Daily Los Angeles herald., 1882-05-25
MINING IN SONORA.
Extent and Richness of the Arispe
District.

oughly Americanized, and nearly all the
fancy mineral deposits are gradually
falling into the hands of the shrewd
Yankees. The Arispe district, which
has worldwide fame for the extent
and richness of its mineral deposits, has
now an American population nearly
equal to the natives of the soil. Those
foreigners on the Sonora soil are neither
drones nor drunkards, but hard working,
intelligent men, whose presence repre-
sent untold wealth to any country.
They are nearly all engaged in mining
enterprises, though few have branched
off into mercantile pursuits, the pres
ence of SO many foreigners guaranteeing
a respectable portion of trade.
The principal mineral bed of Sonora
yet discovered is situated about twenty
five miles southeast of Arispe. This is
the great Mecca of the American pros
pector and mining man. Here comes
the weary prospector and his patient
buro, the enterprising capitalist and
hard -fisted day laborer, all eager to en-
gage in the pursuit most congenial to
his tastes.
From Mr.. d. L. Durham, who arrived
here on Sunday evening from Sinaquipo,
Sonora, we learn that several American
companies are working mines in that
vicinity. Mr. Dunham is stockholder
in the Santa Maria Gold and Silver Min
ing Company, corporation having head
quarters at 80 Broadway, New York.
This company is working nine mines,
and have ordered and paid 5000, 900 for
a sixty stamp mill that will be in opera
ton in less than six months. The princi-
pal mines of this group are the Santa
Maria, Carmen, San Francisco and Gran
adita. The Carmen has been worked for
more than 200 years, and is q grand
mineral bed 1t was abandoned by the
original owners about ten years ago on
account of Indian trouble, and lay in
dormant state until resmrected by the
present proprietors few years ago. 1t
was in horrible state when the compa-
ny began to work it. Filth, mud and
water abounded, and it took the present
owners nearly year to clean it out. 1t
is now opened up in good working con-
dition, so that hundred tons of ore can
be extracted daily. The nine mines
owned by the company are situated in
gronp within a radius of q mile, and not
more than six miles directly to the So
nora river, where the mill will be erect
ed. A first-class wagon road has been
graded from the mines to the mill, and
everything is in readiness to start as
soon as the contractors have the mill
ready for action.
Barrajita, station on the Sonora
railroad, is sighty-five miles west OF the
mill site, and a good wagon road is now
being built by the company between the
two places. The mines have all been
put in good working condition, the old
shafts and drifts have been Strengthened
and widened. Steam hosting works
will be placed in operation over several
of the mines in few days and the work
of hauling ore to the mill site will COM
mence. About 100 American miners and
$50 natives are employed.
The company have erected several
substantial buildings for offices and
boarding houses, and improvements of a
permanent nature are being made daily.
Developments of an important character
have lately been made in the San
Francisco and Garanditas, but the CON-
pany are reticent about the matter, pre-
fering to keep the matter to themselves
for some time.
Mr.. Durham states that the Mexican
government and the people treat foreign
enterprises with much kindness and
consideration, and welcome the arrival
of American capital to develop the re-
sources of the country. Mr.. Durham
is general agent of the company, repre-
senting the Eastern stockholders, and
Mr.. R. E. Meyer, an old and competent
mining man, is the superintendent
Tombstone Epitaph.