Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-11-04
GUANAXUATO.


The only part of this State, with the execution of s
Mines, which deserves especial notice and attention is
the City of Santa Fed Guanaxuato. 1t is completely
encircled by mountains which eec tually screen it from
The view of the approaching traveller. When seen
from the streets, il has the appearance of only small
Villages for they follow the winding courses of the
ray'nes between the mountains part of the CITY is
entirely concealed from another. If the spectator
however, ascends the hills which errrhang Guanaxu-
a'o he gazes with adm ration its rt-nauc situation
now sunk and buried amidst the deepest receses of the
mountain deiIles--now beautifully rising around the
oase OF the mountains, in the form of an amphitheatr
ana INC grand grouping of the huge masses of rock
parity ard and bare-rarly covered with shrubs and
eVergreens produces the picturesque and delight
ui eject. The streets are very narrow and crooked
but the houses well built OF hewD stone neatly
painted and spacious. 1t founded in 1915 but was
not invested with the rank and privileges OF CITY I'll;
i74i- In 1902 it contained within its limits a 900
inhabitants: its suburbs and the mines in its vicpi,v
had population of 90, 900, making in the aggregate
10000 souls But from the of 1922 it appears
that The number had been reduced to 1888. The
population pf the town of Vaencano alone mart of
the suburbs, lad diminished from % 900 to 4OOO This
'aP'u ana unparalleled dimuDition may be easily ex-
planned we suspect, by reference TO the History of
the Revolution The struggle has been strongly cha
racterised by the mcst destructive fry and sanpunarv
cruelty When Hidago threw aside the robes Of the
priest and assumed the habit of The warrior in 1910
his object and that of his pa-ty was 20 render Mexico
independent of the Peninsula at that time occun;ed
by the armies of Nap oleon and even its crown held b
Joseph h"napare 10 virtue ola pretended ratser from
Ferdinand The nsurrection was however speedily
crushed by Callega, the Lieutenant of the Vice ROY
In desperate battle fought at Aculco he defeated
t1idalgo and forced him TO retire Guanaxuato from
which, after entrusng the defence of the city TO AL
lende with hls uard, he fell back on Guadaaxara
AIlende faithfully discharged the duty conided 10 him
nut IN bloody and obstnaely contested engagement
the military skill of Calega and the determined bra
very and discipline Of lis regular troops again fri.
umphed, and Allende completely routed with the
loss OF 10000 men, half of whom were deIibera,eI
masSacred. Calega entered Guanaxuato as victor.
and exercised all the rights of war with the rooet tori
BILE severity. The city sacked, and TO gut tI,e
endke ferocy of his dispositions and TO strike terror
into the insurgents, he commanded all the Inhabitants
men, women and Children into the great square, where
several thousands butchered IN cold blood and in
Tie most oaroarous mannerThe lat of the city is 81
deg 0 sec. ~ its long. 100 W.
The city of GuanaXuato is subject to two very ser;
| Gus nconvcniences.--The water used bv the inbah;
tans is never pure and fresh being contained in ci
terms belonging to the weahier citizens and as is sr
ated in deep ravines dees among The mountains the
torrents during the rainy PROSTATE the houses
and involve in destruction every thing that nercepts
their course.
| The Mines in the vicinity of Guanaxuato have al
ways deeply interested the attention of travellers
! That denomnated San Barnabe was opened within
! 20 years after the death of Alonesuma In 1883.
tue excavation of the great ven as it termed of the
Meblada and Ragas mines was commenced. but =.
though the ore of these mines both richer in quaIit,
and more abundant in quantity than that of any other
mines in Mexico. they attracted little notice till within
the last sixty or seventy years From 1856 to 1903 the
gold and silver mines of this yielded 65 900 900 Of
PlaSueS or I272O'OG1 10. Troy. The annual average
being 55oOOO mares silver, SOD, 911 ID. Troy. All
tue mines in Hungary and Transatlantic only produce
about 18Th of this amount. The vein of the Sierra dc
Santa Rosa extends five leagues in direction from
b b to n. w. and within that distance from VaIenci
ana TO San Bruno upwards of 100 shafts are sunk each
| of which, week with another Yields 275 H. Trov
In 1903, 5000 men employed in working these
mines, and 1896 mills were constantly engaged in grin
ding the ore The VaIenciaDa, for nearly T. tv wears
produced to its ProPreors income of from 1856 200
to $4,000. This part of the vein which had been al
ways much neglected, was, from the latter part of the
10th century, TO l76O almost entirely abandoned Al
this period Q76O,) M. Oregon, native ofSpain, who
had settled at an early age in Mexico began 10 work
IT. at this time, it generally believed to be dest
tute ofmetai but Obregon was obsnaCely determined
TO open it, and he ultimately succeeded in reaching
body OF ore, which has, during years. particuarlr
that Of 1904 yielded the revenue Of G6OO 900
OrS2,G64OOO
The ore throughout Mexico, said to contain much
less metal than that Of Europe. More than or 4
ounces Of silver seldom extracted from Sc ounces
of ore The expenses incurred by the proprietor are
very heavy in 13O3 the weekly produce of the Vaen-
ciana was $4,000, but the working fbe mines during
that time cost $4,000. Mr.. PoiDseu, in his Notes on
vTO0c a H. -..f.- nj