Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-08-11
THE SANTA GERTRDIs MINES.

THE SANTA GERTRDIs MINES.
During last week and the present,
our city has been favored with
visit from Major B. F. Fly, agent
and proprietor of the Santa Gertru-
dis Mines, in Coahuila, Mexico. His
purpose is the promotion of the sale
of shares in joint stock company
for these mines, which has been
formed in this State, and of which
Major w. A. Bethel is President
and A. III. Hurley Secretary and
Treasurer. Both gentlemen are we'll
known in this place.
Major Fly, who favored us with
visit at our office and who is an in
telligent gentleman of good address,
gave us a lecture on Monday night
generally commendatory of the
climate and people of Mexico and
Of its mineral resources, and especi-
ally demonstrating themineral rich
ness of the Santa Rosa valley in Co
ahuila; he also gave reasons for be-
lieving that that State with four
other provinces of Northern Mexico
would before long be acquired by
the United States. Making some
attachments for its very rOseate col
oring, it was an interesting lecture.
Besides this lecture the Major
brought with him small pamphlet
containing the report of a commit
tee of Tennessee gentlemen which
left this State last Spring for the
purpose of examining into the adj
vantages claimed in behalf the San
ia Gertrudis mines. On this report
we prefer to base the few remarks
we have here to make. We exam
ined it with the purpose of doing
justice to the promoters of the enter
prise and also with a high sense of
our responsibility and duties towards
our readers.
The committee consisted of
Messrs. Richards and Hurley, of
Nashville, Mr.. r. l.. Cobb, G. E.,
of Memphis (sOn of our fellow citi-
zen DIR. Cobb, and Capt. S. B.
ReardOn, of Little Rock, Ark. They
were joined at San Antonio, Texas,
by Col. Moses, then proprietor of
the mine, and Major Fly, our late
visitor, who, as we understand, has
since become its purchaser. In five
days they arrived at Santa Rosa, an
old Spanish city in the centre of the
Santa Rosa mining tracts.
Briefly noting that the conditions
of soil, water, fuel, labor, transporta-
ton, &C., were favorable, we are
brought to the Santa Gertrudis
mines. There are two of them, the
Alto and BajO; in other words, the
upper and lower mines. These
mines have been worked by the
Spaniards in former times and by
Mr.. Moses, their owner. The fol-
lowing facts seem to us to be suffici-
emily well established.
First-The Santa Rosa plateau
does certainly abound in very rich
silver mines this is historical and
need not be questioned.
SecOnd-The mines in its iume-
date neighbOrhood, viz, the San
Juan on the Northwest and the
Central Pavilion on the Southeast
are being worked to considerable
profit, especially the former, in
which a rich bonanza was struck
while the committee were in the
country.
Third-The Spanish records of the
working of the mines in old times
are favorable, placing these two
mines among the best in the cOun-
try.
Fourth-Gentleme engaged in
neighboring mines bear testimony
to the good quality of the mines at
the time when work in them was
abandoned in consequence of flood
ing.
Per CONTRA: First-BOth these
mines are flooded. This happens
after a certain stage in the working
of these mines, and at that stage the
Spaniards always abandon them,
having no machinery adequate to
the draining of them.
SecOnd-The excavations hitherto
made are unavailable, having caved
in, the pillars supporting the roofs
having been broken up for the ore
they contained.
[Only an engineer of ability could
calculate the time and labor it would
take to make the excavations. Mr..
Cobb, who is good engineer, thinks
that the Alto mountain could be APP
preached at a different point from
the original opening with advan-
tage].
Third-What the mining advan- |
tages may be beyond the point at
which working was stopped, no
man can do more than cOnjec- |
ture. 1t can only be said that the |
were good at that point;
but in these volcanic regions faults
are common, and where these are
found promising lead will break
off suddenly. This is risk in all |
mining operations.
Fourth-Major Fly speaks in his
lecture of measures which are in
progress for the United States to
take possession of these provinces.
We believe his opinions are not |
groundless; but this transfer he be-
lieves can be effected without war;
here we cannot concur with him,
if there is to be war, there would |
be indefinite delay before returns
would be available, added to the
time required for drainage and re-
excavation.
We have placed before our readers
the pros and cons to the best of our
If tbnXy aro n1adita