The Osceola times., 1881-07-23
slOO,oOO,OOo
Taken From the Primitive Pacbuca Mines
In Mexico In Thirty Years.


Fachuca Cor. ofths Boston Herald.
For more than three hundred years
the piines of Pachuca have been worked
by the Mexicans-frst by the Mexicans
pure and simple, then by the Spaniards
and now again by Mexicans, 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 to-day,
by which all the precious ores dug from
the mountain are made TO yield their
silver. Yes, more, the very hacienda is
still worked and probably, in which, in
1858, Senior Medina made that discovery
SO valuable TO Mexico. Senior Medina
has passed away, it is presumed but his
memory still lives. The English colony
comprises about $50 men, women and
children, from the mining district OF
Cornwall The first Cornish miner
came here about fifty years ago, intro
ducing English machinery and modes OF
working the mines, much TO the benefits
of the owners. Some of the original
number are still living, though very few
and all here now agree as to the health
fitness of the climate as 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 Precarious
property are these mines, except in exs
ceptional cases. The most noteworthy
of all the instances of poor men striking
it rich is that of the Santa Gertrudis
mine, which is now "in bonanza" 1t
had been successfully worked and
abandoned years and years ago, and was
finally pronounced" or taken to work,
by a Cornishman who has just died.
Forming small company in 1877 he
commenced active work. After it was
proven that the mine was paying he sold
out hisshare-Dine-twenty-ffths-for
$4,000. Since then one>twenty-fifth
has sold for $4,000. the present price
per bana or share. This weuld give at
that rate $4,000 for what he got but
$4,000 for. The mine has been sin
bonanza" now for three years, and is
yielding about 5000 eargas of 800 pounds
each of metal weekly and giving clear
profit OF 81 600 per day. From June,
1877, to March, 1881, the mine produced
81 10000 and declared thirty.two divi-
bends OF $4,000 each-S6400 In
June, 1877, there WAS but one shaft of
sixty varas Ia vara is a little less than a
yard;) now the deepest shaft is 10 varas.
There is powerful pumping and hoist.
ing engine. many large buildings and all
the appurtenances Of mine in this sec
ton, an paid for. With all this profit,
present and prospective, all the ore OBJ
tanned here is sent to be reduced TO
Regla, 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 at the time they commenced to
work it. There are, it is said, two
distinct lodes, running parallel and less
than fifty yards from each other. At
first the vein worked was only vara
wide, but as they went down they found
a cavern filled with metallic slush"
twenty. four feet wide. They were at
first compelled TO timber around a great
deal for the sake OF economy, taking out
merely enough TO meet current expenses.
What remained was pure black sulph-
urets, which exhumed globules OF native
silver when exposed 10 fire. One can
trace the silver lode as il crops out above
the surface and runs diagonally across
the hills; and if Appearances are good
for anything, the two new mines of DR..
Skilton, the Santo Tomas ell Nuevo and
the Santa Catarina, to the west of Santa
Gertrudis, are right in 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 long ropes of
nagney fibre wound about large drum
operated by mules or horses. Tue whole
district abounds in 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 dave been extracted from
the Rosari mine since it was started in
1850, and the books show that there has
heen paid 100000 per share in diyi-
lendsl