Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-24
OLD mExrCAN MINES.
The Reports or Their Fabulous Rich
ness Dtscredftsd.

Many Of the mining papers are quoting
remark attributed 10 Sur Charles Lyeii, Tue
eminent geologist, which IL that "tbe inte'
rior OF Mexico IL the richest known argen-
tiferous section In the whole world" Some
thing very similar to this is said TO have
been stated by Humboldt. ROmancers OF
high and low degree have PLAYED upon
the same string until the whole
world has come 10 believe that
Sir Charles Lyelfs remark Is true.
Even among financiers the possible wealth
OF Mexico in silver is said to he feared, as
thing which may demoralize all ellcula-
tons regarding silver supplies ana SILVER
coinage. The very truthful statement Is
made that the Spanlards worked out only
the surface OF The veins, ccasing operations
when water was reached that with crude
methods OF mining and smelling they pro-
duced two or three billion ounces OF SILVER
in two hundred years, and from these Iicis :
they argue that with modern methods and
modern machinery The same veins at greater
depth can be made 10 yield more alum
dainty than ever. and TO flood The world
with the white metal.
TIE argument looks plausible, but II Is
based upon false premises. Not unfrequent-
~ one finds the old gray.headed and erfo-
neOus statement that as mines increase IN
richness with depth, the abandoned Next
can mines will yield more largely below the
water level than they yielded above. The
fact is the Spanish Adventures who visited
Mexico with a cross IN one hlnd anu
sword in the other b gather silver for
Cbrist's sake got the cream, as those VINO
get the oar near the surface generally 40
Their crude methods OF mining and ore
treatment were tbe best possible methods hn-
der The circumstances. They mined eNclu-
siycly with slave labor. the slaves raising
itc corn and vegetables upon which they
subsistod. As the conquered natives fur-
njsbed the slaves, the cost OF mining was
merely nominal, aud whatever was pro.
duced was very near all profit. II Is quite
apparent that these are advantages which
enabled them to work remarkably low
Grade ore, an advantage TINT cannot be Oh
timed at this day.
As for the smelling processes, an cXomi.
nation OF many Of their slags showed that
thew understood their business and dld
WOIk Of " hich modern metallurgist would
no. lie ashamed.
Years ago the writer read those stories
which fire the imagination, and rs a result
sought for that wondrous wealth along the
COrdillea OF Anahuac, through the interior
Of Mexico, as we'll as where the golden
rooted palm looks out on the blue waters
Of the caribbean sea, and the rushing Cocoa
nuts grow on tie shores Of the Pacific, and
he found no evidence Of wOndrous silver
wealth. Many and many an old, abandoned
spanish mine was explored as far As DrIcti.
cattle, and no rich ore was found. Many Il
dump.pic was carefully searched for a
grain, trace Of rich ore, and scarcely any
was found which would be called pay ore
in Colorado. The conclusion was inevltl.
bic that the general run Of the ore work. ii
had been low grade.
To-day nearly all the mines worked In
Mexico are lOdcS which were neyertouched
by the Spaniards. The old mines were
worked for from 800 to 500 feet in depth,
and there are few of them which give any
promise Of paying well enough to warrant
The erection Of machinery. To-day Next
can can build an adobe furnace and smell
ore At from $3.50 10 $3.50 per ton, and they
do good work. BY The patoiS process BE
can and doe work ore at from $40 to 81
Ter ton, saving % per cent of It's value.
! he old mines, whose standing ores can be
mined cheaply, cannot furnish ores which
will pay even those price, for working.
Thee are Tich mines in Mexico, no
doubt. some OF which are undiscovered.
tut that It j.. "the richest known argcn-
tiicrOuS section in the whole world " Is n
statement not substaniiltod by well.known
facts. No man must suppose that the Mex
leans are race Of people who would al
low such riches 10 lie idle and undevelOped.
American Miners could learn something
from them, ana the lessons would often be
worth good deaf OF money. They could
especially learn something about mining
laws. There are never any veXatiouS and
costly suits there about apex and side
lines, and the great majority Of failure are
made by those who undertake 10 use the
modern machinery and modern methods Of
mining and milling,