Arizona republican., 1916-04-23

next year three adjoining claims were located by M. A. Ruffner, who, with Rod McKinnon, did much work on the Eureka and Sleeping Beauty mines. In 1882 the mines were ex- amined by F. F. Thomas, who had been told in Prescott, by Angus Mc- Kinnon that he and his brother had fine copper mine in the Black Hills about 25 miles distant. This was the Wade Hampton. where Angus and McKinnon had sunk a 45-foot shaft and short drift. The prospect looked good and so an agreement was made to pay McKinnon $500 cash and $15,0O0 December l. Thomas en- ployed the McKinnons. who seemed to be afraid to sink for fear of knocking the bottom out of their i mine and spelling good prospect. Thomas foreseeing the prospect of a big mine by consolidation of several claims, thereafter bonded the adjoin- ing Eureka mines from Charles Len mig of Philadelphia, the Hermit claim from Ruffner and the McKinnons, the Azure and Adventure Chromes from Judge Riley of Nevada and his nepheWs, in all getting possession of eleven claims, as well as title to a spring in Walnut gulch. Nearly all ] had good copper croppings but some showed only iron, zinc and lead sul- phides, with low assays in silver and gold. In the same year George A. Treadwell, later noted as a mining expert, was taken to see the prop erty and became enthusiastic over it ground. Securing the necessary money for making the bond payments was was spent by Thomas in chasing around eastern financial centers anC
 
 Kinnon bond had been extended tc January l, by which date Thomas hat telegraphed $7,5OO to the McKinnons The incorporation of the United Verde Copper company was effecteI in 1883, with James A. McDonal' president, and Eugene Jerome secre tary and treasurer, with Thomas su perintendent and general manager authorized to install reduction works build a road and operate the prop erty. Thomas left New York Marc 23, 1883, and soon thereafter starte the first fifty-ton furnace, whic
 made a phenomenal run on oxidize ores, high with silver Thomas ha
 already surveyed the townsite, whic was named after the company's sec retary.
 While the mine was wonderful
 rich, reduction processes of that da
 had not developed to a point wherei
 it's ores could be handled profitabl
 Within a year the company had pal s62,0O0 in dividends out of tot
 production of s77s,OOO worth of coI
 per This came mainly in the for
 of sixty per cent matte, in which W;
 considerable gold Transportation hs
 been even as much trouble as the r
 fractory ores and so, late in N l. vember, 1884, when copper hs u dropped to about seven cents e pound, and when snow covered u a Black Hills divide, over which u
 hauling had to be done to Ash For : the mine was closed down. In u $ summer of 1887 Governor Tritle S Il cured a bond and lease on the pro- a erty from the United Verde compan e but soon found the same distressir n conditions bearing down on him tn n had confronted the previous manag = ment. According to c. W. Hull, l. g cator of adjacent property, ths .it e at the mine not being paid e..e e wages, took possession and threaten, $ to destroy the plant" Some sort n settlement was made, and then u r. mine was on the market. Prof. Jam e Douglas examined the property b y considered it too remote from tran IS portation Following this came w. t, Clark of Montana, accompanied le John L. Thompson and J. I. Girou