The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-12-07
WORKING A SILVER MINE.
New Yorkers Pay Dearly for Their ExpS
rience-91 sc, 900 sunk.

rience-915 sc, 900 sunk.
Operating Mexican mines has been Q
dear experience for some Now York capital.
lists" a mining expert said introducing the
subject to group Of gentlemen smoking 500
Gladly in n downtown office. without men-
tioning names. / can give the two years hiss
tory OF q speculation that Ia q sample Of many
others. was hero In New York. not exactly
waiting for something to turn UP. but at least
at leisure. when several gentlemen called to
see mo and ask about mining property In Mex.
leo. One is the owner OF n big business block.
ana two are at the head OF large manufac-
turing interests. They were. with tho others.
eager to invest In silver mines. Itw when the
late craze was at it's height. The money for the
start could be subscribed in a day. and the only
obstacle was in finding q man to 20 and locate
the mines. They had heard OF me and had
come to suggest the subject to me- We had
some very plain talk about mining. and 1t
finally ran into what they were to do for mo.
They were willing to pay my expenses andgive
me n good salary to so to Mexico. find some
mines. and start them. That was well enough
so far as 1t went. but it didn't 60 far enough.
knew that I could find mines there that would
be profitable If had the money to start them.
and knowing that. did not intend to allow
half dozen gentlemen to make 4 fortune and
leave mo out in the cold So | said: Gentlc-
men, i Will 30 To MEXICO ana llnu mines LOT you
ii you will pay my expenses. / don't want a
salary until after they are opened. but | do
know where can lind mines, and all Ii need is
money enough to start them with
knowledge OF mines that had not made use of
before but had lived in Mexico about fifteen
open mines that | knew OF. or knew that L
could locate some OF tho mincs. opened orig
eighty Tine traditions al,Dlit
them have been handed down from father to
son. ana man haI to live am ,ns the M.xicans
some years before he can sift the truth from all
Alter several conferences the gentlemen
agreed to NV plan. was to have $4,000 To
start with. and to be this local manager after
the locating of the mines. They. were appar-
entity wiing to do the fair think for me, and
was willing TO do my best for them never
ala Ike living in Mexico. but put that feeling
The Government of Mexico gives very fair
concessions TO miners, and had no trouble in
wSa Iro 9ur nn Of which At least two
shafts in all four to secure them. and WAS
working along all right in two of them when
college. He looked over the mines and. Of
course tah99ushi he kneT more about MINING
with my work. and didn't have much to say
70 him.; He thought tho mines were richer
be smeted for much smaller cost than esti-
mated. After while he returned. and soon
knew everything He was called the Secretary.
and was paid SOU u month. wliis was working
along for $40, and $40 month is mighty little
to live on i'll that country. before long he had
two clerks and Il storekeeper WORKING for from
500 to 1850 month. He couldn't speak
WORD OF spanish. ana mad TO hire an Inter-
:, All this time had been interesting some
Mexican friends in the scheme. and. having
faith in me-. they supported me in what was
doing When the professor took charge ! quit
sns 'a VIII
Vice-President. treasurer. secretary and dis
reciors. had been organized in the meanwhile.
and had received my share OF the stock
described the situation at the mines aud de-
sired to know what the next steps were to he.
had figured the cost OF smelling from sl2 to
SIS n ton. although the professors had figured
as low as 1865 II ton. 1t was finally agreed that
/ should return and continue as working man
sh while the professor was to take charge Of
the professor had sunk a shalt II little back OF
se he Se waaa not my mna ong
and had abandoned it, Ths % "th M2' mnas we're
NJ the mountai ms. and were n good deal harder
for the tendcr;f2oted professor to reach Be-
labYrers; Cut the wages Of a Mexican laboror
and he thinks you are robbinG him. We had TO
mines in the mountains. and had employed u
number of MeNicans to carry them up on their
sticks n day. and had paid them ~ the stick.
. each nan nan making about seyenty-fve cents a
and, had cut down ,the price. The men Quit
WORKING. and he was IN the lurch.
. WORK went H.onE that way for while and
the professor became dissatisfied He wanted
to branch ont. had been worrying along with
the, old spanish furnaces, which cost very little
and are easily and chcarly repaired although
they burn out quickly. The professor wanted
to have costly smelter put Up. and. besides
BY the Mexicans. They used to bring in about
fifty cents to .sl.25 for the lot. Tie
professor wanted to buy that ore. l never
was q good smeter. only a miner. and
had little TO say. Taking all things INTO con-
SlIpratlDl prOfnsSnr nd wall
together. and went to New York again.
told the stockholders that didn't intend to be
used as catspaw: that was working for
sl51OoO or nothing and that could have
other mines for salary, They finally wanted
70 know what | would take for nv share.
Fifty thousand dollars. | SAID. They talked il
over. aud finally offered me $50 900. FIJI out
your check. said They did, and | quit
They accused ma Of setting the MexiGans
with them.
The professor remained in charge. Before
long they bought II ,mcltrr for slS.0J0 in Coll
oraio. and it cost them about 81 900 more when
il wouldn't work, they used coke and then
charcoal but neither worked satisfactorily.
they hlrcd prhct ca -m"ltcr to com. from
Colorado and he couldn't max" it work and
erS have spent about sijO.UUO. and nave had
little in return. IT, waste If money to send
high priced professors down there to do the
practical work. manager must know the ma
tires and Keep down IN" aNuenses. Millions
may be taken ont OF mines there bat they must
many where capitalists have been too greedy
and ready r. cut of the men who started them
on the road