Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1913-02-12
ARIZONA AND ITS
COPPER MINES
BY MARTIN. E. TEW

Editor Tribune: I beg to acknowledge
your courteous invitation to contribute
to your columns an article describing
the Arizona mining property in which
so many Kandiyohi county people, in
Guiding myself, are part owners.
Those interested financially in this
enterprise are kept pretty we'll inform
ed as to its progress. To those who
are not so interested descriptive art
icle might read like an advertisement.
1t is therefore preferable, in my hum
BILE opinion, to let the property speak
for itself. The most convincing langu-
age will be in that highly priced liter
airy style familiar to those who handle
dividend checks There are now the
best of reasons for believing that the
time is not far distant when literature
in this welcome form will be issued to
several scores of good folks in Kandi-
yohi county.
But the copper mining industry, which
is the backbone Of AriZona's prosperity,
is an intensely interesting one to any
student, and few lines touching some
Of the high places of this broad subject
may possibly be of interest to your
readers.
Arizona is the youngest state in the
Union. 1t is as large as Minnesota and
half of Iowa put together. Its total
population is not as great as that of St.
Paul and Minneapolis. Its broad des-
erts plateaus and mesas present the
most wonderful variety and profusion
Of cactus plants found anywhere in the
world. In the higher attitudes of it's
numerous mountain ranges are fine for
ests. The Grand Canyon, in the north
ern part Of the state, is the scenic mar
vel OF the world. It's petriied forests
and it's ruins Of prehistoric cities are
subjects Of never ending interest. No
other state has such a large Indian pop
uation. Its winter climate is finer than
that of Southern California. From a
mountain peak one can see through the
crystal clear atmosphere a hundred
miles in each direction.
Humboldt, the great scientist and
traveller, visited this region long before
it was known to the English speaking
people He said it would prove to be
the mineral treasure house of the world.
His prediction has already proven to
be correct. After only a few years of
development Arizona S mountain ranges
are yielding nearly one-ffth of the cop
per supply of the entire world. Gold,
silver, lead and other metals are also
obtained in generous measure. AriZona's
copper crop in 1912 amounted to $780,
100000 pounds, and brought at the pre-
vailing prices about $60,000,O00. Min
nesotas wheat crop did not bring much
more than this.
q upnPr7tlQn more
led the world in copper production.
Michigan's output last year was larger
than ever before, being 225,00O,000
pounds But the infant state led it's
older competitor by 125,O00,000 pounds.
Several new mines will add to Arizona's
large output in 1913, in all probability
increasing it to 0O,OO0,000 pounds.
We are living in the age of electric
ity. The principal SUBSTANCE of every
electrical machine and device is copper.
Since Edison obtained his first patent
the worlds consumption of copper has
Increased from one hundred and fifty
million to nineteen hundred million
pounds per year. The consumption is
steadily increasing at the rate of ten
per cent, or nearly 100 million pounds,
annually. Without Arizona's great
va ~ ~
ficult to see how the worlds needs could
be supplied.
Minnesota's pioneers were farmers.
Arizonas pioneers are mining men. Inc
pioneers of our North Star State" have
gone down in story and song as men OF
faith, daring, resource :ulness, patience
and perseverance. The pioneers of the
Cooper State could not succeed with
out these same qualities.
Many people who do not understand
the subject believe that mines are "dis-
: covered" and that success in mining is
a matter of ''luck." Luck and chance
play a smaller part in copper mining
than in farming. The development of a
COPPER property is slow and expens-
i've undertaking which will put to test
the courage, resourcefulness, patience
and perseverance Of the strongest men.
Those who are not abundantly equip
ped by nature with these qualities
should devote themselves to safter and
less heart-trying vocations.
The discovery of favorable surface
indications is the least important detail
in the making of copper mine. Miles
of tunnels, shafts, drifts, crosscuts, up
raises and wines must be drilled and
blasted through the solid rock to make
sure that commercial ore exists in SUI
ficient quantities to justify the building
of the large mills, "sme1ters, power
plants, machine shops and other equip
ment incident to the production OF the
red metal.
It is an OIL. saying that lit takes {
million dollars and ten years to make
a copper mine." Another saying is thai
ut takes a gold mine to start a cop
per mine; but that if you lave copper
mine you can buy twenty gold Mines
These sayings are borne out by thu
facts, The Calumet & Hector copper
mine of Michigan has paid to it's $685.
stockholders since 1875 total of $l19,
100000 in dividends. The Utah Cope
Co., began production six years ago ant
is now paying over $5,000,OO0 annual!
to it's 1000 stockholders. The Ra.
Consolidated Co., started it's great mil
near Winkelman, Arizona in 1911 an
is now turning out the red metal at tn
rate Of 100000 day. It required al
most as much money to develop an
equip this property as to build the grea
Roosevelt dam, which irrigates $4,000
acres Of land.
The making of copper mine is suc]
a. large undertaking that it can be &C
'complished only by the cooperation o
many individuals, who will work to
gether tremendously and effectively TO
a long period. 1t is too big task TO
one man, no matter how much none
he may have. In looking over the lon
list Of the worlds successful cope
Mines I do not find single one that
owned by an individual, or even by