Arizona state miner., 1926-01-16


will shine more brightly for miners
of Arizona than it has shown during
the past eight years.
OF course Arizona is primarily q
copper-producing State and the cop
per output comes from five major
camps. Production has not been
crowded during the past year, the
officials bending their efforts toward
the reduction of costs. More ton
mage for less money has been the
slogan of copper operators.
The results from the extensive i'm
provementss made during the era of
depression following the boom of war
days is showing in a stabilized pro-
duction at lower costs. Even tho
the price of copper for the year will
average less than Is cents a pound,
the large copper companies will show
substantial earnings which would not
have been possible with the facilities
and equipment available before their
large investments in betterments.
The Inspiration Copper Company
is at work on six million dollar
teaching plant for the handling of
carbonate ore. The Miami Copper
Company undertook the treatment of
their very low grade ores and is max
ing success of producing copper
from ore containing but 16 pounds In
metal to the ton of rock.
The Clifton-Morenci district is
thriving under the Phelps-Dodge
regime, and the new concentrator,
which is the outgrowth of the old
Arizona Copper Company's plant, Is
proving one of the most efficient
the Bisbee district both the Phelps
Dodge and the Calumet and Arizona
have maintained their normal produc-
ton from their old ore bodies and
are both reported to have made dis.
coVeries in new ground that will
lengthen the life of the camp many
Dodge Company for remodeling their
smelter at Douglas will probably re.
suit in an entirely new plant which
viii be the last word in copper smelt,
ing practice.
BY far the most significant deveI
opment in Arizona, and one that will
bold the center of the metal stage
during the year. are the lead-silver
zinc mines. The success Of the Shat
tuck-Arizona Copper Company in
applying fotation concentration tc
oxidized lead ores points the way for
handling a number of similar ores
in various parts of the State. For
several years Utah, Idaho and Mon.
tana have been successfully separat.
ing zinc from lead and marketing
both metals separately. with a re-
suit that dozens of new mines have
been developed and are in success.
full production. swelling the dividends
from mines of those states by mil
lions Of dollars annually.
Arizona. while rich in mines of this
type of ore, has been decidedly back.
ward In adapting the new departure
in concentration. The New Year
will see a number of small plants
added to the mines equipment of the
State. The camp of Chloride, which
for many years has been known to
be rich in the complex ores of lead
zinc and copper, has arranged for a
custom mill. The Prescott-Mayer
section. which 40 years ago was
working gold veins which turned base
at the depth of few hundred feet
has fertile field in deeper develop
ment for these complex ores, fact
shown by the operations of the Shell
don Mining Company, which is find
ing abundant complex ores at a depth
of 1000 feet. The combined values
in the silver-leadcopper-zin is prov
ing greater than the concentrated
gold ore near the surface.
Yuma. Pima. Cochise, Santa Cruz
and Yavapai counties all have ores
Of this type which are due for in