Bisbee Daily Review

NEW TOWN
NEAR CANANEA
A PROBABILITY

Ideal Townsite on Santa Cruz River Has Interesting History—Has Been Often Denounced—Backers Loyal.

(Special Correspondence)

CANANEA, Jan. 30.—Along back in 1885, a German by the name of Johnston, hearing reports of gold in the horse shoe bend of the Santa Cruz river, came in with considerable personal capital and prospected for several years with slight success. Copper was too low a product to attract any notice then, although he encountered it in varying quantities. Finally with wasted fortune and blasted hopes he drifted into Nogales and ended his life with a six-shooter. For over a decade this community was passed by alike by prospector and capitalist. In the early part of February, 1906, Harry and Arthur Cook of Cananea, with associating capital, denounced what now comprises the Aurora Consolidated Copper Co. and the Arnold Mining Co. A party sent out to examine the property gave a very adverse opinion of its value, and on the strength of that those who had been associated with the Cooks threw up their faith and interest in the property. With unwavering purpose and tenacity, these two gentlemen clung on despite the discouraging report of the expert, and at the present time hold a large slice of stock in the Aurora Consolidated.

During the month of June practically all the ground that had been relinquished was denounced again, making Cook's company consist of the following claims: Aurora, Aurora West, Cook and Cook No. 2. There has never been a serious amount of work done at this mine, but preliminary prospecting has more than assured its owners that their property is destined to be the equal in richness of any in the region. Arrangements for more exhaustive work have been held up on account of the probability of a sale being consummated.

Closely following the Aurora filings, came Dr. E. M. Carpenter, with his denouncements of the Eureka and Carpenter No. 1. He still holds titles for his ground, and, as far as can be learned, has made no effort to develop, sell or form an operating company.

Mayor E. R. Arnold, the third comer, has realized more results and done more work than all the other companies combined. His corporation is the Arnold Mining Co., of which he holds fifty-one per cent of the stock, started to ship ore to the smelter in El Paso four months after titles had been received. There was no let up in the work during the recent depression and the normal force of one hundred men has been kept intact. The main shaft is down four hundred feet and is located on a granite dyke, on both sides of which the ore lies. On account of the firmness of this dyke very little timbering is necessary. The broadness and exact location of the ore bodies is not known yet. The character of the ore is: Native copper, carbonates and black sulphide, but chalcopyrite predominates. He has refused several offers for his share in this mine.

Another property of much promise and admirably located is the La Suerta, which joins the Arnold Co. John F. Evans, Luis Lease, W. R. Peters and Harry Lane, all of Cananea, are the owners.

About the time these companies received their titles, Colonel Greene and associates, with their never-failing energy and resource, laid a blanket denouncement on all the open ground within a radius of fifteen miles. Dr. L. D. Ricketts, J. H. Kirk and David Cole began work on their own account at once. The entrance of these experienced and reliable men in the field added a strength and assurance to the district that cannot be overestimated. It has pinned fresh hope to the pioneers in the field and brought outside assistance that would have been slow in coming under different conditions.

The likelihood of a good-sized town springing up there cannot be questioned. The location is ideal. The Santa Cruz river has an abundant supply of water; the hills teem with wood that solves the fuel problem; the railroad pierces the heart of the region; the valley is dotted with farms and ranches that will furnish the sustenance of life at reasonable prices; and the geographical formation is such that all the mines have a natural outlet at the toe of the horse-shoe. Cananea hopes to see the smoke of a busy town rising over the mountains at the west, and many of her citizens are unshaken in their belief that the realization will be greater than the hope.