The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1880-06-19
WEALTH UNTOLD
(san Antonio Express. !


mines Of Tie State ot chihuahua, Mexico,
is not fully known. 1t is true that the
mines of Mexico have frequently been re-
ferred to as of great richness, but those
who have not visited them and who
measure the value of these mines by the
mines in America, have but a faint and
imperfect idea Of the character Of the orc
taken from such mines as those found in
the region OF Batopilas. in the State OF
Chihuahua, Mexico. Col. F. w. Arm.
rong, who is interested in the Todos
Santos mine in the vicinity of Batopilas.
Col Armstrong was met in the Office of
the Galveston, Harrisburg and San An.
tonia railway, where he was exhibiting a
collection Of mineral specimens richer and
more beautiful than were ever before dis
played in this city. The specimens were
declared to be but fair pieces Of the ore
taken from the mine in which Col. Arm
strong is interested Some of them re-
sembled clusters OF moss, or tufts Of wool,
and these were called chair silver" as
distinguishing term. Other specimens
had projectiles, and were distinguished
as email silver" Said Colonel Arm
strong: "We can always tell when we
reach that kind of silver vein in the dark,
for by placing the hands against the walls
its points are felt. They project in their
purity from the rocks. There were other
specimens of almost solid silver that had
remained encased in field spar and other
volcan rocks. These specimens were col
ored black, and the rocks from which
they were taken show unmistakable signs
of great fire some period in the long
ago." There are some rich mines about
Batopilas, which is about 300 miles south
west of the city Of Chihuahur, and on Q
direct line little more than the same dis
tance from the Upper Rio Grande. The
mines which are being regularly worked
at present, and those most valuable, or,
the Todos Santos, in which Col. Arm
strong is interested, and the San Miguel
owned by ]. B. Robinson & Co., and il
which Boss Shepherd has stock, and tn
San Domingo mine, owned by Philadel
phia company. These mines, and man.
others, whose richness has never beel
fully developed, are located within al
area Of three miles from the town of Ba
topilas. They are all worked in the oil
Spanish way, notwithstanding that Amer
leans how own them. The machiner
consists Of the most ordinary tools and
few stamps with mules to do the heav
work. 1t is impossible to reach Batopils
with heavy machinery, for the mountain
GUS country will only admit Of the pa
sage Of the small and firm footed Mexica
mule. A weight exceeding 300 pount
cannot be carried over these mountain
and this must be conveyed on the bacl
OF mules. Steam engines and boilers ar
heavy crushers can never be conveyed
the Batopilas mines. The region is ri'
beyond calculation. The mine in whi'
Col. Armstrong is interested now tur
out on an average $50, 900 per week. II
ground is filled with silver. The be
ores run from $4,000 to 800, 900 to t
ton, and what is called second. class c
from $4,000 to $4,000. Col. Armstro
says that though his second. class ore
richer than the ore taken from the fame
Comstock lode, yet they do not use
but cast it aside in a pile by itself, ava
ing the possibility of hard times. 7
richer ore is so abundant that it wo,
not pay to devote time and money to
tracing the silver from this second.c
material. There are hundreds Of tons
this inferior ore thrown up in piles alb,
the mine. This mine is now about
feet below the surface, and runs int
mountain. For every dollar spent
working the mine, as the records and
counts will allow, Col. Armstrong s
$40 have returned. These mines W
worked by the Spaniards many years a
but they did not go very deep. Al
reaching water they would abandon
shaft and strike in at another local
There are many evidences of the mi
Of this country having been extenai,