Nogales international., 1935-04-20
BY JULIAN A. BEAMAN
United Press Staff Correspondent


PHOENIX, April 49,. UP)-Black
billowing smoke poured from many
reclaimed mills and few smelters
over the state as mining activity In
the silver camps started on an in
creased productive scale and the
hills became alive with prospectors
who has visions of the silver market
going above the dollar mark.
Silver men, cheered by the recent
increase in the price of domestic
silver to II cents per ounce, are
dreaming again of a congressional
marriage of Queen Silver and King
Gold, monarch of currency, at a ra-
ito Of 16 to 1, according to reports
reaching here from Denver.
Rehabilitation of Silver has meant
new life in the once forgotten sill
yer camps near Miami, Globe, pic
turesque old Tombstone, and thru
the Yavapai county district. 1t has
brought about a reduction by more
than 30 per cent in the relief rolls
of many of the counties where min
ing Is cne of the principal indus
tries.
Over in Yavapai county there are
more ball mills with capacities Of
SO to 100 tons day working now
than at any time within the past 80
years, according to Grace M. Eparks,
secretary of the Yavapai county
chamber of commerce. Activity III
the industry is attributed directly
to the increase in silver prices.
MANY properties, especially in the
Hillside area, are SO prosperous they
are paying their royalties ahead OF
time" Miss Sparks reports. "Some
Of them know positively have paid
two years ahead. I might add, not
far from the Hillside district there
are some new properties that have
hit pay ore from the grass roots
down" Elk
There are three custom mills now
operating in the northern country
and fourth is about ready to open.
Old slopes and drifts, cross cuts.
are being reopened, retimering OF
old tunnels has started and many
shafts are being cleared Of water,
she says. There is a great rush to
block out new ore and In many Sec
tions of the state old dumps are be-
ing reclaimed with ore dumped there
heretofore because the silver price
failed to make salvaging profitable.
The old timers and some of those
that have just come into the coun-
try since the government started
control of the silver market are
certain the white metal will go to
$1.29. They are so certain that
many are gambling on the proposi-
tion. buying properties that produce
only low grade ores. made profitable
only by high price for the metal.
Mining equipment companies are
reporting increased sales over last
wear. Word has come from Denver
that the u. S. mint there has bought
IS 900, 900 more newly-mined gold
and silver for the first three months
of this year than during the similar
period last year.
One thing certain about the pre-
sent boom. in the minds of the old
timers and those close to the In
dustry. the revival will not approach
the wild, bonanza days at the turn
of the century, when virgin fields
were being exploited, and few big
strikes are likely, say the experts.
Along with the knowledge that
there will be no more great strikes
and old-fashioned gold rushes is
the fact that the day of the long
bearded sourdough proSpector who
roamed over the desert and hills OF
this country many years ago, has
passed into the pages of history.
Today trained biologists and geo.
phvsicists explore the country, US
ing se:smographic equipment. These