National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-06-24
SAN MIGUEL MINES.


HACIENDA SAN MIGUEL, BAsrorILAs, MEXICO
June 3.-rr1bably few Of your readers have ever
heard of the Bastopilas silver district" and yet
II is the greatest mineral district In the world.
There are few ofthe common and precious melals
that are not found In great abundance here, but
owing to the uncyilized state Of the inhabitants
and the difficulty OF transportation, mining Is
very slow and tedious, hence nothing but silver
and gold are sought amer. This district contains
the celebrated mines of San Miguel, Roncesvalles,
Todos Santos, Descubrdora and others too nu-
merous TO mention, all giving native silver in
large quantities. All the important mines, with
ono or two exceptions, have been bought up by
GOVERNOR A. II. SHEPHERD,
under the direction of several New York and
Washington companies, and though lust at pres
ent most of the mines are being developed not for
orc but Tor convenience Ia working still n large
supply OF silver Is taken out every week. When
Governor Shepherd first took charge Of the mines
against him. When wheelbarrows were intro
duced the natives carried them on their heads
instead of rolling thom but Notwithstanding such
ignorance, he has established a fine mill within
the Hacienda walls, consisting OF twenty stamps,
ing furnace, smelling aud cupelling furnace, &c.
THE HAciESDA Is SITUATED ONE MILE
from tho city Of Batopilns, about 800 miles from
Chihuahua, on tho western slope OF the Sierra
Madres. The trai from Chihuahua Is very rough,
ana III many places very dangerous, but the
Mexican mule Is the most sure footed Of animals.
All the mnchinery-many hundred tuns-wcro
Drought over the mountains on mulc- back, though
BY way OF Magattan, aud not by Chihuahua. The
Governor has quite an American colony within
the walls OF the Hacienda, and each mine has one
or two Americans to take charge OF 1t, because no
Mexican OF this place can be trusted with silver.
II Is astrange fact that many can be trusted with
my quantity OF money or vauabes but not silver.
lhey thnk II their duty to take all the silver they
can hence, whtchfuness is required in all the dc.
partments OF the mill
SPOKE OF THE FINE NATIVE ORE,
ana 70 illustrate what mean by native silver ore,
L viii describe Few pieces. Yesterday solid
piece was taken out of San Miguel mine which
weighed thtrty.six pounds and contained twenty.
nine pounds Of the purest while silver ever found.
ms is called st-clasS ore varying from six thou
sand ounces to twenty-four thousand ounces per
ton, hence there Is great depl Of ore too rich to
De passed through the battery, SO 1t Is put into
cruciblc with little glass and smelted, giving a
fine silver bar OF 1856 fine. OF course, there are
great many mines not owned by any company,
put are held by Mexic1ns, and some of these,
though not worked at present, have given out
great quantities of
SILVER IN THE NATIVE STATE
This district should be called the "natiye silver
district for few mines are worked unless they pro-
ducc "pura plata" because tho treatment OF the
other silver ores is too expensive. Mexican
mining is of the most primitive sort. A man sees
az GOO, vein and he digs into IT, going zszsg with
sight, or until the mine becomes full OF water,
whlch happens every rainy season; then the mine
Is given up, aud some of the finest mines now are
these abandoned holeS;" but Americans are
gathering them up very rapidly, and in some cases
are working with fine results
SAN MIGUEL MINE IS THE BEST
developed mine in the district having a tunnel
- feet long, with an air-shalt which purifies and
cools the mir throughout the NINE and Just now
tlmbering Is going on rapidly. Yesterday took a
look through the mine aud saw more than thirty
pillars of irstcaSs metal, but when the tinbering
Is completed all this will be dug out. There is not
much danger Of the mill stopping for want of ore,
us there are about 100000 tons of ore first second,
and third class, stored away in every level. After
the silver is reduced 1t Is sent 10 the mnts either
in Chihuahua or Alamos, OH mules, with heavy
guard OF Americans aud Mexicans, travelling very
rapidly I'LL the way with two sets of mules, and
then the work is done until the next " conductor"
-"GredSeT," IN The Ndshrle Anlericdn.