Weekly journal-miner., 1910-09-07
THE WALNUT GROVE ROAD.
Editor Journal-Miner:


 read, let me correct the impression many labor under in supposing that new wagon road is contemplated or being talked of for Walnut Grove, wholly. The road for which others and I have advocated as the route for it, is intended to serve a mining district as yet practically inaccessible te wagon teams. Now, if such road can be located where it will be the means of assisting in the develop meat and operation of mines, and the transportation and marketing of agricultural products, it will benefit two industries, and incidentally, be an artery leading into Prescott, as- sisting in the upbuilding and sup port of the city.
 The Hassayampa forms a natural grade to the south for such a high way. From the east and the west, gulches drain into it of all sizes; be- tween the gulehes ridges extend up ward from it's bed to the higher mountains. Up these gulenes and ridges are many gold, silver and copper veins, from a few feet to half a mile away from the creek.
 It follows that to serve these mines a route down the center, i. e., along the creek, would give each side an equal chance to reahc this main road by constructing branches each way. The grade from the mines be- ing downward to the main route at the creek. The ridges between these side gulcnes rise higher and higher as one ascends the gulehes to the east or west. Thus, to build a road across these gulches, parallel with the Hassayampa, would be a continual climb to a ridge and a drop into the next gulch-a route out of the question for easy grades, and one reason for the Jersey Lily route be- ing impractical.
 It is evident from the foregoing that route down the Hassayampa is the only one that will benefit the greater number, and owing to the typographical features of the eoun- try, the only practical one.
 Commencing at the Meseal mill and crossing the Hassayampa with twelve-foot bridge, just below, the road could be built along the creek, across the benches, flats and points of the aforementioned ridges, not above ten to twenty-five feet above the creek. I estimate the cost to the Climax mines as follows:
 Mescal Mill to Miller's Camp. s1 800 Miller's to Chambers Cabin. 1000 Chambers to Big Coffee .... 1,sO0 Big Coffee to Blocks ... 2,00o Blocks Camp to Climax. .. 1,600
 -
 Total .... ... ...$7 800
 With three bridges ten or twelve feet long, just below the Climax, the gorge commences. This is about one and one-nalf miles long, zig-zag like, and looks formidable, but the rocky sides and points are remarkably shattered and fractured and show ex- tensive oxidation and decomposition, which explains the ease with which the creek has channelled its way down into a narrow gorge to hard crystalline rock below.
 I believe that the road through the gorge is feasible, cutting across the rocky points and making an easy grade from the Mescal mill to the flat country above Mahard's ranch.
 Another route for this part of the road would be to leave the Has sayapma at Catoctin gulch, rising on the westerly slope and going higher up and around the gorge, but the greater grade and longer route to me, makes the gorge route look the better. I estimate the route through | the gorge to cost approximately s5,OOO, and I put the total cost at | s14,O ,OOO.
 Aside from the utility of the road, would be its scenic attractions, mak- ing a desirable automobile drive, es- peeially in the winter time, it being free from snow nearly the whole winter, and taking the automobilist into a warmer and sunny cline in a half-hour's ride.
 Owing to the large amount of rock work it would be out of the question to use hand drillers on the route. A small air compressor run by distillate, operating two or three air hammer drills, would do the drilling that otherwise would re- 1uire twenty men or more, and would make comparatively easy what to ho