The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-04-20
Cfncinnatlans in Nicaragua,
A correspondent from Matagalfa

A correspondent from Matagalfa in
the Republic of Nicaragua writes:
The Montegrande mine is tunneled 300
yards into hill, and sometimes turns
out as high as ten tons of quartz per day.
having capital of $500, 900. The Leo
nese mine has just fallen into the hands
of the Montegrande Company, after hay
ing been in litigation over four years. 1t
lis capable of producing immense guam
titles of ore. Mr.. E.G. Leonard, Presi-
dent of the Company, Is expected from
Cincinnati, and on arriving Will perfect
final arrangements for inaIgurating act
live operations. Stamp mills will be put
up at once at both his mines, and other
improvements will be made. All the la.
Dor Of mining is done by the natives.
They usually get from thirty to forty
cents a day and board themselves. Some
of them work for as low as dollar and
sixty cents q week, boarding them
selves. They are peaceful, industrious
and obedient. The pay dirt and quartz
are hauled to the Hacienda de Bene-
fcio belonging to the Company and
there ground in native arrastras mills,
after which the gold is shipped to Gin
cinnati. Nicaragua quartz is much
softer than that OF California. Neither
l
tas have ever troubled the mining COM
panies, or levied assessments ON them.
'Tne Mexican system of organized plum
dering has never prevailed in this Re-
public, and SO long as. s.public sentiment
remains as at present, it never will. The
Ucalca mine is not being worked very
extensively, for want OF capital. 1t
would easily run a ten stamp mill, and
would pay two per cent. month (pos-
| sibly more) on an investment OF ,S5O, 200.
| Its gold is rather better than that of the
| Montegrande and Leonese mines. Its
superintendent, E. II. Macy, is an old
Californian, has been here ten years,
and Is married to a native lady.
Many Americans are permanently To-
Gated in Nicaragua, and nearly all of
them have grown rich. Some of them
came here with Walker, and after the
close OF hostilities, remained and devot-
ed themselves robustness pursuits. In
almost every instance they have at.
tanned prominence and influence. Afew
of them are married to native ladies',
and profess to be highly contented with
the venture. The native women make
excellent wives for foreigners, and many
of them bring lair dowries to their hus-
bands.
AS q general rule, the weather. ma
tiyes look with passive jealousy Oh the
arrival of foreigners who intend to locate
here, but the large majority of the. pop
ulation are rather gratiiied than other
wise. 1t is easy to win and retain the
favor of these people, and there is moth
| ing within their power that they will
not do for any onewho pleases them. The
most lucrative business enterprises of
the country are monopolized by foreign
ers, for the natives, as Is well known,
are lamentably lacking in energy. Thou
sands OF them are capable enough, but
they are inclined to be indolent-a natu-
raj effect of the climate.
Among the leading Americans en-
! gagged IN business at different points are
are following: At Managua, John Simp-
son: at Leon, Colonel James Thomas,
Il. q. Lewis, j. p. u +. b. Deshom, DIR.
Hunter and John II. swan; at Cor
into, Robert Gray; at Granada, W. Tet-
ter and A. A. Downing, and at San Juan
del Norte, HOllenbeck " FrOmann, vii.
liam j Jacoby, II. p. King, Henry Martin
and j. J. Andreas. Several Americans
are also doing business at Chinandega
| and San Juan del Sur, but l have not
learned their names.
| 1t is Unnecessary to mention such as
are managing sugar estates, OF whom
there are many. Mr.. Jacoby, of San
Juan del N0rte, has been in the colln-
try twenty-five years, and has amassed a
fortune OF a quarter of a million OF dol
lars. Foreigners in Nicaragua seldom
naturalize, and have nothing to do with
the prevailing political wrangles. They
leave public affairs to the exclusive man-
ipulatiUn OF the natives, thus avoiding
| a waste of time and the hazard of trou-
blesome tanglement.