The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-07-09
81, 100000 The Padre kno VS. me, and
will do as Irequest. Will you go2"

"Yes.'fs4 isdi fsbio1h uy1 eed d
"fHow soon?'soK ioa ilf' d3siE nia
s'To-morrow.iI qaia1o. s.hah Etave
"tVery well. J. will be with you at
the hacienda of Cantaranas in six months.
| shall take the land route Though Mex
ico'uos sdl 80 NsidfeH JnlH@ido "a viIs;1
s'The hacienda of Cantaranas crowns
with its vast white wallslthe bare summit
of a desolate mountain. down which a
number of winding, paths lead toward
the various richly wooded valleys Of the
province or. department of Guanajuanto.
'aThe mountain itself is called the
esHILL oFaGRoANs OR LAMENTATIONS, i,
From a gloomy legend connected with
the early colonization, fisMexice blythe
Spaniard. aiIt is'said that soon after the
conquest 400 women and children, who
had taken refuge there while the invader
lay waste the populous valleys.destroyed=
themselves by a mutual massacre at the
suggestion of . priest. On the side IA
cling southeast o precipice descends sheer
down 200 fathoms the torrent of the
Rio Nitro thundering az the base, is in
audible at the summit, One wall of the
hacienda rested upon the, edge Of, the
precipice,. It was Of white porous rock,
hewD into acubesgfor feet in diameter
and evidently Of great antiquity. Ira
ces, of ancient sculpture, existed on the
outer face of this wall overhangingg the
cliff.
THE mineral or mining district on
the southern side, which was less precip-
itous, had many veins of silver and 9TH
er metals, but the great vein called the
Cobra, opened and worked there centu-
ries ago, is much the most remarkable
It is said that more than $40, ,000, 900 in
silver we're taken from the Cobra during
the first centuryiof Spanish domination,
at.the expense OF many thousand lives,
the natives being, worked asslayes under
the lash, and turned out to sdiesas soon as
they became weak or incapable Des
mond being well known at Cantaranas, i
was cordially received as his representa'
tive after presenting my letter to Padre
Gerraez, who seemed to be- sfw deidw
-.''i'''ei ! "a IN Ecsr3crEs' " hs'l5iel
With the prospect Of selling the mines
for so large sum, The time passed
away slowly while we awaited the arrival
of Desmond, and was, ! think, the dull
est period Of; my ,life.e v.,.%.,,,,o,s.4
"The director. or engineer of the
mines was an Englishman named Cliff
ford, who, though be had been two years
in Mexico, appeared to be ignorantcot
the Spanish Language, and conducted all
his business with tie Padre IN French o.
through a young Cuban, who sctedAs
his clerk and interpreter His knowl-
edge of metallurgy was exact and pro
found, and he soon informed me conf
dentially that the mine had hong since
been a poor speculation for the Padre,
the expenses Of raising the ores from the
deep shafts consuming nearly all The
profits. e9lt'lii'aoa : iiaua 7o' ,aa2lids9
sh"Cliford passed only portion of his
time at the hacienda. Every Sunday be
mounted powerful black orsc,descend-
ed the mountain on the other side, and
saw nothing Of him until Wednesday
Following. His clerk, the Cuban. con-
Quoted all necessary business in the in
terval. These periodical absences excited
my curiosity to such q degree that /
could not forbear betraying it to him.
He said something about awealthy Mex
ican noTuan whom he hoped to marry,
but as he went away roughly dressed
and appesreor travel.worn on his return,
1 became satisfied that love-making was
not the only motive of his absence !
easAt length, punctaal to theday, gDes-
mond made his appearance, accompanied
BY q train OF 130 pack mules bearing
merchandise, wines,and$ 800, 600 I'M gold
and silver coin.o sslisa siii sas o. dgpoasl
itsDesmond opened q package oflmer-
chandise eand distributed presents to the
native and foreign miners who crowded
into the hacienda. Dao snsoadBgsA"
i h9HH ,yss9aOGsib ailEG90usU gGasa5sti
-,,,s iIa1 WINE AND ARDENT SPIRITS sf,.ts
Flowed like water, and the night waned
in exrayagant jolIity. i, Padre ,Gerraez
and his children passed hours, int count
singithe tS2QQ, 900 and replacing it in the
bags. ilsAfter a sleepless night They took
leave sef ,us and started for the City, Of
aMexico.ai The day following / intloduc-
edD Desmond toC Clifford whom he regard
ed With evident dislike had already
ue'a,iea T,i ~. y A4s''es 's'e nAp'Ssososspp
= ,:sMr' Clifford, said, Desmond. sIue d. .coldly,
won viii remain constantly at the mine
or on the hacienda. except when an, absent sci,
hv snecial., AGREEMENT. : /. will give you
al 900 "a month, twice the salary given
byy by the Padre, but / expect YOU to be oc.
cupied all the time Id nv business. -
GCliford pleaded his affair with The
Mexican feiress.. II was useless oa sid !
..If.' said Desmond, syou expect .
fortune, devote yourslef to her but tina,
|is not nv l,i affair. ] require exclusive
ser service ice OF none none. ,7'lstal eaies ei,slatis
Clifford agreed unwilling and moth
ling more was said Of the matter ~
I'm less than g month we bad 300 mi
Iners engaged, new drifts were opened q
1.-THE, bsse Of the hin at points indicated
by Desmond, whose knowledge Of th'
localities astonished every one, but nom
more than Clifford: Vast quantities Q