Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1883-08-23
D.ANos.
A MEXICAN ADVENTURE.

A MEXICAN ADVENTURE.
The one great need of Mexico is coal
needed this more because she has so
little wood. Especially does she need
it for the development of her silver
aga. and for the operation of her
Tader nat (which are now stripping the
water If the seanty forests that still
-Vburning the wood of the mes
eTs Gsr Trub, or pine, brought from the
thseslopes of the Cordilleras.
Mexico suffers from lack of forests
and the moisture which they draw and
retain. The entire plateau is parched
by drought. In the time of the Aztec
empire, $40 years ago. the country was
clad with grand old woods, even to the
mountain tops. Irrigation was not
then needed. Now nothing can be
raised without it. The reason of this
change is that the Spanish conquerors
ignorantly felled and burned off the
forests-that their "New Spain .
might resemble Old Spain, it is said.
Biologists and mineralogists do not
speak encouragingly of the prospects
of finding coal in Mexico. Still it may
be that future researches will show
that she has an ample supply packed
away beneath the strata of some or all
of her states.
Two acquaintance of the writer
amateur geologists and mining engi-
ssaeers- have of late been peering about
! ii tain tain portions Of the great plateau
hoping to find indications of the much
needed "black diamonds ofindustry;
and on one of their prospecting trips
in the state of Durango they had an
experience which throws a peculiar
light on the character of some of our
"neighbors in our sister republic.
At a place among the mountains on
what. to all appearances, seemed to be
nobody's land, so craggy aud welI-nigh
inaccessible was the locality, they dis
covered very promising fissure vein
of silver ore, which they determined
to "locate," or "denounce," as .,
phrase is in Mexico, under the very
liberal mining law of the country.
A mining claim may be made, re-
gardless of any prior ownership of the
land, by any one; and by the payment
of very small annual fee it remains
the property of the diseoyerer.
For stakes to india their bear
Hngs, and for fuel for their campfire
| that afternoon they had the two Mexi-
can boys who carried their luggage
* fell two small ash trees which
stood in the bed of the rav.ne below
their "lead." These were crooked,
gnar.ed little saplings, not more than
four or five inches in diameter, and of
no value There were scores of others
just ike them along the ravine where
the young men made their camp for
the night.
Just at sunset an Indian laborer
passed down the ravine carrying
large iarra of zarzamoras (blackber-
ries) on his head. Mr.. Forney-one
Of the two Americans-spoke to the
Indian, and asked him to sell some of
the zarzamoras.
The man stood at distance and
would neither reply nor come to their
fire. After observing them for some
moments he went on.
His manner gave them some uneasi-
ness, and one or the other of them kept
awake to watch, lest the fellow might
return after dark with party to rob
them.
The night passed without incident
however, but as they were taking cof-
fee the next morning they saw large
party Of men coming up the ravine on
horseback. 1t was headed by well
! mounted Mexican, in short black
jacket, silyer-srimmed pantaloons and
richly ornamented sombrero. Be
hind him came twelyeor fifteen cotton
clad poems { Indian laborers), all armed
with carbines and pistols, or knives.
"Well well p exclaimed Forney.
"Here comes a whole Mexican army.
We are taken, guess
Mr.. Brett-the other American
stepped forward to meet them, and
said in Spanish:
"Buenos dias, senior !" (Good-morn-
ing, sir y "What can we do for youY
Instead of returning the salutation,
as most Mezicans politely do, what
ever their errand, the man pointed
angrily to the stumps and brush of the
4 two trees, and began a long, loud tt
ie, which the poems chorused with
nfirmatory grunts.
Our two countrymen knew enough
IS stnish to understand some portion of
& lat the Mexican was saying; and they
iily recognized the words arboIss
*4& M .I.s s.. .111 IL. ~ x