The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-10-29
silver.
TO TIE EDIrOR or TIE HERALD.

silver.
TO TIE EDITOR OF TIE HERALD.
have. .; oxen Of Mexican soil - being highly
metaliferous, and Of the substratum as being, TO
great extent silver, either In solid metal or ores
would not be understood Is representing the
Whole Of Mexico IS being thus enriched, but only
that uncommonly large portions Of it, far exceeding
that Of any other country known 70 rs, Ia thus
mixed and underlaid with this metal. proceed to
examine this little, and test II by uudisputed
authority.
Humboldt, about fifty years ago, testified that
although mining in Mexico had hitherto been con.
fined 20 a comparatively narrow circle, yet, since
the conquest, the immense mass Of silver which
had been raised, and which was dug from few
central spots, in which the capital and activity Of
the first spectators found ample employment,
amounted to the enormous sum Of one billion seven
hundred and sixty seven millions nine hundred and
fifty two thousand dollars. and yet, Gays Ward, in
his standard work on Mexico and its mines, in
1927, /" II we examine the spots we shall find that
the three centuries Of constant oductveness have
not been sufficient to exhaust the principal mines,
while by far the largest portion of the great veins
remains unex plored." he names some dozen ofthose
mines, and adds, of others" That after being
worked, some sixty, and some eighty years, they
continued to be equally productive, and were finally
suspended only because the drainage power in some
proved inadequate to discharge the water, and in
others by the incufsions Of Indians" His conclu-
sion is, that there is SO little to question
the producing powers of the country, that were
necessary TO adopt one of two extreme superstition
there would rather Be cause to fear depreciation
OF the value of our present circulating medium from
the probability Of two great an increase in the usua
average increase, than to apprehend any great fall
ing OF in its amount"
But who is this Mr.. ward1 answer he wa,
England's charge d'aIysirs in Mexico during the
years 1926 1926, and part Of 1927 and was required
by official command to endeavor to ascertain the ex
act amount Of silver raised and exported, &c. He
tells us that in the execution OF these orders he
was obliged to examine the question Of mining, Gin
as ia az Mexico was concerned) to the greatest
possible extent The result of his examinations
including the incidents Of his travels description
ofthe country, and ito population &C., through
which he passed, he gavS TO tns world in two roya
octave volumes ut some 700 or 800 pages each, embe
Eshed with plates, IarticuaIy Illustrative of the min
ing processes. have no Knowledge that the correct
ness ct his statements or any part Of :hen has
bten questioned. Toe work Is considered every
where as production Of great value and in all
thip rs wholly reliable.
l nave thought best thus to introduce this wit
ness, as shall have occasion to his testimony
pretty freely, and often, perhaps, without quotation
marks
Humboldt was limited in his report to "a com.
pai atlvely harrow CIRCLE" embracing the country
near the capital. But the immense riches in silver
III Northern Mexico we're at that very time lying in
undisturbed repose Indeed, Mr.. Ward says
"Capital viii nyt be employed to any very great ex-
tent IN the less accessible districts OF the North to
which, !" he pro 'etds, "as l have already stated,
am induced to attach the highest Importance"
But this northern region has been penetrated,
and the results have shown that for quantity aud
quality there is no part Of Mexico hitherto explored
that exceeds 1t; indeed, 1t Is an ascertained fact
own border, (he Rio Gnnde,) abound iu purer
metal .nan has been found in either the central or
southern districts.
1t is to this Northern. Mexico to which Mr. Ward
attaches "the greatest Importance" that seek to
turn the attention OF our people.
In earlier times, Mexico, the capital, was
the central attraction, aad it was In this marrow
circle" that surrounds it, that the mines referred to
by Humboldt were opened and worked. II was ma
tural that the mining operations should be there
indeed necessary-becauss there were the means Of
subsistence, and there the mint and there the great
mart Of exchanges. Che iemoten6A from all these
Of Northern Mexico interposed sufficient barrier
Of itself TO any mining operations there; bat when
to t. csc was suparadeed the immsuse cost Of trans.
pOr ing the mccall for registry and coinage, at tba
c'pital, the question OF mining for silver Ia tn,
known then, as it has been demonstrated sncs,
that in the north lay tho o. silver, as veil
en- the surface as beneath IT, and in greater pu it
than it vas found any where else.
In the eyious csaptsr suid, In subst ln,e, that
such lie the abundance OF silver to render III sons
instance, mining intelligence and skill OF any sor.
unnecessa y, for that the most ignorant OF and
the % crest stumble upon il rs they traverse the
country, and seeing the shnog metal, have gone 8,
work, singly and IN pairs, AmassiDg immense aud
overgroan fortunes; and now for tie proof
Zuniga, Gays our author, on his arrival a. ,torce
was merely mulsteer who visited the mountains
with supplies from the Devly dis overed distri t.
meat and every Oher necessary being then paid for
almost q Pese depiota (by their weight ia silver).
Encouraged by tue exam lies Il sudden riches which
he saw around him, he sold mis- mules and purchased
with their p oc;eds, (about two thousand d1llars)
the two mines, from which he afterwards derived
such enormous wealth. T6ese mines were new,
without shaft or any other requisite, but the ores
were rich at tie very surface Resc atadores, ore
purchasers,) who fccled to Catorce, from the neigh
boring districts, bought his Ores payng for them in
dollars, and In this way he was enabled TO 20 Oh
with bis works. His wealth, says our author, be-
cane almost boundless. Most Of those men, says
Ward, who made fortunes at Catorce were men
like ZuniRa, of little education and no resources
Parodi Don Pedro Medelin, says our author, and
twenty Others, were all 6arda,os (balbarians) One
$4,000 upon an entertainment given in honor
of his god child, at Satilo whilst others thoaght
nothing Of losing two and three thousand dollars
on COCK HgnS.
Buen Suceso was discovered says our author, by
an Indian, who swan across the river after q flood.
On arriving at the other side he found the crest of
q lode, laid bare by the force Of the water. The
greater part Of this crest was pure silver, and
span killed. In the sun. The Indian extracted consd
cradle wealth from his mine, but arriving at the
depth of thee varras the abundance OF the water
forced him to absndonit and no attempt has been
since made to resume the working.
In the spring Of 1926 were discovered Morelles
and Jesus Marie. The first of these was discovered
BY two indians (brothers) by the name of Arduco,
to one Of whom little maize, for tortias had been
refused upon credit the night before. In two months
they extracted from these mines two hundred and
seventy thousand dollars In December, 1926, they
were found living in howell close to their source Of
wealth, bare headed aud ba.elegeed, with
upwards Of forty Thousand pounds sterling
(two hundred thousand d,ars,) locked up ia their
iut. l possess, continues our althoc, two large
~ ecmeDs Of the ores. They are almost pure silver.
TIE only pleasure afforded by these two Indians, BY
their greas riches, seemed to co6sist ia throwing