Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-03-06
IN THE MEXICAN MINES.
THE GOLD, SILVER AND COPPER DISTRICT or SAN
JOSE, TAMAULIPAs.

THE GOLD, SILVER AND COPPER DISTRICT or SAN
JOSE, TAMAUL1PAs.
Correspondence Of The vermont Ph9ulx.
In the state Of Tamaulipas Mex, in lati-
tude 24o, 45', and longitude %, g. west Of the
meridian of the city Of Mexico, lie the San
Carlos mountains, formerly known as "El
Rihon de Ovo," the Golden Kidney. The
general conhguration of the range is that
OF q crescent, and in the mountains near the
northwest end OF the crescent and on the west
ern slope lies the wonderful mineral deposit
known as "El mineral de San Jose de Tamau.
lipas" Nearly in the centre of the district,
and about 1000 feet above the surrounding
valleys, is an immense mass Of magnetic iron
ore, which crops out Of the hill and forms
its summit. 1t is quite unique in shape, and
from distance resembles somewhat the IA
nous Egyptian Sphinx, the body it it's recum-
bent position extending toward the northeast.
In mining parance this mass would be called
chimney" or blowout" and indeed it
appears to have come up from the depths, af-
ter the surrounding hills and mountains we're
formed, for many copper bearing lodes and
veins have been dislocated and thrown out of
their course by it's upheaval. When it made
its appearance IL must have come up hot as
It melted and became impregnated with cop
per from the lodes of that metal through
which it passed. This iron ore makes a
splendid Au1 for the copper ores, as eIpe-
ritnce has proven, and adds from three to fve
per cent to the product from the copper it
carries 1t is also rich in gold. Immense
copper lodes carrying gold and silver in the
ores, diverge from this chimney, called here
"El Yman"-in nearly all directions. These
lodes produce copper ores of nearly all known
kinds and in great abundance. The prnoi.
pal classes of ores are the oxides, red and
black, green and blue carbonstes, silicates of
copper and 2s per cent pyrites. Many are
well defined lodes Of great thickness, having
true walls Others appear to be immense de-
posits all but inexhaustible in their magnitude.
Most Of the groupings Of the lodes lie high
above the water level and offer every facility
for the extraction OF the ores. The district
is situated in the midst OF settled and pro-
ductve country. There are good roads from
the foot OF the hills, where the mines are sit
uated, out of the mountains to the open coun-
Iy. YAK anu pine WOOu 10 III hDhuuhnte lOE
charcoal and timbering purposes.
In the valleys'surroundiDg the mines are
large quantities Of slag from copper, showing
by the most positive evidence that these mines
were worked TO considerable extent in olden
times. But the we'll known and oft repeated
reason for their abandonment was the expul-
sion of the SpaniArds from Mexico in the ear
iy rarA of tho rreeapt csniurv-and sinca
then, up to about eight years ago, the con-
slant state of revolution and consequent inse-
curity that existed in Mexico has not permit
ted the putting on foot of any enterprises in
mining, or anything else. But now that a
stable government seems to be a settled fact,
this district is well worthy the attention Of
those who wish to invest in good and pay
ing mining business.
know of no district in Mexico, after 20
years residence, that can compare with it
in favorable situation, facilities Of wood and
water, easy extraction Of ores, abundance Of
same, climate, etc.
The formation OF the mountains composing
the region is strictly primitive, the rocks
most abundant being granite, trap, porphyry,
mountain limestone and associated rocks. l
think the San Carlos mountains are geologi.
cally older than the Sierra Madre range.
They are an isolated spur of the latter, sp-
parently, and about 40 miles east.
Fine -four gold is found in all the canyons,
and 'colors" can be washed from the dirt Of
any of the dumps of the old mines. There
are many silver lodes and veins, some of
which have been worked in olden times, and
others newly discovered promise we'll. They
are mostly argentiferous galens, though some
sulphurets of silver are found, and one old
mine yields black silver, or brittle silver ore.
Red silver ore also exists.
There can hardly be doubt but that in the
near future extensive mining operations will
be carried on in this district, it's situation
being very favorable for shipping either ores
or malt-the distance being but about 1870
miles to a port on the Gulf Of Mexico. A
railroad survey passes within 10 miles of the
mines, and a connecting branch could easily
be built from them to the main road. 1t is
not a remote possibility that gold will be
found in paying quantities when the district
is properly prOspected; then there will be an
other boom. L. W.. H.
Lnares, Nuevo Leon, Mex, Jan. u, 's5.