Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-02-19

promised YOU before leaving Memphis
10 write YOU every now and then and give
you my crude ideas Of this portion Of Gre
alton. / have written to you from J.! Paso,
| Chihuahua and from Parrdl, but a. cur
mails are 20 very unreliable it i
! likely some Of my letters have not reached
| you. Consequently viii reueat in this
| what | wrote about the country from Chi
| huahua to Parral and on to this place,
| Iude. The country between Chihuahua
/ and Parral Is a very decided improvement
! on that which lies between Fl Paso and Chi
| huahua. l think there can be no two
| opinions a. to the fact that the best portion
OF northwest Mexico lies between Parrai
| and Chihuahua. Between the two cities are
| to be found some magnificent estates-egual
| TO the best found further TO the south
These great haciendas are verify green
spots in this otherwise desert region
Of country, and If they were but
half worked would produce vast amounts
OF corn, wheat, oats, barley, beans,
| and the favorite staple Of Memphis, cot
ton in abundance, and OF a very fine
staple. Vegetables OF every kind flourish
where the least attention l. paid TO their
cultivation, but, ALA, everything is neglect
ed, and l can see no hopes of any improve
ment in this people. have been familiar
with this country Tor over thirty years. and
to this day can see no improvement in living,
manners or customs. This country must re-
main what it is for a century longer. unless
some energy and thrift be instilled into il
BY the many Americans that are here and
coming in search OF mine, etc. Railroads
will eventually do something for the country /
in the immediate vicinity OF these mines, but !
it will take years to get this people out Of
their old modes Of living.
PAREAL
Is at times a lively iittle town, with from /
seven 10 ten thousand inhabitants. But at /
present everything Is dull. Business Of all I
kinds il overdoue. Several American min
ing companies are located within and near !
the limits of the town; but | regret to say
that when / passed through none OF them
appeared to be doing anything worthy Of |
notlce. IT'S to be hoped their property viii |
improve, for if all prove failures it will GER
tainly operate against the sending Of /
more money 10 this country by capitalists
OF ours. Many enterprises fail here, as
elsewhere, not from the want of
good ores, but from want OF knOwl-
edge and lavish expenditure of
money. Men do not become good miners in
a day; nor does few weeks or months at
some school make them 50. 1t takes time
and much practical experience, as well
as a fair educatioo, business education
especially, to make successful miner. In
this country knowledge Of the language Is
absolutely essential. An inability to speak |
ing of the manners and customs Of the coun-
try, will, in nine cases out Of ten, cause
even good miners TO prove failures. An
other great cause Of failure Of mining
enterprises here is the fact that those
who furnish the money to work with furnish
too little. Our people do not yet fully I'M
derstand what is the meaning Of the word
mining. 1t means the expenditure of money
to make money, and without sufficient capt.
tai at the start, and that capital intelligently
and we'll handled, soon or late these enter
prises will prove failures. In order to save
money, machinery totally inadequate to the
work to be done is sent out because it is
cheap-fatal economy. Ample power should
be sent or no machinery sent. This country
is filled with little pumps and engines that
are totally worthless for the purpose for
which they were sent, and consequently
a dead loss to the companies, Tor they
can't be sold here for the price OF old iron.
In fact there is no one native here who is
able to buy, even If the machinery was want
ed by them. This country is full OF mines,
many of which are rich, without doubt that
have been abandoned by the ancient workers,
not for want Of supply OF good and abundant
orr, but from the want of proper machinery |
to control the water beyond a certain depth |
These mines can be had at q very small out
lay OF money, and | cau't for the lie OF me
why gentlemen of undoubted good
naDlls are 50 Ollel luuuCSu Dy Z
men, and oftener by tyros, to invest
heauy amounts in the purchase of mines
that are totally undeveloped. | venture to :
assert that out OF the thousands OF mines, /. E
holes in the ground that are to be seen in
This country not ten are developed to an ex-
ent that would enable an expert to make
proper and fair report on them.
