The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-12-19
THE MINERAL Wealth OF SONORA IND
CHIHUdHU.i

Wilson, late Judge OF the sacrainento district Calfor
mia, will prove interesting at the present time Inc
statements OF Mr. Wilson corroboted by those OF A.
G. Ward esd, charge oil Great Britain in Mexico in his
work entitled Mexico in 1927" an authority, as Mr.
Wilson justly says that cannot he disputed, because
he acted and wrote under orders and by authority of his
government AS will be perceived, Mr.. Wilson had
sided and held high position in California He was,
therefore, well acquainted with mining countries, and
likely to be- led into attempt to mislead
others Ills accounts of Chihuahua and Sonora clear
full and conclusive establishing beyond doubt
oyersy the nestnabe value of those mineral and me-
allic regions which have remained for many years IN
possession of the rowing tribes OF savages whose incur
sons have depopulated the northern States Of Mexico
and left them second California to be taken possession
of and made pun out their vast treasures into the lap
of the commercial world, by whose energy aud en-
erprise equal TO the task At page 1888 Mr. Wilson
says
"chihuahua and Sonora the States departments
to be affected by Pacific railroad Sonora is the most
valuable of the two not only ON account OF It's nexha.s
ble supply of silver but also account of its delight
full climate and agricultural resources 1t is like the
land of the Blessed in Oriental story California does not
supass it in fertility in climate With industry and
thrift it could sustain population equal to that of all
Mexico The tabe-lands and the valleys near to-
geher that the products of all climates flourish almost
side by side Food for and beast easily pro-
cured that the descendants of the early settlers sunk into
efemnancy long before the breaking out of the great
Apache of the last century. Drought however,
makes the formation OF artificial lakes and reservoirs
to the full development OF its agricultural wealth
distinguishes it above all other countries except chhua
hua have described in former chapter the long and
aborious process by which silver is produced from the
in the southern mines and also the great depths
from which it is raised In Sonora silver is most com
monty extracted from the by the simple process of
fusion But in the district of Batopilos it is, rather
was found pure. If we should adopt the theory tlst
of extend through the entire length OF Mexico
then should say that they crop out in Sonora, rather
that the silver iodes, which here above the surface
dip toward the city Of Mexico and also northward to-
ward California. The mountain chain which tiaverses
California under the name vi the Sierra Necf, appears
to be only continuation reappearance Of the noun
tain chain here called Sierra Msde Mother Range) which
forms the boundary between the departments Of Sonora
and chihuahua On the western declyity of this noun
tain range the remarkable illustration of this fact
of cropping is found ut Bstoplos, already mentioned
This is in deep ravne The climate is like that
Of the California gulches hot but remarkably
healthy Here the ioes Of silver almost nnumera
bio . with crcsts elevated above the ground.
The mine of Eg Carmen, in times of the vice kings
produced immensely that its proprietor was ennobed
with the title of Marquis of Bustamente This the
beginning of the family of Busamente piece of pure
silver found here weighing four hundred and twenty
five pounds.
- should like to continue in detail to enumerac the
rich surface mines in the southern portions of these two
States but lest should weary my reader must omit
Them and refer those who wish to learn to the
TRANSACTIONS from the last official reports of the Minerva
entitled Chihuahua and Sonora, which imbodicd in
the appendix The Good Success Mine (Blcno Success
SOY discovered by Indian, who swan across the
river after great flood On arriving on the other side
he found the crest of AN immense lode laid bare by the
force of the water The greater part of this pure
sive silver sparkling in the rays of the The whole
of Batopos went to gaze at the extraordinary sight
as soon as the river fordabIe This Indian extracted
great wealth from his mine but coming to the depth
of three Spanish yards (udas the abundance of water
obliged him to abandon it, and no attempts have since
been made to the working When the silver is
found in solid masses which require to be cut with
the chise it is generally finely spnkled through the
lode and often nail together the particles of
stone through which it is disseminated The of the
Paiaao mne the Carmen rich that etode
worked by bars, with point at end and chscl
the other for cutting out the silver The owner of the
Pstano used to bring the from the mine with flags
flying and the mules adorned with cloths of all coloIs
The received rcproof from the Bishop OF Du-
range when he visited Btoplos for placing bars of sill
the door of his house to the great hall ta for
the Bishop to walk upon.
.Ihe next mine OF interest in progress nortwarI
is the Morelos which discovered in 1896 by two
brothers named Aranco These two Indian poems
80 poor that the night before their great discovery the
keeper Of the store had refused to credit OF them for
little fer his torilas. They extracted from their
claim $270 900 yet in December 1926, they still
living In wretched howell close to the of their
wealth, reheaded and blre-lcgged with upward of
5000 900 in silver locked up in their hut But
the utter worthessness of the metal SUCH clearly
demonstrated the of the Arancos, whose only
pleasure consisted in contemplating their boards and
oasionally throwing away portion of the richest
| to be scrambled for by their former companons-the
workncn'
Near the Morelos is The Jesus Maria Though the
western Sonora slope OF the mountain it is only eight
leagues from chihuahua This, like Morelos is modern
discovery, and of course was not included in the mum
Der of those Sonora mines which produced such in
tense excitement about hundred years ago in Mexico
and III Spain.
Here within the circuit Of three leagues two hundred
metallic odes registered in year The story of
the mine of FL Refugo, discovered by fellow of the
name Of Pncheco, gave occasion for anecdotes like
those of the AIancos, which have just recited A
dealer had old cloak which took the fancy of Pacheco
and to purchase this thing he gave from which the
dealer realized S. 900 Three twenty fourhs hree bars)
of the product Of this mine neted between the years
1871 and 1914 1887 600 On the Sonora side OF the
mountain is Santa Ealia The of this real district
found in loose Garth filling immense caycins what
called rotten ores in California; and easily sepa-
rated by smelling One shilling mark laid aside
from The silver which of these Produced
which shilling contribution constituted the fund out OF
which the magnificent cathedral of Chihuahua built
Proceeding nothward, to spot the most famous
in the world for its product Of silver the mine Of Ayazna
For century the accounts of the wealth of this
mine considered fabulous but their literal truth
confirmed by the testimony of the English ambassador.
After examining the old records which have quoted
have doubt that the facts surpassed the astonishing
port for in Mexico the propensity has been to
cca rather than estimate the quantity OF silver
account of the kings fifth; yet it is the kings fifth DC
ty paid which all the estimates of the production
OF Sonora silver mines based.
"AIazuma (Which in the report of the Minerva that
have translated for this volume appears be down as
Arizpa) was hundred years ago. the world wonder
and continued until the breaking of the great
Apache few years afterward.