Jerome Mining News

THE PROPOSED JEROME-EQUATOR WAGON ROAD
The Line to Be Surveyed at Once and the Matter Submitted To the Businessmen of Jerome--Two Lines Will Be Run From Which You May Take Your Choice.

The matter of a direct road on an easy grade along the east slope of the Black Hills to Equator has been time and time again agitated, but when the question was about to assume definite shape, it always seemed to have suddenly taken wings and escaped the minds of those most interested. But at the present writing the building of the road appears to be an assured fact. It will at least get a start. Manager Ed. D. Treadwell, of the Geo. A. Treadwell and the Brookshire Mining companies, has taken the matter in hand, and just as soon as Gov. Powers finishes the work of surveying the Brookshire group of mines for a patent he will make two surveys for the new road. One will run from Main street west of the school house along the old Winingham trail, keeping well up in the hills. The other will leave the county road in Deception Gulch near the W. W. Nichols well and cover the trail which now leads to Equator and other mines in the Jerome district south of the camp. After the survey Mr. Treadwell will make an estimate of the cost of both routes and will then submit the matter to the citizens of Jerome for subscriptions. All of the mining companies working south of Jerome on the line of the proposed road have signified their willingness to stand their share of the expense, and at least one of our county supervisors has expressed his conversion to the favorable consideration of a resolution carrying a county appropriation. But the principal burden will have to be carried by the business men of Jerome, and to them it is a clear business proposition, and one that should not be "passed up" without due consideration.

There is no doubt but that people living in the hills will come more frequently to Jerome if they have good roads to travel over, and the oftener they are in town the more money they will spend. With good roads to get into our great copper belt the more attention the man looking for mines will pay it, and the more thoroughly it will be explored; and the chances to interest capital will be doubled. Good roads will give easier access to the now terminus of the United Verde & Pacific railroad, thus delaying the extending of the railroad and the building of towns adjacent to Jerome, and in that way prevent scattering the business which should rightly concentrate here. Good roads will assist the prospector in developing his mine when once he strikes ore rich enough to ship, and assist the capitalist who is developing to judge the better, through the shipment of ores, as to what he is spending money for. And the benefit the district would derive from the frequent shipment of small lots of ore cannot be over estimated. Anything that can be done to encourage the development of the district will most benefit Jerome's business men and property holders, and the News believes that money spent in building this road would be money well invested and would pay big interest. The building of this road will be of great benefit to Jerome.