The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1875-12-03
SANTA EULAL1A.
The Nest Productive. Mine in the World
$500, ,OOO, 900.

/ In 1908 three manufacturers of the ther
small town of Chihuahua, Mexico, flying
from justice. betook themselves to the sur.
rounding mountains, and there for several
weeks led life of terror. moving about
from fastness to fastness, in constant dread
| of the fierce Apaches, who occupied the
| territory, on the one hand, and Of their
| pursuing white brethren on the other. One
evening they built large fire in ravine
to cook their supper, and when the sur
rounding boulder became heated, a molten,
white metal issued out of them. The next
day a friendly Indian arrived il Chihuahua,
bearing a message from the fugitives to the
priestly authorities, offering as condition
for their pardon enough silver to build q
cathedral, which offer was accepted. Such
is the story of the discovery Of the silver
mines of Santa Eulalia.
The State of chihuahua is in the ex-
treme northeast Of Mexico. It is separated
from Texas by the Rio Grande, and is
bounded on the north by New Mexico and
Arizona. The city of chihuahua is the
capital. The mines, of which there are
several, are all situated in a mountain
aboat twelve miles from that city. It rises
above the surrounding plain to height of
1000 and 1000 feet, and is popularity
known as the "Silver Mountain of Santa
Eulalia." Wonderful stories are told of
the wealth of these mines. They were
constantly worked by the old Spanish pro-
prietors from the time of their discovery,
in 1903, till 1922. the year Of the revolution
that drove the Spaniards out of the coun-
try. During this period chihuahua grew
from mere outpost of the Jesuit mission
aries into a city of $4,000 inhabitants,
while the mining village of Santa Eulalia
and another sprang up in the gorges of the
mountains, containing respectively 5000
and 5000 souls. From tax of one real
(203 cents) on every mark (pound) of sill
yer, as it came from the refining furnaces,
there was built, between 1873 and 1850, the
celebrated cathedral of chihuahua, at a
cost of 100000. While Mexico was in
possession of the crown of Spain, the laws
of that kingdom required one-fifth of the
product Of all the mines of gold and silver
to be paid into the royal treasury. This
made it necessary for the products of the
mines to be reported to the Kings officers.
These records were kept with Spanish for
mality in the different mints of the vice.
royalty, and the records of the mint of
chihuahua, which are still preserved, show
that nearly $780, 900, 900 we're registered in
that Office, most Of which was the produc-
tion of the miners of Santa Eulalia. The
revolution, the empire OF Iturbide, and the |
establishment of the republic involved |
struggle of fourteen years. which greatly |
crippled the resources of the country. !
Then, four years later, came the expulsion
Of the Spaniards, who were the. capitalists, |
and this was followed by constant internal |
revolutions, with wars with Texas, France |
Tin 1S5s), the United States, growing out |
Of the annexation of Texas, and the con-
quest by Maximilian. These and the raw
ages OF the Indians, who claimed the min
ng districts, paralyzed Mexican industry,
md put long stop to the new develop
nent of riches that had hitherto been con-
'idered inexhaustible.