Arizona republican., 1917-06-17


trict. by Jack Dunn and associates.
Their filing was made just one day
after that of Schiefeln and associ-
ates in the Tombstone district. Cop
per predomnated in the Mule noun
tains and silver in the Tombstone dis
trict and the more valuable metal at
tracted the greater attention. 1t took
years for Mule Gulch, now Bisbee, to
be proved and to come into its own.
1t often happens the camp that grows
M near the first mining claim in a dis
trict. bears another name than that
of the original locator. So it was with
the Warren district and Bisbee. Jack
Dunn is all but forgotten and his name
fingers only in the memory of, the first
settlers here.
For years the little settlement of
shacks that grew up near the ore out
groupings on the hillside continued to
be known as Mule Gulch. Finally it
was renamed Bisbee.
The prospectors who laid the fOun-
dation for the great mining commun-
itv faced more than ordinary dangers,
met more than ordinary difficulties.
overcame more than ordinary obstacles.
The country was infested with the most
terrible most bloOd-thirsty saVages.
the Apaches. The proSpectOrs select
ed a location remote from any railroad,
up i'm desert mountains, reached only
bv trails they had to break through the
narrow canyons. gulches and gOrges.
All supplies had to be transported a
great distance. Even water had to be
brought in. 1t was put into skins and
TRANSPORTED on the backs of burrOs.
For years the burro was the only meth
cd of transportation used or practical
BILE in the region. Then came the
wagon train and years afterward the
railroad.
Early History Recounted
The early history of Mule Gulch, or
Risbee. does not differ materially from
that of the other copper mining camps.
There was no rush such as precious
metal camps can boast of; no, days
that may be designated bonanza. It's
mines had to be developed and proved.
It's growth was naturally slow.
At first 4 few shacks a small store.
Il saloon, more shacks, more stores,
still more saloons. the dance hall, the
gambling tables, all the features of the
old time and the border mining camp.
followed one after another
II was the ultimate proving that
vast mineral resources existed in the
hills all about that made the growing
ND of a modern city not only posi-
bilitv but natural result. With in
creasing forces at work, homes had to
he provided and business houses came
in. Precautions against fire and flood
made for substantial type of build
ing.
Enter Big Company
Very much of the growth OF Blsbee,
much of the substantial appearance or
the city. is due to the Copper Queen
Mining company. The progress of the
Camp did not really start until the ad-
vent of the Queen. But the Queen had
is troubles. and on several occasions
its stockholders were on the verge of
abandoning the enterprise and were
only prevailed upon not to do so by the
man of vision of the camp, Dr. James
Douglas. But it was the work of that
company. at first with the Atlanta
company as it's neighbor, then with the
Calumet & Arizona and the Superior q
Pjttsburg companies finally determln-
ed how the mineral resources about
Risbee were beyond estimate or ap-
praisal.
In connection with policy since
then steadily continued, the copper
Queen looked to the comfort OF It's
miners. The company sought to help
them to help themselves.
II was either indirectly or directly
through the observation-disclosures OF the
Queen that handsome public and semi
public buildings have grown up at
Bisbee.
Others. individuals, were busy de-
veloping claims and the work OF those
individuals returned many fold and
added to the progress of the city. But
IT was essentially the existence there
of such a company as the copper
Queen that the Bisbee of today was
built.
In the profitable production of base
metals cheap transportation is car
IONA. until the Southern Pacific rail-
road nosed it's way into the territory
Some mining had been done in the
Aioes but these mines were within
reach of the Gulf of California and
tide water. Yet cheap transportation
was not so essential to Bisbee as TO
other camps where copper had been
discovered At Bisbee the mines were
so rich that the region became known
as the 'bonanza belt 1t was this
richness of ore that made it possible
TO haul all supplies from Benson and
matte from the furnaces to that point
for trans shipment. These were the
conditions in Bisbee when the Phelps
Dodge interests, that backed the Cop
Der Queen. constructed railroad from
El Pase west.
Old Smelter Removed
At first there was but one small fur
mace in Mule Gulch to smelt the ore
Later larger plants were installed aho
finally a smelter sufficient for all pur-
poses at that time. although only the
richness; of the ore made it so.
Later that smelter was scrapped
This followed the coming of the rail
road and the establishment of the
town of Douglas, where the Copper
Queen and the Calumet & Arizona
erected smelters.
The removal of the smelter added tC