International., 1925-05-25
LOCAL DISTRICT SEAT OF EARLIEST
MINING OPERATIONS STATE ARIZONA

laSneQ upon Lno uOVca Cd1A1oSS oO
lmprovised, and in that way 1t |
was transported easily"
Another work, entitled Los |
Ocios Espanoles, refers to the dis
covery, and J. F. Velasco, who
wrote in 1845 very valuable book
descriptive of mines in Sonora,
gives it extended mention, quot
ing both the authorities cited, and |
refers also to documents relating
thereto existing in the archives of
the missions of Pimeria Alta.
Velasco relates that in 1917
Dionisio G. Robles, Of Rayon, a |
town on the San Miguel River,
about IT'S miles southeast, fitted
out an expedition and proceeded
to Arizona for the purpose Of ex.
ploring these mines. They re-
mained in the locality but eight
days, being driven out by Apaches.
They found small lump weigh
ing about five pounds, but they
felt that had they been permitted
to remain longer their search
would have been richly rewarded
rhe members Of the expedition all
agreed that the entire region was
rich in minerals, and that east
ward from the scene Of their ex-
piorations was mountain ridge
containing numerous veins Of sill
yer, crossing each other in all di.
rections. That was probably the
field Of recent exploration and
development.
CLAIMED BL THE CROWN
The authorities quoted all re-
late that the larger masses found
were Immediately seized by the
military commandant at the Pre-
sidio of Altar, claiming them as
the property of the Crown. The
parties interested protested, but
were overruled. Appealing to the
audience chamber at Guadalajara,
they were referred to the Court
at Madrid. After seven years the
King decreed the silver as of the
royal patrimony, and ordered that
the mines be worked for his own
benefit. That decree caused
abandonment Of the property by
the claimants, and for some reason
the Kings order to work it was
never complied with. From that
time, with the execution Of the
Ieffort of Robles in 1917, no at
temut was made to work the
/ Planchas de Plata mines until
1878 when A. N. Towne ac-
onired the property, erected a
5etamp mill, operating success
fully and profitably several years
These mines have been operated
at intervals since then, and al
ways at profit. Only selected
high grade ores have been reduced,
but in their selection there have
been left underground immense
bodies of low grade silver ore
which would pay handsomely to
treat upon a large scale. in large
mill. Tt is estimated by experts
that 500 tons daily could be sent
down to such a mill through an
indefinite period It is reported
that there are in hand negotiations
which are intended to lead UP to
erection Of such q plant The
FIRST MINING IN ARIZONA
Probably dates from the scat
tering of miners from Planchas de
Plata, when suspension of opera
tions resulted from the royal edict |
claiming those properties as
"royal patrimony." Some of the
wanderers travelled northward and |
eastward, and it is related that one
party discovered the rich Silver
Bell district in Pima county. An
1other party discovered the "Padre
Nine" known the past sixty years
or more as the Trench Mine"
near Harshaw. The Flux mine, the |
Mowry, and other mines and the
Salero, Alto, etc, were discover
ed in the Patagonia and Santa
Rita mountains, and operated sue
!cessfully by those early miners
who scattered out from Planchas
do Dlo+o rryhA- &l~A L