[F. S. A., Our Letter from Arizona Territory, Alta California, April 25, 1865]

 

OUR LETTER FROM ARIZONA TERRITORY.

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(From the Resident Correspondent of the Alta California.)

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EL DORADO CAÑON, UPPER COLORADO RIVER, )

Arizona Territory, March 30th, 1865.  )

A New Mill Company.

            Editors Alta: Upon the prospect of another ten-stamp quartz mill being completed here in a few days, the hands and enterprising residents of this rich mineral region have entered upon their labors with new energy, and before many we[eks] have rolled around their efforts will produce such telling results as will create a sensation abroad and will make this region known as it deserves to be, as one of the most valuable and remunerative on the Pacific Coast.  This new mill above mentioned I visited a few days ago : it is situated on the west bank of the Colorado River, near the mouth of El Dorado Cañon : the site is a splendid one ; it has a fine steamboat landing and a good wagon road to nearly all parts of the mines.

            The Mill Company is known as the New Era, and the principal owner, Mr. Augustus Spears, informed me that they would be in running operation near the 1st of April, 1865, and that they had a contract to crush a large quantity of ore from the Techatticup mine.

More Enterprise.

            The Colorado mill will commence running soon as the pans arrive which were to be shipped from San Francisco some three weeks ago.  The men who have charge of the mill have a large quantity of wood corded up near the mill, and are ready and waiting for the pans, looking very anxiously for the steamer to heave in sight with them on board.  Another ten-stamp mill is talked of for El Dorado Cañon.  An eastern capitalist arrived here last week, with his guide from the mining districts below, and after giving our mines a thorough examination, he expressed his opinion that we had the richest silver mines in the Colorado.  He thought we were in need of more mills for custom work, which is very true, for El Dorado Cañon could employ a dozen twenty-stamp mills, and furnish them nothing but croppings, for we have a large number of wide lodes here that produce extremely rich croppings.  I understand that this gentleman, before he left the Cañon (which was yesterday, for San Francisco,) decided to put up a ten-stamp custom mill within a few rods of the mouth of this Cañon.  With the starting of the two first-class mills which El Dorado Cañon can boast of, and the prospect of more soon to be erected, we can look to a speedy and profitable development of our mines, and the presence of a large and thrifty population will very quick follow.

Enterprise Developing Itself.

            Not only in this Cañon are mills being built, but in all the surrounding districts, and elsewhere initiatory steps have been taken for erecting extensive works, and in a little time the scream of the steam whistle will resound through our mountains, and the noisy music of the quartz-mill will be heard at the mouth of every wash or cañon on the banks of the Rio Colorado from Castle Dome in the south to Black Cañon in the north.

The Techatticup Mine.

            Nat. Lewis, the superintendent of this mine, is pushing things forward with characteristic energy, so as to prosecute the work of the company he represents to the best possible advantages.  Mr. Lewis has workmen engaged in taking out a very rich quality of silver ore, for crushing at the New Era Mill Company's mill, and a fine wagon road will be completed this week from the mine to the mill.  This road passes through Techatticup Wash into El Dorado Cañon, and will be about five miles long.  Every foot of the road from the mine to the mill is down grade, so that a team can carry an immense load.

The Queen City Mine.

            Mr. Banta, the energetic superintendent of this mine, has a force of miners employed, night and day, in taking out ore ready for crushing.  At present he has about two hundred tons cut of first-class ore, and is a superior lot to what I saw taken from the Comstock Lode, Nevada, in the spring of 1860.  The operations upon this valuable lead, which have been conducted systematically and in such a manner as to carry on the work to the greatest possible advantage, reflect great credit upon their superintendent, who is a practical miner.  Mr. Banta is also building a fine wagon road from the Queen City Mine into El Dorado Cañon.

            Other rich lodes are being worked here, and the miners are taking out a fair quality of ore ready for hauling to the mills ; but to enumerate all the rich claims in this District would take more space than you would allow for my letter.

Navigation of the Colorado.

            The steamer Esmeralda is tied up at the mouth of this cañon, waiting the return of Captain Truworthy, who is making a flying trip to Salt Lake City, and, as I understand, to make a contract with the Salt Lake merchants to deliver them freight at Call's Landing, some six hundred miles above the mouth of the river.  The Upper Colorado does not appear to be too low for the navigation of the Esmeralda, and I am informed that she draws more water than any other steamer on the river.  A few days ago I was aboard the Esmeralda, and conversed with her officers in regard to the navigation of the Upper Colorado, and they all unite in saying that the Esmeralda can run up as far as Call's Landing at all seasons of the year and at all stages of the water.  The people of the Upper Colorado cannot appreciate too highly the appearance of Captain Truworthy with his beautiful steamer Esmeralda, for now we need not be afraid of our goods lying at the mouth of the river for six or eight months.

A Salt Mine Immigration, Etc.

            Mr. Gass, an old resident of this Cañon, arrived here a few days ago with a small pack train loaded with an extra quality of salt, which was obtained from the Salt Mountains, some sixty miles above this Cañon, and near the Colorado.  He told me he chopped it out with an ax, and that thousands of tons of salt – pure and in huge crystals – can be quarried.  We are informed here by late arrivals from Salt Lake City, that one hundred families are preparing to leave Salt Lake for the Valley of the Muddy, near Call's Landing, on the Colorado.  Also, an additional force is soon to be added to Call's Landing.

Down the River.

            Last week, in company with a couple of gentlemen, I took a sail down the river to Hardzville [Hardyville], Mohave City, and Fort Mohave.  We made Hardzville in eight hours' sail, which we called big time on the Colorado ; the distance is fifty-two miles.  Without any exception, it was the finest sail I ever had.  The scenery along the shore, in many places, was most grand, especially through Painted Cañon, Bull's Head, and in the vicinity of Mount Newberry.

            On arriving at the Fort, we were warmly received by Lieut. Titus, the Captain being absent at Mohave City and Hardzville.  We found things not quite so lively as up our way.  Twelve miles above Hardzville, or forty miles below El Dorado Cañon, we noticed that a new mining district had just been laid out ; the name we could not learn.  We could see, as we sailed along through the district, that several of the lodes run into the river, and a steamer could tie up at any of them.  Show me a mining district in the State of California or Nevada that has as good facilities for shipping ores as any one of the eighteen districts along the Colorado river.  It cannot be found on the Pacific Coast.  This is a very important matter, which capitalists should look after.  There are some silver districts shut out from the source of their supplies for two or three months of the year, by deep snows and inclement weather, during which time the expenses of all persons living there are very much increased.  Besides, they are obliged, in many instances, to suspend all operations.  But here, on the beautiful Colorado of the Great West, steamers from the Gulf of California can tie up in the very heart of our mines and discharge freight at our cabin doors, at all seasons of the year.

The Seasons.

            As for snow, it is not known here, and ice forms in the coldest month of the year only to the thickness of one inch.  As regards climate, I think here, on the Upper Colorado, it is far superior to that of San Francisco.  Our summer may be a few degrees warmer, but the fall, winter and spring are most delightful – evening cool and invigorating the year round ; and all this, combined with our rich mines of silver, gold, copper, lead, iron and salt, must soon attract a large mining population from the Atlantic Coast on the eastern side of this continent.  Then the proud Colorado will swarm with boats, and its principal mining camps will be large cities.

            The big Indian scare is all over, and everything quiet on the Upper Colorado.  As usual, a great many white men and Indians were killed, but I cannot find the man here that has seen a dead man or Indian for the past six months.

            Weather pleasant ; thermometer 64° in the shade.

F. S. A.