The copper era., 1909-07-29
District Generally on Big Move.


 by representative of the ERA was convincing evidence of the great amount of work that is now going on iu this section. The Metcalf country is especially lively owing to the big railroad project which the Shannon Arizona railway is now putting through and on which there is en- ployed in the ueighborhood of 1000 men. These men are scattered along the line from Clifton to Metcalf, but the largest number of them are em- ployed on the road from the Lines dairy up where it is necessary to execute almost superhuman skill in order to build the road. Ia this sec tion great cut and fills are being made and in several places tunnels of great length through mountains of more than 1000 feet high are be- ing driven. Here also will it be necessary for the company to con- struct a great breastwork of bridges which in places cross the high and rough canyons. Retaining walls of huge size are also being constructed roadbed of a permanent nature and also for the purpose of protecting the Coronado railroad roadbed which is Earalelled the entire distance directly under the new road.
 The booming of blasts, the ringing of drills and the melodious voices of the happy laborers along the line makes every foot of the trip oyer the line quite interesting. This one pro- ject alone will incur an expense of $500, ,000 or more, which expenditure will be made within the next eight months, thereby swelling the payroll of the Clifton n-Morenci district S50,000 per month in addition to what it already was.
 The operation of the inclines of the Arizona and Shannon Copper companies, the Standard aerial tram way, the Longfellow, the Coronado, and the various smaller properties Oper- ating in that section all go towards makin 2 one of the liveliest camps in the territory, even though our out side friends do not seem to realize 1t. Added to the above is the Coronado railroad over which a total of sixteen trains pass daily hauling the ore to the great smelters at Clifton and re- turning with supplies, timbers and equipment tor the mines.
 Advancing above Metcalf you ar rive at Garfield, in which section is located the famous Mammoth mine of the A. c. company, which has pro- duced millions in high grade ore. In this immediate vicinity is located the property of the Stevens Copper con- pany, the Stevens Brothers, the Cuprite and in fact number of other properties. Here also the Shannon Copper company own several valua- ble copper mines which will be en rolled as heavy producers upon the completion of the new railroad and which will be the temporary termi- nus of the road. The completion of this road will enable all of the above mentioned properties to operate on a paying basis, as now transportation charges are too high to permit profit able mining. All of the ores from this district, except the A. c. con- pany, will most assuredly go to the Shannon shelter at Clifton, which concern handles a large amount of custom ores.
 Stepping over the mountain we find the great works of the D. c. Phelps Dodge company and the concentra- tors of the A. c. company. Unlike Clifton, Morenci is located in the heart of the mining district, and al- most in every direction can be seen the hoists of the famous producing mines. Continuing west of Morenci is the promising properties of the Dol Copper, and a number of others, which have not only copper ore bodies to depend on, but have de- veloped vast tonnage of gold ore awaiting the erection of gold mills that will convert the ore into the glittering golden Eagles.
 Returning back to the other side of the mineral belt we find the Green lee district, i'll which is located the promising mines of the New England and Clifton Copper company, the Polaris, and the Weaver and Green lee groups now being developed by the Shannon company, and the Sierra de Orc properties. This is one of the oldest discovered mineral belts in the Clifton MorenCi district and is de- stined to be one of our most import ant gold and copper producers since capital has been introduced on large scale. This district is now con nected with a first-class baby gauge railroad over which is transported daily tons of first class copper ore from the New England Copper King mine and several other valuable and high grade claims now being worked by leasers. So far the Shannon con- pany is shipping nothing but iimerock from its own quarries over this road, but developments on it's copper properties have been of some cOnse- quence and the future will witness increased traffic over the railroad.
 Considering every point pertaining to the Clifton-Morenci district, which is beyond doubt the largest mineral district in Arizona, or the world, there can be only one result-we are going to step forward and take the position we are entitled to. It may be one year, and it may be two-bqt we are going to get there just the same,