighted by his eight-five years,
is looking ever to the tomorrows in
the eternal labor that is digging the
precious metals from the earth. There
have been many todays and many yes
terdays with Mr.. Morgan, but he has
passed them all, milestone after mile
stone, with furrowed cheeks and with
out lack of virility and enterprise. He
is now planning a trip of inspection
through Mohave county, Arizona.
Mr.. Morgan has mined in the golden
west for nearly half a century. OF
great stature, erect, broadshouldered,
with courage and judgment spoken by
every line of his countenance, he now
bears a striking resemblance to Will
liam Cullen Bryant. His white hair
and beard most strikingly remind one
of the poet. But In other physical at
tributes he is different. He is active,
except for a hurt which lanes one
knee, and pans out the value Of each
hour every day. Age seems to lay its
hand on him SO gently that many a
man of fifty is decrepit in comparison.
But the hardy life he has led, the
contact with rough nature and its IN
vigorating atmosphere, have made
him a strong and picturesque figure
among the mining men of the Angel
city.
No one here knows the mining re-
gions of California, Nevada, Utah and
Arizona better than Mr.. Morgan. The
geography and geology of the devel-
oped and undeveloped regions are
photographed in his mind. He Is liv-
ing to witness the fulfllment of many
predictions that he made decades ago.
Because of his experience ana contact
with the great mineral areas, mining
men everywhere seek his advice. He
is generous with this advice, but is
cautious not to encourage sunbeam
chasing.
"If / was ten years younger" said
Mr.. Morgan the other day (the eighty
five years seems only a step in old age
to him), 'I would certainly enter INTO
active work in old Mohave county,
Arizona"
"oId Mohave County"
So many have. asked him for ex-
pressions regarding "old Mohave
county" that Mr.. Morgan has pre-
pared a general answer which Will be
valuable to all mining men, whether
they are seeking the information or
not. In his answer Mr.. Morgan says
the development of Mohave county
means much ultimately to Los An
ReIeS. HIS StaleIIleHl loiio"S.
IT do not pretend to write as an ex-
merit from the Royal School of Mines,
or any other noted institute of teen
nioue but as one who has had long
years of extensive experience, study,
and successful contact with the real
thing in mining and operating mines
In Montana, Utah, Nevada ana Call
fornia. 1 feel JUSTIFIED In par
donable pride touching my COM
potency to pass upon a mining country
with a reasonable breadth OF view,
safety and discrimination.
.sThis preliminary leads me up to
positive and summarized statement
| touching old Mohave county, Arizona
"a county which is some 1bo miles
| north and south ana seventy-five
miles east and west, in which there
| have been scores of mining failures;
county against which there are many
strong but false prejudices. In large
majority of cases the cause OF failure
can be readily traced to the operations
and not to the mineralized VEINS OF
lodes of old mother earth. The strong
and varied mineral zones and localities
are so extensive and of such grades
as to outrank in commercial import
ance many of the mining countries TO
which / have referred. Water, too, is
plentiful throughout the county with
deep ore development
Referring to rev golo ore uistIic.e
out of the many, the one nearest TO
Kingman, the county seat, Is some liVe
to ten miles to the southwest, which
locality is really virgin territory. The
prospecting has been done by men OF
small means and consists mostly of
open cuts, holes and shafts, ranging
from ten to seventy-five feet deep,
which generally are more or less ore
of good gold values down to a strong
sx.a % far This gold half
tends some ten to fifteen miles north
erly and southerly, by five to eight
miles easterly and westerly. In places
the smaller ledges carry high values in
/ gold-from 500 to 5000 ton-while
many stronger ones of two to ten feet
carry safe and easy milling values.
This is notably the case about and be-