Daily Tombstone epitaph., 1886-01-05
An Int resting Letter from Mexico.

| l promised to write to you, but circum-
 stances not permitting, l did not do SO.
 But now, thinking, that your readers
 wauid like to know something about this
 country send you short note. l can
 not tell much, but l hope it will be ac-
 ceptable. came all the way here on
 horseback, passing through Trinidad, Al.
 amos, Bo,opilas, Parral and Copalair | Of Trinidad you know more than can
 tell you. At Alamos there is nothing doing. The nearest mines are mile
 distant, but they were all shut down
 When came through. They are all very good mines. At Batopilas the mines are
 owned by an Eastern company, and are
 under the management ofthe well-known
 Boss Shepherd, of Washington City. They are the richest mines in the whole of Mexico. There is a group of mines,
 the Carnochin, which has eight inches of
 silver, worth about $S a pound. The Dcsciuhedora mine is nalive silver
 mine, but the metal is intermittent. Be
 sides, there is six or eight more mines
 more or less rich and all belonging to
 the same company. In the way of ma
 chinery there is one 4o-stamp mill, two concentrators and one Mexican shelter
 also one Io-stamp mill upon the noun
 tain. The Boss ships about $5o.ooo
 worth of silver per month.
 Wood costs S8 per cord. Wages, for Mexicans, are from 50 cents to $I.25 per
 diy. Americans get contract work-$I4 per foot for S3o rock. Botopilas IS a good place for Americans to keep away from.
 Charcas is another group of mines be-
 longing to the Batopilas company, but
 they are not developed enough to make
 it an object to write about them. No Americans need apply.
 Two hundred and fifty miles farther east we come to Parral. Four mines are
 being worked, three of them belonging to Mexicans, all in good pay ore. One of the mines is owned by Phil .delphia company, but they are not hoisting any ore. There are sixty stamps falling here, also one concentrater and two smelters, but the smelters are not running. There are about thirty Americans in the camp ten of them working. Men going to Parral to look for work had better take a good roll with them-they will need it before they get any.
 From Parral we went south toward Durango. Coplquin is the next camp, but the general manager at that place is preacher. Such being the case, com ments from me are unnecessary.
 Culiacan, capital of Sinaloa, comes next. This point is the supply point for the mountains. It has a population of about 10000, and is very pretty town; but Yellow Jack raises hades with the people. At the present time there are about three deaths per day; but that is nothing to judge by; for if a man falls off of burro and breaks his neck, he is said to have died from the yellow fever.
 Now in regards to this country, so far as have seen it, as field for mining enterprise, if a man has two or three mil. lions of money, he might succeed in get ting mine into paying condition. By the time he spends his money and all he can borrow, then he dies and some one falls heir to his property, who knows lit. tie or nothing about mines, and he sells it to the highest bidder for cash, and that is the last of that mans millions. Why is this? Because when a company buy mine in this country the first thing | they look for is man who is Sunday School superintendent, or has been a missionary to the Sandwich Islands, to | take charge of chem. The natural con- sequence is, that in few months that company is bankrapt. Of all the super. intenderts whom have met in this country, not one is mining man. or knows anything at all about mine or machinery pertaining thereto. If the would get practical miners and mill men, ninety-nine times out of a hundred they would make money, but no, preachers and broken down politicians is the rule. When it needs the smartest kind of man to make a mine pay in ihis country, because he has so much to buck against. All miners and others looking for a days labor had better take my advice and stay in the United States. At any rate keep out of Mexico. From ,ere l go. to Soath America, and will let your readers know what kind of coun- ry that is. WM. KING.