Arizona weekly citizen., 1881-05-08
SONORA MINES.
A Trip to SOnOra-NaluabIe Mines-A GrOwl at The Custom Auihorities- What Sonora Needs
ORo BLANCO. May ]

oiNt OlH-NtNt 4hol D
 EDITOR CITIZEN: I nave just re- turned from a visit to the mines and mill of the Sonora Consolidated Mill and Mining Company at San Juan, Sonora, of which Ma. C. H Holbrook Is superintendent
 The mine is improving daily. The battery and pulp from a three-loOt mineral streak in the foot wall aver aging $106 to S125 per ton, a rich l streak about four inches in width on the hanging wall going much higher, the latter being sacked and held for transportation to New York.
 The mill, under the able manage nent of MT. Henry Baehr, is work ing like a charm, and the fact that the tailings average less than 20 per cent. is certificate of Mr. Baehr's ability. and shows that the right man is in the right place.
 The future of the compeny is a bright one, provided Jhe laws, con fusion of laws, or perhaps lack of laws existing in Mexico, do not pre- vent it. My object is not to give a description of mines or mills. want to emit gOod-sized, healthy growl at the management or rather mismanagement of the Mexican cus- tom house at Sasibe. Sonora.
 NIT. Hclbrook in melting part of his bullion preparatory to running bricks had the misfortune to break his cru cibles, and the metal running through the grate bars became mixed with ashes and dirt. Gathering it up as best he could, he determined on bringing it here to run into a brick, no large crucible being left at his assay office. Mark the result.
 We drove up to the entrance of the custom house at Sasibe in the broad light of day, it being one o'clock noon, unhitched our horses, took them 10 water. and then returning to pIesent the bullion, which was lying in the middle of the wagon, tied up in a sack and in plain sight of every body, found that one of the guards had lifted il out of the wagon and ta- ken it to the Collector as contraband. All within five minutes and without d question beng addressed to Us. In vain NIT. HolbrOok represented Inc folly of accusing him Of trying 10 run cOnt-aband bullion; that he came for the purpose of payIng the tax; that the bullion was in plain sight, and that no time was allowed him to water the stock and Tefu-n
 The Collector was ineXOrable. He said even if it was not cnntraband NIT. HolhrUok should have brought up a certificate of weight and val ue from some judge, and the bullion was liable 10 seizure from the lack of that certiti- cate. Mir. Holbrook represented that no Mexican official in San Juan could assay bullion, and the strong proba- bility was that none O. them could write the necessary certificate. Take il, then, to Altar, was the answer. That would involve 100 mile, extra travel and the loss of valuable tune, MT. HOlbruok replied. No matter, you must comply with the laws or your bullion will be seized, said the Collector The bullion Lad 10 be left, subject the august pleasure of the Of ficial.
 This is not an isolated case. A salesman from a house in San Fran cisco desired to pass his trunk, con- taining samples of cloth, calico, etc. not one piece being larger than the palm of my hand, and of no earthly value except as samples. The Callcc- tor taxed him SS0. and then fined him $50 more for presuming to bring IT thcIe without a certificate from the Mexican Consul
 1 myself. some weeks ago, took some quicksilver to the Custom House, there being no duty on quicksilver, and was fined 8 for the same Omis- sion. Other complaints are rife, and the only motive, whether true or not, assigned by the victims is a settled hostility 70 everything American. Southern Arizona, and Tucson in particular, want the trade of Sonora Sonora needs American capital to de- velOp her mines. One is dependent on the other. i free intercourse and, as far as Is consistent with the laws, a tree transmission of goods, is desira- ble. Custom House officials on either side should be lenIent, and not over strict and harsh. Capital is timid and needs smiles, not fIowns. To- day not $1 in $25 of bullion exported from Sonora pays duty, and snug ghng on the frontier is profession. TLe reason is obvious. Americans operating mines in Sonora, and desir- ous of complying with tIe Mexican laws, have every obstacle thrown in theIr way. They whose consciences are easy on that score land who can blame them have every facility af- forded them to evade the laws. A change is needed. Is it in the laws or the officials chosen tO execute them
 A. k. SMITH.