Arizona weekly citizen., 1883-07-14
D0INGS IN SONORA.
Interview With Mir. F.. Norman, of
 HermOSillO.
How the Mexican aIints Are Worked Railroading in SinalOa-An Old
 and Rich Mine.

This morning CITIZEN reporter saw the name of E. Norman, of Hermosillo inscribed in 8 bold, round hand on the register of the Cosmopolitan hotel, and found the gentleman enjoying himself in the cool of the porch, and obtained an introduction, when the following inter. view took place:
 I understand, Mir. Norman. that vou are connected with the Hermosillo mint:
 Only as steokholder. The mints in Mexico are owned by the government, and are leased by woforeign companie-, the Central Mint company, which oper- stes at Durango and Guadalsjars, and the Pacific Mint company, which oper- tes at Hermosillo, Alamos and Culicsn. The Hermosillo mint coins about s2O.. 0OO per day.
 What IS the reason, then, that Mexican money has such a wretched artistic ap- pesrance If 1t IS manufactured by skilled forelgnersy
 We did at one time put in modern let ters on the disc, but the ChiDamen Kicked up fuss about it and wrote home to the government, and orders were given for the dollar to remaln for ever as It was. The reason why the stamp IS not always in the center is be- cause the dollar IS milled before it is stamped, and the stamping machine does not always strike 1t truly. The American dollar is stamped and milIed at once under correct pressure. We are not allowed to do this because 1t is con- trary to former custom. Again. the Mexican bullion Is not brought to that purity required by the Americans. We take the silver varying in purity and sometimes containing a great deal of lead, and add the alloy. The Mexican dollar must weigh 420 grains and con- tain SO2.7 thousandths fine silver. The American dollar IS of more refined sil. yer, but weighs 4l2ls grains and is 900 thousandths fine silver, making the Mexican dollar the finer Of the two. The president of the Pacific Mint Company IS Sebastian Camachn, of Mexico. and K. R. SymOn, of New York, Is treasurer. In all companies there you must have MexIcans as figureheads.
 In what line of business are you en- gagged down there?
 Last year l was helping put through a railroad of standard measure between Port Altata, forty-two miles inland to Culiacan, in the State of Sinaloa. Ii called the Sinaloa and Durango railroad. and was finished about last new years.
 How do you like Sinaloa?
 It IS magnificent country, and ip- exhRustlble Tn its agricultural and min- eral resources, and far exceeds Sonora ln its natural wealth. At present I am uperintendent of the Zubiate mine. twenty-seven miles east of Hermosillo. It Is owned by ex-Governor Manuel Monteverde. There IS half a million dollars in ore in sight We have a small ten stamp mill runnin at present. This mine was visited by Humboldt in bls travels It produces only silver.
 Are Americans coming in freely?
 les, there are over Q thousand in and around Hermosillo, railroad hands and miners. \ great number are going 10 SinalOa.
 Do they become citizens?
 Not much. 4 man IS very foolish to do SO. A citizen Is apt to be summoned to legal duty too often to his annoyance. But American interests are as well pro- tected there as elsen here