Mohave County miner. [volume] (Mineral Park, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1882-1918, 1911-11-11
Morenci Unique as
Mining Town.


ably the most unique in the United
States. A city of 5000 people accord
ing to the last United States census,
it is without a city government and |
not a resident of the place owns the |
land upon which his home is built. |
Notwithstanding, there are many |
handsome homes, in keeping with
those of other cities of like population,
with baths, modern plumbing, tele
phone, electoic lights and all conven-
fences to be had in cities much larger.
The town gives fair idea TO the
Iayman of the extensive investments
which the mining companies make In
their efforts to wrest the wealth from
the earth. Here is city of 5000 peo
pie, owned outright by two big COM
panies, in which one company has
found it necessary to build two public
schools, a telephone system, an cleo
trio light plant, an ice plant, water
system, a sewer system hotel, club
house and into which it has had to
build an Is mile railroad that it might
operate, The investment of the De-
troit company alone mounts into the
millions, tens of millions some say,
and a great part of this was made nee
essary Just TO give accommodations TO
its employees; to bring about stu
alton such as would be enticing and
would make them satisfied. In Mo-
rencia, several hundred miles from
any large city-El Paso is the closest
the people have practically all the
home comforts they could get in a
town of 10000 people and some OF
them better, and they never have to
trouble themselves about the admins
tration of their affairs.
Some cite Morenci as an example
of paternalism that argues strongly
for the socialistic Utopian idea OF
government ownership and control, on
ly in this Morenci seems advanced,
for with government control of public
utilities the people would have to vote
upon it and ''things would get into
politics" In Morenci the big copper
companies control everything and, as
they must make the conditions the
best, to keep their people here, they
select the best people for the admins
trative positions and make them dc
the work. The result is that the
lights always burn, the telephone al
ways works, the water always runs
the sewers are never clogged. anC
there is no man able to escape hi:
share of duty to the community by
standing in" with the ruling politi
cal powers, for no favoritism can bt
shown by a big corporation working
thousands of men, and there are M
ruling political powers.
Morenci is the headquarters of thu
Detroit Copper company; the Arizoni
Copper company also operates here
The two mines give employment tina
supports the entire population. Eacl
company operates a mine here ant
each also operates a concentration
The Detroit company also operates
smelter. The A. G. company trans
ports its concentrates to Clifton, thre
miles away, for smelling. The tw
companies own all the land upol
which the homes are built and onl
employees, with very few exceptions
are permitted TO build. Any employ
who can find site for home, get
permission to erect a cottage and pay
on whose land the home is built, mere
ly to acknowledge title to the pro
erty for the company. Another dolla
month is paid for sanitary expense:
That is all the expense the home OWL
er has and when he is discharged c
leaves the camp of his own accord
there is always an applicant waitin
10 buy.
For the single men who do not wis
TO maintain homes. the two companie
operate hotels. The Hotel Moreno
of the Detroit company, cost $1,000
and is a very handsome building, {
mission architecture. AT either of tn
hotels, travellers are accommodated. bI
at no such rates as are given the en-
ploves. The Detroit cOmpany's hote
is elaborately furnished, with baths
many of the rooms, is lighted by ele
tricity, as are all the houses in th
town, and has handsome, well fuI