Arizona state miner., 1922-12-02
MINES AND RAILS
LEAD DEVELOPMENT
Cooperation Of 5. P. With Mines Increases
Business and Population

development primarily to two agen-
cies-Mining and Railroading.
The attention Of the world was first
attracted to the West with the an
nouncement Of the discovery Of gold.
A great influx of people followed and
the tales of the resources and possi-
bilities in the West spread to all
parts of the globe.
The one great obstacle in the way
Of development was the lack Of trans
portation facilities. The long, peri
lous voyage around Cape Horn in
''windjammers" mitigated against any
considerable interchange of commerce.
Fortunately there were captains of
industry and finance possessed of
broad vision, courage and sufficient
faith In the future Of the West to con-
ceive and bring to completion great
systems of transcontinental railways.
Among these the Southern Pacific
were the first lines.
For many years there were nothing
but main lines Of railroads through
the mining territory and the ores and
rich minerals were transported to the
railways by mules, donkeys and horses
from mines far back in the mountains
The placer mining camps Of the early
days were about the only ones located
adjacent to the railroad.
In the last twenty-five years the
greater mining development on the
Southern Pacific has been in Nevada
and in Arizona and New Mexico. Op-
,erations in these districts have re-
suited in very heavy movements OF
mining supplies such as concentrating,
smelling and other treating machinery,
explosives, timbers and fuel.
There also has developed a very
heavy outbound tonnage OF bullion
and other finished or semi-completed
mineral products from the mines.
S. P. Co-operates
The policy of the Southern Pacific
always has been to cooperate in the
development Of these properties. In
doing so it has followed the plan of
publishing reasonable freight rates on
the materials and supplies used in the
mines and in the treatment of the
products of the mines, with low rates
on the ores or on the manufactured
products out Of the smelters.
In the adjustment Of rates on the
products Of the mines it has been the
policy to establish schedules based
upon the values of the product. The
principle has been recognized that
producer Of ore worth $100 a ton can
afford to pay higher charge than
can the producer Of ore valued at $40.
This has been done in recognition
of the fact that the great bulk of the
ores transported would be Of lesser
value and with the view Of encourag-
ing the greatest possible production Of
low grade ores, so that in the aggre.
gate would be transported sufficient
volume of tonnage to afford reason
able return on the investment.
The company also has encouraged
to the fullest extent the treatment
Of minerals at the point OF produc-
ton.
These policies have resulted in the
maintenance of the closest possible
feeling Of cooperation between mine
owners and the railroad, bringing
about constantly increasing popula-
ton in the mountain and desert re-
gions, with development in the thriv-
ing industrial cities, where only few
years ago there was nothing but
struggling mining camps.
twenty-five years ago both mining
and railroad development in Arizona
were in their infancy Then the as
sessed value OF all railroads operating
within the state was less than $3,000,-
900, while the assessed value of min
ing property of all description was less
than $2,OO0,0O0
Assessed Valuations
The assessed valuations in 1921
forcefully show how the railroads and
the mines constantly have progressed
in the pioneering work of develop
ment.
The assessed valuation of the rail-
roads of Arizona for this later year
amounted to more than $1O1,OOO,O 900,
while that Of the mining properties
was more than $407 900, 900.
This enormous increase in the min
ing development in Arizona, from
comparatively insignificant copper pro-
ducer twenty-five years ago to the
greatest copper producing section of
the United States today, has been
due to marked degree to the rail
road development
1t is considered highly significant
that some Of the greatest copper pro-