The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-07-23
S1OO,OOO,OOO.

For more than three hundred years
the mines of Pachuca have been worked
| by the MeXicans-tirst by the Mcxcans
pure and simple, then by the Spaniurtls
and now again by Mexicars who would
scorn the name OF Spaniard, though his
blood mingles in their veins. Here in
this very town was discovered the pro-
cess of amalgamation now in use today,
| by which all the precious ores dug from
the mountain arc made to yield their
| silver. Yes, more, the very hacienda is
still worked and profitably, in which, in
1857, Senior Medina made TINT discovery
SO valuable to Mexico. Senor Medina
has passed away, it is presumed, but his
memory still lives The English colony
| comprises about $50 mon, women and
children, from the mining district of
Cornwall. The first Cornish miners
came here about fifty years ago, intro
ducing English machinery and modes of
working the mines, much to the benefit
of the owners. Some of the original
number arc still living, though very few,
and all here now agree rs to the health
fulness Of the climate rs place of resi-
dence for English people. Though
some of them have acquired wealth and
some have retired to old England with
enough and to spare, the majority have
earned little more than living. Pre-
carious property are these mines, except
in exceptional cases. The most note
worthy of all the instances of poor men
striking it rich is that of the Santa Ger
trudis mine, which is now Gin bonanza. !"
1t had been successfully worked and
abandoned years and years ago, and was
finally pronounced taken to work
by Cornishman, who has Just died.
Forming II small company in 1877, he
commenced active work After it was
proven that the mine was paying he sold
out his share-ninc twenty y-ffths-for
SIS, ZOO. Since then, ono twenty fifth
has sold for $4,000, the present price
per bana or share This would give at
that rate $720, 1000 for what he got but
$15, 900 for. Tho mine has been "in
bonanza" now for three years and is
yielding about 5000 cargns of 300
pounds each of metal weekly, and giving
clear profit of 81, 900 per day. From
June, 1877, to March, 1881, the mine
produced 81, 10000 and declared thirty
two dividends of $40, 600 cach-$64O, 600.
In June, 1877, there was but one shaft
OF sixty Varas-a vara is a little less than
yard-now the deepest shaft is ITO
varas there is a powerful pumping and
hoisting engine, many lnrge buildings,
and oil the appurtcnces Of n mine in this
section, all paid for. With MI this pro-
tit, present and prospective, all the ore
obtained here is sent to be reduced to
Rcgla, distance of seven leagues. This
mine, which is located less than two
miles from the center of Pachuca, is
owned principally by men who were
poor Mt the time they commenced to
work it. There are, it is said, two dis
tinct lodes, running parallel and Mt less
than fifty yards from each other. At
first the vein worked was only vara
wide, but rs they went down they found
twenty-four feet wide. They were Mt
deal, for the sake Of economy, taking
out merely enough to meet current ex-
penscs. What remained was "p,,rc
black snlphurets, which exhumed glob-
ules of native silver when exposed to
it crops out above the surface and runs
diagonnlly across tho hills and ii
appearances are good for anything, the
two new mines of Dr. Skilton, the Snnto
Tomas cl Nuevo and the Santa Catarina
~ VIC "cSI Oh o'lnta IcftfuulS are flBht
i'll the silver track. We visited these
latter, which are at present operated by
the old-fashioned Mexican mode, the
metal being brought up in bullock skins
by means of long ropes Of magucy fibre
wound about large drum operated by
mules or horses. The whole district
nboumds i'll picturesque features, but
none more SO than these primitive mines.
One hundred million dollars taken from
one mine in thirty years This is the
amount declared on good authority to
have been extracted from the Rosario
mine since it WIS started in 1850, md
the books show that there has hcen paid
$500, 900 per share in dividends