The copper era and Morenci leader., 1921-09-02
CLIFTON -MOREN NCI. DISTRICT SEES NEW ERA 0F PROSPERITY

The Clifton correspondent of the Fl Paso Times had the following ar ticle in the Copper issue of that paper under date of August 31:
 With normal production of 50, | 100000 pounds of copper annually from the Arizona Copper Company, 1 Ltd, and Phelps Dodge Corporation, Morenci Branch, operations in the Clifton-Morenci district ceased on June l, 1921, in line with the policy or the copper producers of the state tU curtaii production until such time as the copper market reflected an in- creased demand for the brown metal. En this district there are usually employed in the mines, smelters, con. .centrators and machine shops, etc, approximately 5000 employees by the two producing companies. At present the payroll of the mining companies in the district bears the names of less than 300 Such is the situation at present and having presented the facts as they are, let US take a peep into the past and the future which will explain the optimistic and san -guine feeling that in the near future the Clifton -Morenci district will again forge ahead into the front rank of the great copper producing districts of the world.
 Oldest Producing District
 Let it be recorded in the beginning that the Clifton-Morenci district, in cluding the mines at Longfellow, Met calf, Coronado and Morenci, is the oldest continuous copper producing district in the state The period of production dates back to the early 770s, when the Lesynsky brothers came overland from Las Cruces, Nr M. nurchased the claims from the original locators, and began the smelting of copper On Chase creek in crude adobe furnace, transporting the matte product by wagon haul to La Junta, Colo, then the terminus of the Santa Fe railway.
 Steady Output for 70 Years
 From this small beeinring- under the most adverse conditions, produc, tion of copper has never ceased over a period of more than 40 years In the early 'Se5 the Arizona Copper Comnany. Ltd. came into the district by the purchase of tre I4esynskY property. the LesynslSys incidentlly cleaning up $2.OOOO00 on the deal, and about the same time came the Detroit Copper Company at Morenci, under William Church In the meantime the Southern Pacific railroad having been completed through Arizona. a railrcad was built from Clifton to Isordsburg, solving the transportation problem
 Over the past 30 years the story runs the same. Phelps Dodge Corpora ation acquired the mines at Moreno and the Arizona Copper Company Lid, continued to operate on con stantlv increasing scale at long fellow and Metcalf Millions of dol lars were put back into the propertie! in improved mining methods and re duction plants Old smelters were torn down and s3,O000OO plant tool their place. Concentrator mills. O big capacity, play their part; marrow gauge railways were ren'?ced h broad gauge tracks. and undergroun' electric haulage system were installed
 So much for the past. and now fo the future.
 Copper mine managers today ar bending their efforts to a reduction c mining and reduction of costs. Tn day of 26 cent copper is gone and is a case now of the survival of th fittest
 Tn Clifton Morenci district the mil ing claims of the Phelps Dodge Go poration and the Arizona Copper Con pany, Ltd. are interlaced. Their hau age system cross each other; tw railroad lines, the Morenci Souther and Arizona & New Mexico, haul tn supplies for each company; separat concentrators mill the ore from tn same locality and two overhead O ganizations are maintained. All ( these things add to the cost per to and cost per pound of copper minec milled and smelted.
 Deal for Consolidation
 With the drop in the price of coppe it was realized that consolidation operations in the district betwee Phelps Dodge Corporation and tf Arizona Copper Company, Ltd, inco porated under the laws of the Gre; Britain, with headquarter offices Edinburgh, Scotland. would be to tf mutual advantage of each compan With this idea in mind negotiation were begun between the officials both companies They have been progress for several months. now i stead of a consolidation, the negoti tions have reached that stage when 6 official announcement is daily eXpe ted that Phelps Dodge Corporation h; purcnaSeu OutrlSnt all Ol Llle hllli claims, concentrators, shelter, A. N M railway and personal proper of the Arizona Copper Company, It and in the future operations in tn big district will he under the so direction of Phelps Dodge.
 Last week prominent officials
 Phelps Dodge Corporation and Phell Dodge Mercantile Company have bet here checking over titles, inSpectll inventories, looking over the A.
 company properties. and the indie tions are that the big transfer
 hnIdir oc ,.il ennn take nlacp