Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-11-03

AMOUNT of gold and silver produced
n Mexico exclusive of territory
'eded to the United States) since
The Conquest must reach the enor-
nous sum of three and half bill
lion dollars. But it is confidently |
believed by geologists and practi-
cal miners alike that even this al
most fabulous amount gives but
feeble idea of the future yield which |
will be realized from the richest of
the old mines still unexhausted |
and from numerous recently dis
covered lodes, especially by i'm
proved methods, under more favor
able auspices of government and
society. "In fact,n said one of the
most learned and experienced of
Mexican mineralogists, /" whole
mountain ranges in several of our
States are little less than success
ions Of bonanzas."
The Comstoek lode has so far
yielded in the neighborhood of
three hundred millions in gold and
silver, and a great many persons of
excellent judgment have looked for
the speedy exhaustion OF the
mines on account of this marvellous
production. Nothing, however,
is more conclusively established
than the enduring character of a
silver lode, or of lode carrying
gold and silver. Mines of the pre-
cious metals have been worked in
the Hartz mountains for nearly
four hundred years, and they prom
Use to 60 on yielding for an indefi-
mite time. The Comstock lode,
though large infant, is but a babe
in swaddIing clothes compared to
this and other venerable loties fa-
nous in Mexico.
The Mexican statistics of the
yield of mines are exceedingly in
teresting. From Mr.. Anderson's S
"Silver Country" we learn that up
to 1910 there was steady increase
in the yield of the mines, the aver
age annual coinage in the twenty
years preceding that date being
some $23, 1000, 10000. During the fif.
teen years OF revolution which en-
sueh, the delivery from the mines
fell off about a third, but since 1850
the mines of the central States
seem to have regainei their old
prosperity, the United States Con-
sul-General having estimated the
product for 1875 at $27,000,000. But
while the present annual yield is
not far from the figures exhibited
by the Spanish records of sixty
years ago, there is reason to believe
the source of supply-the local dis
tribution of the lodes worked at
the two epochs-is very different.
Evidence is not wanting to attest
the immense Gums contributed from
regions now abandoned by reason
of their remoteness and insecurity.
For example, the city of Durango,
some two hundred miles north west
Of Zacatecas, had only eight thou
sand inhabitants in 1888; but in
that year Zsmbrano, the great
miner Of the northern country, dis
covered the mines of Guarisamey,
and the town soon trebled in popu-
lation. In twenty four years this
man derived $50, 100000 from his
own claims, and multitude of
other mines were opened, 80 that
the annual yield of the State was
So, 900, 600. In regard to the min
eral treasures formerly laid open
at Santa Eulalia, in the State of
Chihuahua, some remarkable
statements are cited from q plper
read before the Royal Geographical
Society of London in 1859. It ap.
pears that at the most flourishing
era OF Spanish operations in this
region a contribution was raised
OF two grains of silver from every
mark produced, for the purpose of
building two churches. The edi-
fees were soon completed, the cost
of that at chihuahua being $780,
900 and of that at Santa Eulalia
$l50,000, while surplus equal to
the latter amount remained from
the money collected in this man
ner. The total proceeds OF the
contribution thus reached 5000, 900.
which indicates a weight of 145. 900
marks dug out in a few years from
the mines OF a single district, and
worth, at the average value of sill
yer, Sl45. 100000. The working of
these deposits substantially ceased
upon the expulsion of the Span
iards, but in 1888 census was un-
dertaken of the whole quantity
produced at Santa Eulalia, and the
result obtained was $3.50, 100000.
In view of such a prodigious
yield as that of Santa Eulalia It is
impossible to put a limit to what
may be achieved by modern ma
chinery and methods Who