The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-04-02
SOJOURN IN LOWER CALIFORNIA.
TcoNcLUDED1

SlOn. MUCH mas Oeeu SAID, Dy way OF
contrast, about the wealth and extent of
the silver mines of Sonora, Sinaloa, and
several other Mexican States, but the
comparative ages and different stages of
development have almost universally
been left out of the account. Many of
the mines that have been worked with a
degree of success by English and Amer
lean companies, have proven equally as
profitable as those of Southern Mexico.
The ruins of old mines, consisting of
shafts, tunnels, wells, and haciendas may
be seen in various parts of the territory.
Some, and perhaps all of these were for
merly worked by the Jesuits, who I'M
doubleday realized vast sums of money.
The extent of the ruins, and the system
Oflabor employed warrants such con-
clusion. If by their old tedious pro-
cess they were able to make these mines
yield large profits, why, with all our
modern appliances and superior meth
DDS should not we. We shall here brief
~ describe the old method employed by
the Mexicans: The native miner is
provided with a steel bar about four or
five feet long, needle point on one end
and chisel point on the other-a shovel,
sack made of raw hide, and an escalera
Ga pole about six inches in diameter and
cut full of notches at intervals of about
fifteen or eighteen inches, to serve as a
LADDER. The steel bar answers all the
purposes ofpick, drill and wedges; and
vuhan tho chic n orrouyo foo dooy1 IN Simon,
out the earth he places his escalera in
the hole inclines it against the wall of
the shaft and filling his sack with dirt,
! throws it over his back and there sus-
tains it by means of a strap passing
about his forehead, just as an Indian
squaw carries her load. With one hand
free he then ascends the escalera with
apparent ease. When the ore is extract
ed from the mine it is placed in a very
simple and homely apparatus to be crush
ed; (fOr quartz mills the Mexican has
no use). 1t is constructed as follows
| A circle about ten feet in diameter is en-
closed by a stone wall about ten or
twenty inches high. The bottom is
made as smooth and firm as possible
in the center is an upright beam, and
attached to this transverse beam, on
the style of an old cider mill one end
of the beam projects beyond the circle
| for the application of horse or mule pow
err; to the other end are attached two or
three large rock with smooth faces,
which are designed to drag on the floor
or bed when the mill is in motion, and
the ore being thrown in after being
broken into small pieces is thus subject
to the action of the large rock and be-
! subject to the action of mercury, and
separated from the sand. These mills,
of common size, accommodate about
two tons of ore, and require from two
to four days to make a run, according
to the quality of ore
There ere two classes of ore common
to these mines, and they differ very
widely in their natures. The first is
/ found near the surface OF above the
water level, and is called patio metal it
is kind of decomT Osed rock of yell
lowish color, and it is very easily work
ed. The other is called fire ore; it is
found deep in the earth, or in the vici
nifty of water; is as hard as flint; color
dull gray, and contains great many
base metals, anthony, sulphur, pyrites
and lead in considerable quantities
The lead aids greatly in fusing the ore
and Assayists affirm that this class of ore
will yield sufficient lead and other base
metals to pay all the expense ofsmelting
and reducing the ore.
When these mines in Lower Califor-
MIA first began to yield fire ore, it was
soon discovered that the ordinary pro-
cess used in California and Nevada wa;
not efficient. Silver could be obtained
but it was obvious that more than so pei
cent.of the precious metal was wasted
consequently, various methods were
tried, but finally the quartz mill was dis
pensed with, and a process called ''tht
Freyberg process" which originated il
a town by that name in Germany. Tit
secret of this process was as follows
The ore was exposed to a moderate hea
in an open furnace in the open air the
base metals, sulphur, anthony, &c.
then escaped in the form of vapor, an(
thus the nature of the ore was entirel,
changed, and could then-be treated b,
the common process.
These silver bearing Iodes vary in siz
on the surface from three to twelve inch
es wide; they usually increase in widtl
as they descend, being from one to fiv'
feet thick at the depth of 100 feet. The.
incline from the perpendicular from tel
to forty five degrees. They may b,
traced in the same direction for severa
sometimes, a half-dozen lodes may b.
traced running parallel with each other
In order to retain possession certain
conditions must be complied with. I
any mine lay idle for the space of eigh
consecutive months, the owners foriei
all right and title and the mine revest
back to the State or Territory. Thi
we believe to be a wise provision and i
T was doubtless enated to encourag
those who should employ their capita
and energies in developing the mines
while on the other hand it was design
ed to exclude spectators.
Notwithstanding the great induce
ments to miners, there are also some ser
ious draw backs 10 mining on the PENN
sula. The country affords no lumber
the whole face of the country is covere'
with a low growth of brush and innuni
/, erable varieties of cactus. The brush i
] used for fuel, but it is neither plent
. enough nor large enough to be employ
: ed in running machinery, consequently
coal is imported, as well as all lumbe