Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-11-06
SACRAMENTANs IN DURANGO.
The Famous Candelaria Mine = brie
Sketch of its History.

Last Wednesday William Gutenberger,
the foundryman on Frsnt street, shipped
per steamer to Columbus Waterhouse,
Mazatlan, Mexico, one of Gutenberger d
Bryan's roller quartz mills, that has a
crushing capacity of fifteen ions OF ore per
day. With the mill, which weighs 1000
pounds, were also sent rock crushers,
amalgamators, concentrators, etc. The
mill is to be put up on the Candelaria mine,
in the San Diemas mining district IN the
State of Durango. 1t is on a mountain,
| $500 feet above the level Of the sea, mid
| way between Mazatlan and the city of
Durango, about 100 miles from each. From
Mazatlan the mill will be transported over
the mountains to the mine on pack mules,
and, with that purpose in view, II has been
cast in small sections. The mine is owned
by Sacramento company, the major por-
ton of the mine belonging TO Columbus
Warehouse, of the well-known firm of
Warehouse q Lester. The mine at present
is superintendent by D. NJ. Burns. Clarence
Warehouse, of this city, goes to Durango
with the mill, and it is understood will be
given entire charge of the mine. Guten-
berger is making a duplicate of the mill,
and it will be sent forward as soon as COM
pleted. This is one of tie historic mines
| of Mexico and as it is being opened up
and operated by Sacramento capital,
slight reference to its history will no doubt
prove interesting. 1t is now on record at
Durango that Zambrano, who was the pro-
prietor of the Candelaria. paid as the kings
fifth upon the silver obtained from this
mine, between the period of its discovery,
in 1888 and 1907, When he died Sll ,O00,0 600.
The annual profit from the mine was
Loo. u. j GsA .
of its abandonment, fifty years ago,
on account of its being flooded when
a depth of 1900 feet was reached.
From that great depth the water was
brought from the bottom of the mine to
the surface in leathern buckets upon mems
shoulders, and in this laborious way the
mine was worked. 1t was very rich. how
ever, as the results proved, and the work
accomplished by the Mexicans in the 81
years the mine was operated could at the
present day, with machinery similar to
that used on the Comstock, be done in less
than two years. The proportion of gold is
about 20 per cent. Some Of the ore was so
rich that it yielded as high as $50. 900 to the
ton. Iambrano was one of the most skill
full miners of his day, as well as one of the
wealthiest men of his age. AT his death he
had deposited in the Bank of England over
S5,000,000. He had erected in the city of
Durango, and presented to the State. a pub
lie building, that III size and grandeur is A
rival of the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.
and cost many millions Of dollars. After
the abandonment of the mine it Law 40
years undisturbed, no one dreaming that il
could ever again be worked with profit.
Some 20 years ago a company was formed
in New York city for the purpose of re-
opening it. As the mine was on the sum
NIT of high mountain, they proposed run
ming tunnel in from the base, and tap the
old works near the lower level The tun-
mel was commenced, and after blasting
away for Is years, and running a tunnel
nearly 1000 feet, the company became dis
couraged, and for want of means TO farther
prosecute the work, the enterprise was
abandoned. A couple of years ago John
Bryan, of this city, while prospecting in
Durango, discovered the mine and tunnel.
learned what he could of its history, secured
title to the property, and organized the
company that now owns the mine. The
tunnel was completed, and the old works
tapped at depth of 500 feet The water
was pumped out of the remaining 200 feet.
and to-day the mine is dry, and as easily
worked as it was when the famous
Mexican miner was taking out his millions
annually. In the mine were found thou
sands of tons of mined or loose ore. left by
the anclents, that assays all the way from
$500 to 81 600 per ton. All that is required
is TO car it through the tunnel and crusE
1t. The ledge is well defined varying from
ten to fifteen feet in width. and there is
enough rich ore in sight, ready to Slope, to
keep large mill running many years. At
the base of the mountain, about one mile
distant, is the town of San Diemas, which
has Mexican population of from 800 to
600.
This roller quartz mill is light. of simple
construction, not liable to break or get out
Of repair, and is the only kind of mill
that can be used with success in that coun-
try. 1t is light-running, only taking five
horse power to operate it. 1t is so simple
that there is nothing to break or get out of
repair which is an excellent recommends
ton, especially in that country, where such
a thing as an iron foundry is unknown. 1t
consists of Il circular iron pan, the drum
being about six feet across, the bed being
four feet in diameter. 1t has three revolv-
ing steel-rimmed wheels, which roll and
shear the quartz; and, unlike stamps, do
not throw out the quicksilver. 1t has
twelve feet of screening discharge, which
is equal to that of an ordinary 2O-stamp
mill.