The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1882-04-20
Maine Man in the Mexican Mines

ON THE ISTHMCS. ON THE PLACID PACIFIC.
| AN OVERLAND JOURNEY, MULE BACK. BA-
TPOLIS AND ITS MINES. BOSS SIEP-
HERDS BoNANZAS. A LAND OF PROMISE.
The Journal has been permitted to make use
of private letter from Mr.. Joseph Durham.
dated at Batapols, State of Chihuahua, Mexico,
and written to a friend in this city:
| We made the passage from New York to AS
| pinwall in seven days. The first morning out
| thousand sperm whales, sight rarely. if ever
| before. seen on the Atlantic coast. We passed
| near the Islands Of San Salvador, Cuba, SantO
! Domingo, and others. We had a good ship,
The Colon. a fine set of officers, and pleas
ant company Of passengers, among whom
| found several friends and acquaintance ID. S.
| simpson, of Scarsport. Mr.. Flowers, son of
| Capt VIM Flowers, of Bangor. and several
| from Boston and vicinity. Mr.. Prescott and
son. Walker Blaine, and others from Washing
ton. were on board, going to South America on
4 mission from our Government. We had a
good deal of musical talent on board, and seye-
raj instruments, piano, &C., and some good
music, which added much to the pleasure Of the
passage.
Aspnwall is queer old town. Its population
Is made up chiefly of Jamaica negroes. We re-
manned there six days, and then crossed the
l>thmus to Panama. The trip across the 18th
mus was very interesting. The dense forests.
and the flowers and fruits of that tropical COun-
try are entirely different from anything have
ever seen. Bananas, oranges. lemons. LINES,
and cocoa nuts grow in great profusion. The
people require but little clothing. the men wear
ING only brcCch cloth. and the women a skirt
from the hips down. The children from i'll
fancy to ten wears of age. wear nothing. nana-
ma Is one of the most ancient cities on the con
| tinent, and many places and customs interested
me greatly. We We're detained here five days.
waiting for freight. but We're very comfortable
On >hipboard, about four miles from town.
The Granada, our ship on the Pacific side.
was fine craft and the fare and attendance all
that one could desire. The captain was for
merly from Cape Cod, and very pleasant gen
/ tleman. ! enjoyed his society very much. az we
had 50 many acquaintance i'll common on the
Cape and in Boston. was charmed with my
passage up the Pacific coast. From Panama to
Malatlan we ran near the land most Of the
way. and saw high ranges of mountains all
along. some of them from ten to fourteen thou
sand feet high. Three We're sending forth
smoke from their peaks, and all were majestic
to look upon As | looked andwari from the
steamer it seemed like sailing up broad
smooth river. a. calm and placid as a mill pond
| The weather WAS every day alike, and a. near
y perfect a. one could wish. The sunsets sur
passed i'll gOrgrousneSS ANYTHING | have ever
witnessed. We made landings at La Libertad
san Jose. Acapulco. ManSanilla. and san Bias.
At all these places. crowds of small boats came
of To our steamer with fruit. shells. birds, and
other products of the country for sale. " omen
generally were in charge and made the sales II
was an interesting sight to watch them.
| landed at Mazatlan Sunday. Christmas
morning. This is quite large and smart bll>i-
ness city. | spent two days there and visited
some of the principal business houses. with Mr.
kcitOn. American Consul. formerly from Prov
idcnce. II. l.. "A very pleasant gentleman. The
business places are connected with the resi-
dence> of the owner. What from the street
looks like plain. smooth stone wall. with
grated windows, and an archway through
leading into an open court. and fruit and flower
garden. is found TO be a business place and re>
idcnce. \ portal or verandah usually extends
all the way around three sides with large and
spacious rooms opening upon it. Here is where
most Of the business is done. and here the fam
lily st and take their meals. and. in Very Hot
weather. sleep. In The grounds arc orange trees
in fruit and flowers at the same time. with many
other kinds of fruit trees and beautiful shriih>
and flowers. making a most delightful horne
ana place of business.
took stage at Mazatlan for Fl Fuerez dis
tlnt about four hundred miles. had the com
pany of Young Mr.. Richardson from Boston, =
passenger with me from \. l.to (uicau about
half the distance. made the trip in -four days.
