It is impossible, in the limited space afforded in this article, to give an adequate idea of the mines of this Territory. There is scarcely a mountain or hill within the state of Arizona that does not contain veins of native gold, silver, copper and lead. Owing to various causes, principally Indian hostilities, this vast wealth has been but little developed, and is yet but imperfectly understood. I shall only attempt to refer to a few of the most prominent mining districts, and, in order to make the reference as brief as possible, I shall class them by counties.
YUMA COUNTY. Gold, silver, copper and lead are found in lodes near the Colorado river, the entire length of the county; also placer gold in considerable sums has been extracted. No effort has been made to conduct water to these mines; the gold has generally been obtained by what is called the dry washing process. To pay by this process, the mines must necessarily be very rich, but if water could be obtained, they would undoubtedly pay well, even when once worked by the other process. Many lodes of gold ore, silver, copper and lead have been located, and quite a profitable business engaged in by shipping the ores via the Colorado river to San Francisco. The success of these enterprises would warrant the belief that by the erection of machinery and properly opening the mines, they could be made very profitable to the owners. Along the southern border of the county, extensive and rich mines of copper ore are found, but owing to the high rate of transportation have not yet been made to pay.
MOHAVE COUNTY. It has been known since the organization of the Territory, that nearly all the mountains in this county contained lodes of gold, silver, copper and lead, and, in 1863, an attempt was made to develop and work some of these lodes; some machinery was erected and considerable money expended, but, as has been the case in nearly all new mining counties, hostility of Indians, extravagance, want of experience, etc., the investments proved disastrous, and the mining interest has been paralyzed.
About two years ago, operations were again commenced and quite a mining settlement has sprung up at Wallapai about 30 miles East of the Colorado river. A vast number of new mines have been discovered, and new districts have been formed for many miles around. It will be seen by reference to the statistics of Mohave county that the ores that have been shipped and worked are remarkably rich, and from frequent personal examination, I am convinced that with capital prudently invested this will prove to be one of the richest and most extensive mining sections on the Pacific Coast. There are four arastras, three furnaces, one five-stamp quartz-mill, one saw-mill, and one steam hoisting works, operating in the Bounty .
YAVAPAI COUNTY. Owing to the hostility of the Apache Indians, prospecting and mining has been much retarded over a large portion of the county, but sufficient explorations have been made to demonstrate the fact that it contains extensively rich mines of gold and silver scarcely a mountain has been examined that does not show rich deposits of these metals. Placer gold is found over a large extent of country, and during wet seasons these surface mines are worked with great profit. For three years water has been scarce, and but little work has been done on the immense gravel beds found near Prescott, 'but from present appearances a bountiful supply will be had the coming Spring; and with a plentiful supply of water, thousands of men could obtain employment near Prescott in placer mining. The discovery of gold and silver ore quartz lodes are so numerous that it is out of the question to give room in this document to mention but one or two of the leading ones: The Vulture mine at Wickenburg is worked principally for gold ore; the lode is large and well defined.
A forty stamp mill erected at Wickenburg was kept constantly employed crushing ore from this mine for several years, but owing to the great cost of bringing the ore from the mine to the mill, a distance of 15 miles, and mismanagement of those who controlled it, work was some time ago suspended; but there is in sight at the mine thousands of tons of free gold ore, worth $15 to $25 per ton, and the time is not far distant when it will again be worked with profit. Messrs. Smith and Taylor, two practical mining and mill men have for the past six months been running a ten-stamp mill on an extension of this lode with great profit, probably not making less than $200 per day, after paying all expenses. In the Bradshaw district the Tiger lode gives promise of taking an important position beside the great silver bearing mines of Mexico and the United States. The lode is wide and regular in its formation; a careful assay of about 700 tons on the dump shows the ore to be worth $100 per ton, and from this, 35 tons were selected and shipped to San Francisco, and was disposed of for $17,000. There are also many other valuable mines in this district. Considerable native gold is being taken out by arastras in this district, at Prescott, Walnut Grove and Antelope, and without the aid of capital. Our hardy miners, now that the Apaches have been made quiet, will soon demonstrate with gold and silver bars the mineral wealth of the Territory.
MARICOPA COUNTY. But very little prospecting has been done in this county, but sufficient to demonstrate the existence of veins of gold, silver, copper and lead in nearly all the mountains. The most important discovery yet made is the Silver Queen., twenty miles north of Florence ; and most excellent prospects have been found in the Pinal mountains. An excellent vein of coal has been found near Camp Apache, and also a mountain of pure salt on Salt river. Many legends have been told by captives who have escaped from the Indians, and by Indians who have been taken as prisoners, of the existence somewhere in this section of rich placer mines, but all efforts to find them have so far proved futile.
PIMA COUNTY. Nearly all the mountains contain veins of gold, silver, copper and lead, and long before the country was purchased from Mexico, gold and silver mining was earned on to a considerable extent. After the purchase, the attention of capitalists was attracted here, and considerable money was invested with fair prospects of success. About this time, the Great Rebellion broke out, and the Confederate forces took possession and confiscated or destroyed all property known to belong to Union men; then the Union forces re-took the country and confiscated or destroyed all property known to belong to those in sympathy with the Rebellion, and the Indians and marauding bands took what was left irrespective of creed or parties. This effectually destroyed all mining enterprises, and it is only until within the past year that any effort has been made to revive the mining interest During this time, considerable prospecting has been done, and a number of patents have been applied for. 'Sufficient developments have been made to warrant the belief that with capital well directed, a very extensive mining field would soon be opened. Certainly there is an abundance of ore, and assays and working tests show that it can be worked to great profit.
Return
to The Arizona Page:
Arizona Gold Rush Mining History
