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


for instance, when two bandits held
up the cashier of the bank in the no.
tel two years ago and made off with
several thousand dollars in perfectly |
good cash. No saloons are permitted |
in Morenci and, inasmuch as the COM
panies own all the ground, there are
no stores here except company stores. |
Outside the town proper is place |
called New Town." where most of
the business houses" are saloons and
most of the other houses are devoted
to other purpo ses not cataloged so
highly in the social scale. Several
restaurants that cater to the foreign
element in the mines, butcher shop
and a few other concerns operate IN
New Town." which is one street,
about the length of two city blocks,
built in a small canyon, reached by
climbing over a mountain OF Stag
dump, which ever appeals strongest.
The town of Morenci is, therefore, a
town of homes strictly. There are
two school buildings, one of them
built jointly by the two copper COM
panies, and the other erected by the
Detroit company. One of these build
ings cost 2O,OO0S and the other cost
24,OOOS. Sixteen teachers are employ
ed and the total attendance of pupils
is 700. Last week the average attend
ance was 6S7 and this week it was over
200. The state pays the teachers, for
the copper companies pay big taxes
and are entitled in the general course
, of events, to big appropriation from
the state school fund. The copper
companies provided the houses for
the schools on the same theory that
: the D stroit company enlarged its cleo
trio light plant md telephone system
/ that the employees of the mines
: might he satisfied and that they might
Z not suffer Inconvenience through their
2 isolation here in the mountains.
An amusement hall or club that cost
r close 10 3O,OOOs is another feature Of
e Morenci This was built by the cop
per companies and every employe
e who wishes to become a member may
e do so on payment of the very nomi-
/, nal charge of l3s a year. Billiards,
d pool, bowling, shower baths, reading
room and other features make it a
y real club and it is opera ed as such
Il with board of directors elected 10y
c the Lenders. There is always de-
z felt at the end of the year mad thi:
D the Detroit company makes up. II
= the club room, the social affairs of the
= town are held. The cavalry troop o
}, the Arizona National Guard, made NJ
). of Morencl men who work for thes'
e two big companies, holds its meetings
e here: the dances are held here during
d the winter; the home talent entertain
y ments are given here, the lyceuu
courses are held here and the whole
!. social center of the town revolve,
r around this magniicently furnished
II building.
J. The ore in the Morenci mines is con
If sidered low grade, running about
n per cent in copper values, with som'
e gold and silver, but not enough I,
= warrant saving it. The Detroit com
is pany is now concentrating about l4O
r. tons daily and can run 1900 tons. Tn,
e Arizona company, when it complete
, ~, ID nj
1t tunnel. which is now almost finished
ID will be handling like amount. Th
" Detroit company's smelter handles al
5, of its concentrates, about 200 tons
" day: the Arizona company ships it
n concentrates over the mountain an
I down the Longfellow incline into Gilt
Of ton, where its smelters are located
r. About 60 percent of the output of tn
10 Arizona company is mined here: Tn
r. other 40 per cent is mined at Coronado
e; and Metcalfe. north of Clifton, and al
l. of the camps are within a few miles G
IL each other. the district being know
Dr. as the Morenci Clifton district.
g The water supply for Morenci, whic
~ is also furnished by the Detroit con
ic pany, is pumped from EIgle, five mile
D. away. and is lifted 1909 feet in tina
BIT distance. There is no water in Mo
n renci and the water bill for the Nv
of big companies is immense. The d.
ed troit company, when it first began
operate here, had its smelter and col
IN centrator some distance below Nc
IN, renci on the San Francisco rive
v, hauling the ores down in wagons, br
or this was back in the early 'S0s-th