The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-07-05

named The cut and polished stone steps leading to
many ofthem as bright as when first placed there
An object OF great interest to all travellers Is the
celebrated TajO mine, discovered In 1855, on the Sd
day Of August, by ranchero named Leon Rojas. 1t
and, night overtaking him, he built q camp IRE at
about the centre ofthe present mine and after supper
went to sleep. On awaking IN the morning he con-
starting point he discovered that he had lost his
rosario beads with cross attached) and returning
for While oes the Se
discovered little bright yellow and silver scales that
attracted his attention. Having found the
the intelligence Of having discovered gold mine.
More experienced men prospected, and 1t soon
became public that r celebrated gold mine
went to work digging for gold and the excavations
made by them 1913 years ago are pointed out to the
did not prove remunerative, but while thus engaged
they struck rich silver lead and nom this fact Ro-
sario sprung into existence, taking its name from
day OF Its discovery continued to be worked
steadily for seventy years and has been
Common report has it that the amount of silver
taken out altogether amounts to fabulous sums
The present owners, Americans and Mexicans have
been working 1t for the past seven years. They
now employ about two hundred men as
miners and laborers in various capacities
dred tons Of extracted and reduced ore per MONTH
The rock as taken from the mine averages $50 per
ton. This Is certainly not very rich. The company
day and night. 1t requires the greatest economy
and large experience to keep the mine working, Ow
ing to the many distractions and difficulties hamper
ing the working Of mines in this country the result
Of unwise legislation. One Of the difficulties Is that
all the bullion has to be freghted to the mint at Gull
acan, distance OF over three hundred miles, there
TO be manufactured into coin. The duties on this
manufacture and various other duties that follow
the cost Of freightng and the danger Of losing all by
robbery on the road. Could the bullion be shipped
to Mazatlan "a distance Of some seventy miles,
NJ In lnfu nf fatiA nft hn
greatest difficulties would be abated. In this
the mine could employ as many more men, and
many mines now ldle throughout Northwestern
employment to hundreds and thousands OF men now
idle II were not for the energy and enterprise of
the company now owning the Taio mine business
would be extremely dull in Rosario. AS it is there
is some life and activity Before quitting this sub
ject we will state that anybody interested in old
Mexican mining affairs cannot but be deeply inte-
H fesaa SPAIN and xco V H. W. GeueraD Ha
The town Of Rosario, situated in the southern por-
ton of this State seventy miles south Of Mazatlan
contains at present about TWO thousand five hun
dred NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., MeXicans, indians
and mixed races. With the exception of the
masonry work already alluded to the buildings
look old and dilapidated. Many Of them are In
ruins. Wars, rebelliOns and revolutions have left
unmStakable ravageS behind them. On the 10th OF
November 1864. an Indian leader named Prefecto, a
liberalist made an attack on the town. then gar
risoned by conservatives and killed some forty Of
the adherents OF the church party, pillaging and
stores. known to be occupied by or belonging the
conservatives. After the raid some OF the American
residents discovered that the dead lying in the streets
were being eaten by hogs. Although Prefecto and
his party murdered and plundered without mercy, it
is strange fact that in some OF the houses pilaged
In which Americans had rooms the property of the
latter was respected, and when the soldiers mad
with rage. were informed that such and such a
passed it BY. plunderne the ca" adjacent rooms
though many OF them were occupied by women,
with terrible vengeance These deeds of violence
pft1nc rio haf,,<r
known as q conservative or church town its people
have but little love for liberal domination. In fact
they hate liberal rule and detest liberal supremacy.
The Mexican nag that floats to day is to them but an
emblem of plumber, robbery murders and assassina-
tions yet, although this feeling is known to exist
liberal rule, since the mad passions engendered by
the French invasion have subsidized is anything but
cruel and tyrannical. The liberals have likewise
treasured up bitter memories OF their prosecutions
by the Church party; yet at present reign Of quiet
ness, law and order prevails, which is much to the
credit of the people in general.
The country about Rosario is remarkably rich and
fertile, producing all the fruits Of the tropic and the
temperate zones. To illustrate this the traveller has
only to go few miles beyond the suburbs to what is
known as the Ahuacate Ranch, tract OF land con-
tanning 200 Within the limit OF this ranch
cotton, coffee tobacco, sugar, oranges, lemons corn
potatoes, cabbage and all Kinds OF garden vegetables
besides bananas, pantains, &c., can and have been
produced. There are at present some four thousand
coffee trees growing on the ranch, which before the
French invasion numbered forty thousand, most of
which were destroyed by the armies turning their
stock loose over the ground, riding through and
wfuly destroying them. Wonderfully rich and varied
Is the soil OF this ranch IL is estimated that the pre-
sent owner does not get over two dollars day the
amount OF fruit raised upon 1t. During the late
but without finding a purchaser At a distance O:
thirteen miles, in the district OF country surrounding
the little town OF Chameta, excellent cotton is pro-
duced. There are also some very fine cotton lands
along the MaZatan river, In the vicinity Of Presido
a small town between here and Mazatlan. Is il not
the majority OF the people are wretchedy poor, ana
that agriculture so languishes that the soil scarcely
produces enough to sustain life Do not the prophetic
words OF the phiOsophic Mexican statesman, Lucas
Alaman, seem to have been realized when he said i'm
will be without doubt land Of pros |
perity from its natural advantages but 1t will not be
30 for the races which now inhabit It," No man |
With a heart feeling for the welfare and happi- |
ness OF humanity can travel through Mexico without |
This Is surely the garden spot Of the world, yet Is
but little better than vast poorhOuse reduced 30 |
lbject beggary-a vast human butcher shop dedi- |
aed TO the slaughter or humanity IL Is not the In
ention Of the writer to blacSen or defame Mexican |
character, but existing facts and past hstosies
tell the mournfu story.
Riding along the roads or leisurely strolng about
he little towns one sees thousands OF things anus
NO as well rs interesting. For instance, In regard |
lpon a common people, the observer Will |
notice that the inhabitants OF the Presdio, |
twenty miles distant from Mazatlan, are |
mostly dark skinned, with .profusion Of black |
Coarse hair and ride OF few hours brings him to
Aguascalientes, where the people are fair skinned
md white as snow by moonlight. The women here |
are remarkably fine featured, with delicate organ |
SINS and general appearance OF spirituality. Inva- |
rably they are clothed with beautiful heads OF hair,
much finer In texture than those before spoken OF.
Al Meslas, thirteen miles distant, the women are |
also very fair and white, but strange to say the pre-
dominating color Of the hair Is red. In Rosario |
mere ia q mixture of races, and one meets alter |
nately a moreno dark skinned woman) and blanca |
fair skinned) The traveller meets large numbers OF
natives civilized Indians) along the route, almost
invariably mounted on bWT0s (assesl and the COM
mon sauaons Of the country 6uenos dids good day.
ana ddios lgoodby) are exchanged. me oulTo IL |
me of the fixed institutions OF Mexico lie Is used |
AZ n beast OF burden for oil imaginable purposes.
and supersedes railroads and flying machines. SLOW
but surer he never fails to make time-that Is, II
his sacred and historic animal does not take 1t so
slow that death overakes him on the road before the
Journey is finished. Now and then, at intervals |
along the route you see some OF the more pious |
people step into little solitary huts built along the
roadside, and very soon are out again TO continue
their travels These hus or little houses are built
over and about santa cruz, or holy cross, very
decorated. An altar is placed In front,
and here the faithful kneel at the cross kissing