Al Ell. F. took two men and four mules oyer
the mountains to this place, a journey Of four
days. one day ont from III +. ! fell i'll with
capt, Bryant. from California. on his way to
the same house where my home is. to run a
funnel for q California company. The scenery
in these Mexican mountains is grand beyond de-
>rIiption.
We arrived here on tie eleventh of .Janu-
AIRY. My quarters are with NJ. Nalenzuca.
i Mexican gentleman. who makes a pleasant
house for Americans. and no others. There are
four OF IL 1T this house. Mr. Samuel Wilkinson
from Ohio. Supt of the Santo Domingo mines.
a gentleman in every sense of the word Mr..
Frank Heard. an old BostOnan. ovcr>eer of the
American Tunnel Co. property. Capt. Bryant
and myself. The house is built of stone. and !,
Very pleasant and comfortable. My room and
office l. large and commodious. and in every
WAY satisfactory. In our dining room are some
tine pictures, and hanging ON the wall over the
table. is the motto. "God bless our home" Our
fare Is good. | am pleased with all have seen
here. | have never met Il more peaceable or
kinder people in any country. The mines are. in
my opinion. all they have been represented 10
beth" richest in the world. GOV. Shepherd.
'N-no>s OF Washington. D. c.. is here with his
delightful family, wife and seven children.
They have made it very pleasant for me. |
nave dined with them and attended Divine ser
wee at his Residence on sunday evenings. We
have music on the piano which was carried Oh
the backs of Indians over the trail from the city
OF ChlhuahIla. The Governor is doing Il very
large and extensive business here becoming
wealthy. and making the stockholders III his
numerous mining companies happy. He has
many mines here and at M0relaS. many Of
them very rich bonanZa>. About wear ago
he purchased a mine called the ROncesyaIltS
sand dollars. he struck Il bonanza i'll the shaft
which continues. Three weeks ago he struck
another IN the tunnel several hundred feel
below. which j. still larger and richer than
the first These bonanZas are native silver.
running from few hundred dollars to many
thousands. sometimes over twenty. per ton.
Coy. shepherd has discovered that formerly
I'll ores that did not contain native silver We're
thrown away. There are large amounts of
these ores taken from the mines here which
f.,,r 4
per ton and would be considered rich in any
other country. The MrXicans have only work
ed on the surface and tor native silver. and
with the most primitive means of reduction
Gov. : has large and fine mine which only
began running January l>t. 1882 with fifteen
stamps III. Thirty five more are now being put
~. He i also building ten stamp mill in an
other p n of the district. and fifteen stamp
mill at tlcarcas. near Moreas. The Cover
mor'S sixty mule train left here Tor city of Chi
huahua last week with over 100000 in bullion.
oNr mine looks well. We are taking out
SOME good silver. and expect bonanza.
spent two weeks with friend near MorelaS
prospecting. and have located three fine prop
critics which We're worked to some extent wears
ago. They are near and adjoining old and eN-
ttn>INc works. The ruins of old hacicndas
bitches. etc., are found on the bank of the leu
artba river near by. Good water power tim
Der ami grass are plenty. and there is a fine To-
cation tor town. intend to visit there again
III .NPflI. AFTER / near from friends III Boston,
and want to locate more mines in the same dis
trlct. We made many horn spoon tests of ores
taken from the VEINS and the old dump piles
and found native white and black silver in
every instance.
There are fine opportunities here. The min
ing laws are very favorable TO parties taking
up mines. ! intend to remain until accom-
pli>h what | came for and expect to continue
TO be interested here as long as do business.
The climate is everything that could be desired
The railroad will be completed to the city of
Chihuahua by the first of August The Texas
TopoloVampo Il Pacific is building and will
pass near my new mines. When this is com
pletcd to connect with the Mexican Central
road we shall be only seven days from Boston.
Clippings.
according TO the latest reports GOV. Pasted
is badly mixed on the question of calling an