~ THIS Is A LAND OF FABLES,
specially to the value of many of
he mines. These fables, or histories of l
Mines may in many instances prove true.
md have but little doubt that many OF them v
will; but will such stories justify paying t
arge sum of money to some sharper for a 5
nine, when mines equally good can be had
t very small cost, and that are as likely q
o prove as rich if not richer than those so 1
ouch boosted of?5 Let parties who may wish 0
0 engage in mining in this country send out n
ONE honest practical miner, who may know
omething OF the country and the language :,
its people, and let him locate such mine Z
r mines as the parties interested may feel !,
BILE to fully develop and work. Let the >
honey usually paid in purchasing a mine
e spent for good and sufficient machinery to
ork and develop such mine or mines as the :
gent may locate. Then with ample capital }
nd intelligent management, success may g
,asonably be expected or hoped Tor. As / u
lid before, it is very seldom that failures L
mining are Brought about by want OF
ineral in the mine Ninety cases out of al
hundred failures occur from want Of ca a
acity and extrayagance on the part of man cl
,ers. But without capital, and an album ii
luce OF il, to meet promptly all necessary m
mands for machinery, materials, buildings,
C &, tits dangerous business, and | would so
wise any friend Of mine 10 keep clear Of all a.,
oh work. Mining, however, Is a legitimate ca
lsiness, and when properly managed viii, al
Ithout doubt, pay a greater interest upon PC
e capital invested than Will any other ht
gitimate business / know of. When well
anaged, much money cannot be lo-t at -
lining honestly, for a manager who under e.
ands his business, after getting his furnaces -.
mills to work, should be able every twenty a.
ur hours to know what is b,ing made, or =;
st, and if there is no way of preventing a 81
81, should at once stop all expenses and re- r
rt facts to his superiors. TIE country be-
cen Parral and this place Is not so good pa
that between Parral and Chihuahua but Ii
uch better than that between chihuahua te
ID FL Paso. From this place to Parral il 10
about one hundred miles. The road is VI
~ fine, water abundant, with considerable i!
lalI timber and very fine grazing even at Oh
is season of the year. Millions Of cattle,
w only few hundreds are to be found in
hen will the vast grazing fields be covered tn
tn cattle and horses? Quiea sqbcl tr
THE LITTLE TOWN OF YUDE, ~ ~
lere am now located, is in a very small tn
LEY, surrounded by the foot-hill of the
ezra Madre Through a gap in these E,
lis runs a small branch from large hot "
ring, that furnishes water for the inhab- or
lnts, but not enough for i,rigating pur- I'm
ses. Ia fact, in the immediate vicinity NJ
ere is no land susceptible Of being Guilt in
ted This is eDphatically mining dis in
ct aud the rag-end of the North American
I, Iaa -, I
We my lot often cast in hard places, but to IN
, this is the most undesirable place | have re-
er lived in Did | say live? There is no IN
ing here; we barely exist on beans, l Ie
pepper, tortilas and dried beef %
ZEN we can get it. which Is seldom; es
vegetables of any class or fruits either. an
tn could be produced if the inhabitants Sol
red to do so. The climate, and what little soil M
re is is suitable, and very fine vegetables re'
I'D be grown here. No, they don't want
grow vegetables or anything else; it We
TOO much like work TO suit them. Really, en-
,se people appear to have no wants. \ sec
n cake and a Spoonful of beans is usually ne
they have to eat. ! venture to assert that su:
re are not a dozen men in town who eat Coz
md of meat in a week, besides the few COZ
nericans here. Sixty-two and a half cents the
/ furnish the average Mexican in this ov'
RI of the world suit OF vo
tbes. The suit consists of ish
TT and pair OF pants made from domestic
Il in the States is usually sold at from five "a
six cents per yard. Many have no shoes, fri
/, instead, wear sandals made from raw, prt
lie. These, with a very poor blanket and as
,adbr:m straw hat, compose the general for
fit. The wealthy class, as a matter OF sin
rise, live az we'll as the country will afford cot
dress comfortably. But the rich are, iou
E the visits OF angels, few and long way sal
ween. In short, this is a hard country, glu
a man should grow rich soon who is eni
ced to stay here. The chances are that ouI
) deserted and desolate place Is soon to car
full of life. Some four companies besides
one ] represent are preparing to 60 to DIRE
* here and IL the vicinity. Every com err.
" has as many mines Is they can handle, on
vet there is ample room fos others: l bae
,erely hope some OF US may succeed. Time auC
: 80, Jatarrnine that VIII now and then -