The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1848-04-22
Wealth of Mexico.

tdlIl vi MtXlCO.
We find, in the last Washington Un-
ion, letter from an officer of the u. S.
Army, who writes from Santa Fe, New
Mexico, under date, Jan. 8,from which
we clip the following extract. lis puts
to silence the assertions we have fire.
quently seen, that none of the territory
we are about 10 acquire from Mexico is
worth having. We have no doubt our
selves, from the very best sources we
are able to derive information, that the
finest portions oil that territory may yet
be converted into fruitful fields, and
that we shall yet be proud Of the acqui-
sitions we are making, whig assertions
to the contrary, notwithstanding.
"The present population of New
Mexico may be safely estimated at 100,
900, although in "Gregg's Commerce of
the Prairies" it is computed at ouly 60,
900. This and the valley OF San MI
guel, according to the last census taken,
contain 10000 inhabitants; and all in
telligent residents concur in estimating
the population Of El VALLEY de Taos
and the Rio, Vaca, with their dense set
dement's at 10000. With climate
eminently favorable to animal and veg
etable developments, this country if re-
tanned from its Mexican occupants, and
dedicated to the profitable purposes for
which it was evidently designed by
Providence, will prove to be capable Of
dense population 10 ,dai'a,as5i q ,a
10 But fertile and we'll adapted to agri-
culture as are its valleys, tits destined
to be equally important forsits mineral
-Tssonrcss.l dtsblsak:and barren noun
tains only require Yankee enterprise
and the aid of science to render them
highly valuable. There is perhaps, not
a mountain in the territory in which
gold has not been found. Those that
have been worked have produced large
amounts Of the precious meta, consider
ing the imperfect manner in which mi
ming Operations have been conducted.
From several years experience in min
ing, ] am somewhat qualified to Judge of
its practical operations; and am cor
rect in saying that nothing like mining
has ever been done in New Mexico.
Indeed, so easily has gold been obtain
ed, that it has failed to simulate the in
dustry and arouse the energies of peo-
pie naturally indoent and deficient in
enterprise and energy. All that has
been obtained has been derived from al
luvial gravel, which has resulted from
the destruction Of the rock, in which it
occurs, and been washed into the valley.
below. The process OF gold washing
has been Of such a primitive kind, and
50 tedious, that it is really surprising
that placsrs of gold should have produc-
ed the annual amounts some Of them
have. With the proper machinery, a
single person would be able to wash
more in an hour than twenty Mexicans
in day with their hands and little sea-
teas or bowls. The rock in which the
gold is disseminated is almost neglec-
ted; and when worked, it is in a man.
ner Iaughabie to the Practical miner,
who could take out more of it in a day
than does single operator here in a
month. Their process of reducing the
rock, and preparing it for washing, is
equally disadyantageous, and, when re-
duced, they cannot effect a perfect sep.
aration Of the metals it contains; the
consequence is, they lose all the other
metals which may be in it. The rock
in which the gold is found is Of an ig-
neous nature, and, besides the gold,
contains, from an analysis OF a hand
specimen, made with limited tests, a
valuable proportion Of silver. Owing to
their utter ignorance, of geology, the
operators haven worked this rock to
any extent; and what they have done in
working it, has been without system.
Not discriminating the different strata,
they of course have notthe least knowl-
edge oftheir succession. Theiriopcra-
tons have been conducted on the blind
that the mineral wealth Of the
earth has been distributed through at
random; whereas the intelligent miner
knows that each formation is the pecu-
liar receptacle Of certain minerals
Like all the volcanic rocks, that in
which the gold occurs is Of such a com
pound nature, that is difficult, without
alyzing il, 10 tell its composition or
assign II 3 name. Besides gold and sill
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