Weekly journal-miner., 1909-10-27
SONORA MINING IS
 AGAIN RAPIDLY REVIvuNG

| DOOULAS, ArlZ., Oct. ZU.-Ju0ge D. A. Richardson, expert mining a, torney of the firm of Richardson and Doane, returned Friday from an ex tended inspection and legal trip which took him as far south as Moctezums in the state of Sonora. That flush times are already the rule in the southern mining districts and that Douglas is on the eve of the greatest period of prosperity in her history ia the firm belief of the well known mining attorney. He bases his indg. ment on a careful study of conditions as he found them in Sonora and the certainty that the conditions there cannot fail to greatly influence con. ! ditions here.
 "Within the next three years Doug. las will have a population of 25,0Oo to 30,o0O," said Judge Richardson last night. "While our agricultural resources are great, and may conn; most in the long run, it is upon the great mining industry that the city is going to depend and from which it is to receive its great impetus in the big forward movement which is just ahead.
 "On my return north from Mocte- zuma passed no less than 200 burros loaded with ore from ,he Monte Cristo mine, bound for the Douglas smelters. The mine is the property of the Duluth Moctezuma company, and is opening up beyond the fond est hopes of its mana ger, c. s. Jones. At present the mine seems destined to be one of the silver and gold bonanzas of the entire state of So- nora.
 "Colonel St. John reached Mocte- zuma Monday and left on Tuesday to look over a property that ae and Henry Clay Beauchan;p own over in the Buckeye district. They nave sl- ready started work on a 600-fo0t tunnel which will give them a depth Of 500 feet. In the language of Col. S.. John, this tunnel VII tell whcth- CT the property is real mine or whether the tunnel will merely spoil a fine prospect. Either the creator put a big mine there or salted a hill to catch suckers. If the hill is salted, it has caught a sucker all right and the colonel is the sucker. But St. John and Beauehamp are gong after it one way or the other and going hard.
 "Col. O. L. Neer, who together with some Kansas people organized the United Mexican Mine company, was in Moctezuma Tuesday and took over the Green c. Bush properties. known as the Sierra Gordo, and lhe Sierra GOrdo No. 2. The properties lie in the Sierra Gordo mountains just over the Moctezuma line in tho Arizpe district. These properties iie near the Verde mine owned by the Transvaal company. Col. Neer has made preparations and development work on an extensive scale will be- gin Friday morning. The Sierra Gordo is one of the largest old mines in the Arizpe district and has shipped great deal of ore. The old work ings extend over 700 feet in length to the water level. The antiguas were compelled to suspend operations as no pumps were available in those days. The Sierra Gordo had the reputation of being a great producer in the early days.
 "George Cole has made a big strike in a mine he has been developing in the Tabataeoehi district. He has been doing development work for five or six months and will soon beGI shipping high grade ore to Donglas. The ore is gold and silver and the first consignment will reach Douglas within the next thirty days.
 Everywhere there is the greatest mining activity. Railroad work is be- ing pushed too. Everything looked prosperous. The Southern Pacific when I left was just finishing its twelve or fifteen miles of almost solid rock work through the canyon south of Nacozari. There is going to be a tremendous increase of ore ship ments into Douglas within the next six months. The ore is coming here because Douglas has the facilities for handling it much cheaper than any other point in the southwest. Before six months we will see work on an other big smelter, or a very large IT. crease in the facilities of those + ready here. The Southern Pacific is going to tap the ore belt of the Transvaal. They will haul coke out and the mats here. The line is just about through the Naeozari canyon