Arizona republican., 1917-06-17
$50 ACRES ON HILLSIDE ALONE
ACCOMMODATE SECOND LARGEST
COPPER MINING CITY IN WORLD

bee, as smelter fumes, especially in
the early days, were unbearable. par
ticularly on account of the narrow
canyon in which the old town was
built
But in the removal of the smelter the
Copper Queen had in mind larger activ-
tiles and Bisbee was not a suitable
place for large plant. There was no
room.
City of Bisbee
Hemmed in and about with hills and
mountains of limestone porphyry, some
gray. some red, sparsely vegitated, all
rough and rugged, is the city of Bisbee,
business center of the Warren mining
district. Within its corporate limits
are only $50 acres of land and within
these bounds there is a population of
upward of $4,000. In its suburbs dwell
another poplation of 5000. These sub
urbs are in every way but as political
subdivisions a part of Bisbee, the city
proper being the heart of the aggre-
gated population. The comparison is
similar to that of San Francisco, which
in reality has 100000 although the
city proper has 100000.
OF these $50 acres only a small part
of it is in the canyon bottom. where
the business section is situated The
remainder is built up the hills. 1t was
necessary that a city should be built
for those attracted here by the mines.
The large buildings of stone and brick
warehouses, stores and office buildings
school houses, libraries, hotels and
rooming houses. theaters, markets and
shops of every description, fill the can
yon. On the hills are built pretty
dwelling houses, many surrounded by
grass. flowers and foliage.
Army of Miners
1t is a city of wonders and when the
visitor first looks about with observing
eyes ne marvels that such a city can
exist in such an unnatural location. But
it is here that a great army of miners
live and the city of Bisbee simply had
to come, even if the site was discourag-
ing to city building. The city has
thrived in way that has been the envy
of many another community ideally
situated. Bisbee is the largest copper
producing town, save one, in all Amer
lea, with hundreds of miles of under
ground workings extending downward
one-third of a mile from the surface,
and the whole district crowded into
less than seven square miles.
While vast mineral resources brought
| prosperity, it was not alone prosper
! ity that built the modern city. Advers-
| ity had quite as much to do with it.
| From its earliest days it faced the ter
rors of fire and flood Almost every
year raging torrents raced through the
| streets Of Bisbee, leaving mud and
| desolation in their wake. 1t was from
such conditions that the present paved
streets, subways and retaining walls
! came. Brick streets were laid to make
| traffic possible. subways built to keep
the traffic open.
Rises from Ashes
Again and again was Bisbee attack
/ ed by the fire fiend and threatened
| with humiliation. After each vista
/ ton by fire improved buildings were
! erected and it is this that gives to the
| city its more substantial character seen
| today. Larger and finer store buildings
were erected where there had formerly
been shacks and shells Finer dwell
ings were erected after the fire. Bis
| bee stands as a lesson to the builders
of cities. 1t teaches one great truth,
namely to act alone and neither ask
| nor receive outside hep. This self
| reliance has made Bisbee what it is
| today, a city "builded on a rock, y
substantial in every way.