Weekly Arizona journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1903-1908, 1908-09-09
FORMER GLORY Of
vULTURE MINE
TO RETURN
Famous Property Soon
To Be Reopened
BY Syndicate

legal cntanglements, entwined with ro-
nance and tragedy, its equipment now
mouldered into ruins. it's workings al
most wrecked into an impenetrsble
chnsm, the Vulture mine is soon again
TO he the scene Of active operations on
a scale worthy in every way Of its for
mcr greatness, according 10 the state.
mcnt OF A. j. Kent, who left here yes
terdsy moring for wickenburg. Kent
says that Boston syndicate made the
first payment of $4,000 on the pur'
chase price Of $4,000 in Phoenix
last week and that a mine superinten.
dent left Wickenburg Tuesday to take
charge Of the property for the new
concern. The payments will be made
in installmcnts, the last one being due
in August, 1912.
Owing TO the wrecked condition OF
the mine, the caved workings of which
carried almost two acres Of the surface
down two hundred feet, the plan Of
operations of the purchasing concern
involves the sinking of new shaft on
solid ground at n safe distance from
the mine to a depth greater than the
deepest of the old shafts, which il $50
feet on the incline.
Every old timer Is familiar with the
history of the vulturc. The richness
of it's ores attracted hundreds of hardy
miners and prospcctors to the territory
years after its discovery. its fame
reaching all over the civilized world.
Beginning with its discovery in 1863
by Henry wickcnburg. its history is
one of successive lawsuits, shutdowns,
ures, eliminating in the murder of one
Of its superintcndents while going
overland to Tucson within large amount
Of bullion recovered from its ores. The
bullion was taken by the murderors
and never recovered, although several
Of the superintendent guards escap.
ed with their lives.
Its fame soon spread after its dis.
covery by Wickeuburg, who was n Ger.
man by birth and supposed to be n
son Of the founder of the famous
Krupp gun factory in the Fatherland.
Wickenburg's right to his discovery
was disputed by claim jumper, who
pleaded that Wickenburg was not en-.
titled To its possession on account Of
not being citizen of the United
States. The courts decided in favor of
Wickenburg.
Later it was purchased by Henry o.
Tabor, of Colorado mining fame, who
erected an eightystamp mill on the
ground, which ne operated number
of years. Tom Smith built ten. stamp
mill which was run ON the product of
the mine, then too large for treatment
in the one erected by Tabor. Smiths
mill was on the Hassayampa river,
twenty miles from the mine. During
the Tabor regime camp buildings were
erected. the walls of which were con.
structed from the groupings Of tae
mine, many Of which were torn down
by leascrs in after years and treated in
the mill at profit. Recent visitors TO
the mine say that free gold can still
be seen in some Of the rocks of the
walls of buildings still standing
Many men employed in the mine are
known to have accumulated snug for.
tunes by carryin gaway rich specimens
IN their dinner pals from which they
washed the yellow metal in leisure
hours. In fact, il is said that in three
single weeks three miners recovered
$4,000 each in this way.
subsequently Tabor mortgaged the
property to Tucson banker named |
Mckee and his associates, for $40. 900
The Mckee interests leased the prop. |
erty to the Devine brothers, who CD.
Grated the mine nine months at pro
ut. The Mckee interests operated it
year afterwards and closed down.
After Tabor's death, Stratton, alsc
OF Colorado, and a life long friend of
Mrs. Tabor, spent a month at the mine.
SIX years ago, accompanied by min
ing expert and assayer, returning to
Colorado to make final arrangements
for the resumption Of work in il on n
large scale. Stratton died shortly az.
ter arriving at his home in Denver and
before starting work. Mrs. Tabor aban.
honed the idea Of opening it herself,
allowing IT to remain idle.
George Sanders, father Of George
Sanders, Jr., employed as Waterman nj
Inc property, opened another chapter
IN It's history by attempting to locate
Il. The courts decided against him in
several suits and the property was
given into the care of Dan Mcneil,