Daily Arizona silver belt., 1908-05-20
MOUNTAIN FULL
 OF RED PAINT

PARKER, Ariz., May lS.--Whipplc mountain, one of nature's landmarks in the Parker country, which because of its preeipitous formation has been passed by in scorn by hundreds of pros pectors, through recent discovery has given up secret that for untold years has lain hidden under its rugged sides it is one solid mass of red oehrc, and was worked extensively, during the stone age, bye the people who then in- habted the shores of the Colorado river.
 Hundreds of tunnels pierce the cragged surface, tho workings in many instances being on~an extensive scale. Scattered all through these tunnels and shafts are found the stone hammers with which the primitive miners of pos sibly prehistoric days removed the min eral plant, which, judging from the vast amount of work done, must have been in great demand at that time.
 In this immense A'.. el lough red paint to supply the world for many years to come. The deposit is 1000 feet wide, over 5000 feet long and it's depth is unknown.
 w. ]. Rainey, the postmaster of Parker, is the sole owner of this great denosit. and he intends to begin work ing it at once. There is only one sim i'-~ mine in the world and it is located in the republic of France and for years has been worked at an enormous profit.
 The discovery of these ancient paint mines was made by Mir. Rainey and a mining partner while they were search ing the side of Whipple mountain for a ledge of einnabar. They were climbing up the sides of steep cliff when they came to an opening in the rock, which they entered. After walking some dis tance they lighted candles and found themselves in great room of which was upheld by huge stone pillars. The floor of the room was Uttered with crude tools, made of stone, and everywhere was the evidence of an ancient race having once operated mine of some character on a large scale. Mir. Rainey and his partner believed at that time that they had found the object of their search; they thought their discovery meant a solid bed of cinnabar and that their fortunes were made. They secured samples of the rock, which was dark red in color and so soft that it crumbled to dust under the prospector' s pick, and then proceeded to locate claims that would take in the entire peak. While erecting their monuments they came across more and still more of the old workings. One shaft was found that is hundreds of feet deep. The eager pros. pectors descended to depth of over 200 feet and were then forced to grope their way to the surface in darkness, their supply of candles having become exhausted. How much deeper this shaft went they could not tell, but by drop ping rocks down the hole they made sure they had not half way reached the bottom of the pit.
 After locating their claims the ein- nabar hunters sent samples of their find to an assayer, and when the as- saver replied that the rock was red Ocre paint, Mir. Rainey's partner be- came so disgusted that he turned over his interests to the postmaster for song and left the country. Not so with NIT. Rainey. He believed that the paint mines were valuable, and upon making an investigation learned that there was a big market for mineral paint of this character. It is his intention to place the mines on a paying basis as soon as possible. The mountain of red oehre is located twelve miles north of the town of Parker, and when the A. & c. rail road builds its line on the California side of the Colorado river the mines will be but a short distance from the track.
 Several of the stone hammers used by the early diseoverers of these mines have been brought to Parker and are on exhibition here. It is evident that they were the only tools used, sharp stones being used for digging purposes.
 Mir. Rainey and party of capitalists will leave in day or so for Whipple mountain. Parker's postmaster has all ready been dubbed the "paint king of the west"