The copper era and Morenci leader., 1920-05-07
D0UGL AS EDITOR TELLS ABOUT TRIP
 ID GREENLEE C0.
(By Geo. H. Kelly)


 The Clifton-Morencim mining district, with Clifton as the metropolis, is just now at low industrial ebb, but things are in preparation for perhaps greater economical success in the future than ever was known in the past history of the district Clifton has shown many evidences of important improve
 ments during the past two years, in. cluding two modern cement bridges 1 across the Frisco river, which divides the town; one of the bridges has re- 1 placed an old one built by the Ari- zona Copper Company many years ago and the other is in South Clifton l alongside the railroad bridge. Both i these structures were built by the city as a result of bond issue.
 The Arizona Copper Company, Nor 1 man Carmichael, general manager, is l the only producer in the district now 1 and it is operating at about 60 per i cent normal, producing last month i three million pounds of copper. This
 company last year bought all the hold ings of the Shannon Copper Company 1 in this district The Shannon com
 pany came into the district in 1902.
 buying what was known as the Shan non mines at Metcalf from Charles M. i Shannon, building second narrow
 guage railroad connecting the mines
 with it's smelter plant in South Clifton.
 All this property, went to the A. C. 1 company; the Shannon shelter has i been out of commission since the puT l chase.
 The Phelps Dodge Company, at Mo-
 renci, discontinued production several i months ago, since then only develop 1 ment work in mines has been contin-
 ued. When this company shut down i the concentrator and shelter it was i reported that the entire reduction ! plant of the company was to undergo 1 renovation with the addition of more {, modern methods of ore treatment. All 1 the ore in the district is low grade and requires concentration. All the
 companies of the district have a num- i Der of mills. Now, the A. c. company and the Phelps Dodge corporation,
 owners of the Morenci branch, have ! inaugurated investigations by compe tent engineers with the purpose Of
 closer cooperation in carrying for
 ward future operations in the district.
 The A. c. company's smelteI, just
 below Clifton on the Frisco river, is regarded as one of the most modern plants 'in Arizona. It was completed
 several years ago and was construct ed under the direction .of Dr. l.. D.
 Ricketts. The shelter, it is believed, i with slight additions, has a capacity | to smelt daily all ore produced in the district and it is believed that the two remaining companies in the dis l trct will be able to find plan by which mining may be carried forward
 in this district at Q material economl- cal saving to both and on larger i scale.
 I On account of the shutdown of both the Shannon and thu Detroit reduction
 works the district has lost many min CTS and mill men and as result bus
 mess has been very quiet in the dis
 trict, but there is much hope for the
 future.
 A silver mine which has been un' der development and has produced
 much ore during the past six months
 is attracting considerable attention
 here This mine is owned by some of the prominent men of the state, be , sides several prominent in the dis trict. including W. B. Kelly, editor oi , the Copper Era John Gatti and Mike
 
 ent of the company. Others interest ed in the enterprise are Hugh Camp | bell of Flagstaff: E. A. Sawyer of Hol r brook: George Stoneman, J. c. Cal laghan and Dr. E. w. Baum, of PhOe , nix Since October this property known as the Stargo, has shipped forty : cars of ore to the Calumet & Arizona smelter at Douglas. The ore bodies
 have seemingly proved their perma , nency and now shipping has been dis ! continued and arrangements have , been completed for the building of z , cyanide mill at the site of the mine 7 which is less than half mile iron , the switch on the Morenci Souther1 , railroad. With this mill it is estimat ed that an additional saving of S10 pel ton will be made. The mill will have . a capacity of treating fifty tons of orc , per day.
 Greenlee County has done more il l. the matter of road building than an! , other county in the state during tht past five years. The roads of this min ) ing district are simply wonderful. Int , mountain roads reaching both Moren ci and Metcalf from Clifton are th' 3 best to be found in the state and th' f scenic beauty of both is superb Th' a state highway going from here to thu f Gila valley is another magnificen
 mountain highway and the distanc' t to Solomonville- miles. is easil! 9 made in two and half hours and thi g will be cut to two hours when Graham l. county does the work intended iron 9 the valley to the Gleenlee county line Il Another fine road goes from Clifton
 to Duncan and on to the New MeXic, f line where it connects with the roa' h going on to Lordsburg.
 Greenlee County. in connection wit
 the forest reserve. is building roa'
 which starts at Metcalf and goes o, through the White mountains t