Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-10-16
MEXICO's MINES.
THEIR RICHNESS AND mex.
HAUSTED CONDITION.
Precious Stones and Other Treas
ures in the Land of Cold
The Onyx-workers.
Especial Correspondence REooRD-UN1os.l

Especial Correspondence REooRD-UN1oN.l
MEXICO, October /, 1886.
Charles Lyell, the eminent geologist, says
that the interior of Mexico is the richest
known argentiferous section in the whole
world The fact was long ago established
thata metalliferous vein runs without inter
ruption through the entire length of the
Cordillera of Anahuac, extending from the
Sierra Madre in Sonora NEAR the northern
border to the gold deposits of 0axaca in
the extreme south of Mexico. This ex-
haustless vein traverses no less than seven
teen States, and since the days of discovery
its mineral yield has been more than four
thousand millions of dollars worth And
vet the available sources of wealth are esti-
mated to be not more than one per cent. of
the undeveloped and undiscovered whole.
At the beginning of the present century
there were, according to the calculations of
Baron Humboldt, at least five hundred To-
calities celebrated for their mines compre-
hending about five thousand separate ex-
cavations. These mines became the nuclei
Vi SildlA Nl4idSGo, giving all ~
culture in the surrounding sections, as well
as to commerce, SO that in time many of
the rude pueblos developed into populous
cities.
Nevertheless, as an English Minister re-
Gently stated in his official report mining
has been confined to a few central spots
adjacent to large populations; and yet if
one examines these spots he will find that
more than three hundred years of constant
productiveness has not exhausted the prin-
cpal mines already worked, while by far
the largest proportion of the good veins
remain untouched in each"
THE MExIcANs NEED FOREIGN CAPITAL.
Some of the richest and most famous of
the old mines, which were once marvel
ously productive, have been filled with
water for more than century, and the
persons to whom the property has descend
ed have not money enough to clear them
out Then there are hundreds of other
mines that have been worked only on the
surface with hammer and drill and lamp
and there are "tailings" of many imper-
feet excavations which are ricE5r than
mother veins.
In many portions of Mexico Indian III
cursions have hitherto hindered operations
and rendered valueless vast amount of
machinery, and lack of fuel as well as diff
Guilty of drainage have caused lucrative
works to be suspended. Says Charles
Hallock Now the situation is wholly
changed. Two thousand miles of railroad
have opened up great extent of country,
and gives protection to labor and capital
they have cheapened prices by facility of
transportation, and stimulated intercourse
between peoples who were hitherto stran-
gers to each other and almost hostile. Pc
riodical revolutions and wars between ma
tive factions no longer interrupt business.
Civil strife is at an end. Wise rulers and
wise counsels prevail. The era is propi-
tious."
Besides free silver and gold there is cop
per, iron tin, lead, quicksilver, sulphur
alum, vitriol, cinnabar, ochre, zinc, asphalt
tum, amber and bismuth, not to mention
a wonderful variety of marbles, jasper, ala
baster, onyx, obsidian, and gems of purest
ray serene
MEXICAN MINING
Is generally conducted on the most PRINT
tive plan, according to the Spanish and In
dian methods of four centuries ago. Some
queer statements are made concerning
placer gold. This precious metal is gener-
ally taken from the alluvial soil by means
of washing. Extensive gold grounds of
this character are found in the State of So
nora especially along the valley of the Rio
I
meria Alta (under the 31st degree of lati-
tude, where many pepitGs (lumps) of pure
metal have been picked up weighing from
four TO six pounds
There is scarcely a silver mine which
does not contain more or less gold. It is
extracted from veins that traverse the pri-
mitive mountains, either in gneiss or mi
caceous slate-especially in the rich State
of Oaxaca, which is the California Of Mex
leo, 50 far as gold is concerned. Native gold
is found crystallized in octahedrons, or as
lamina, or in a reticulated form-particu-
larry in the silver ores near Guanajuato,
west of Domingo, and in Guadalajara. 1t
is claimed that thread of gold has been
traced throughout the entire length of the
Sierra Madre-the great backbone" of the
Republican, only at comparatively rare
intervals has it been taken up and pursued
with profit.
The early spaniards found among the Az,
tees a great quantity of toys, ornaments and
other articles of solid gold, such, tor exam
ple, as golden discs, larger than an ordinary
cart wheel, the golden breast-plates OF idols,
Innings of the temple walls, Mcntezuma.s
throne and palanquin, etc. Historians tell
US that in 1928 Cortez sent to his Sovereign
a culorrin of pure gold, which was valued
at twenty thousand ducats; and ali readers
which the greedy o01lqutStGdores made OF
treasures slowed away by old Axayacatl
and other Indian monarchs. But, though
long celebrated as the Land of Cold
Mexico has not shown any great extent OF
territory which may properly be called
auriferous, and undoubtedly her greatest
mineral wealth lies in her vast deposits of
silver,
GOAL PRODUCTIONS.
Coal is found in limited quantity, and
very little OF that is of good quality. Re-
Gently the information came from Jimulco
Ia small station on the Mexican Central
Railroad about 500 miles south of FL Pasol
that bitumineus coal of good quality had
been found. AS may be imagined, the
news created great excitement, for, if true,
the importance of the discovery to the
mining Interests of Mexico can scarcely be
computed. The dreams Of thousands OF
prospectors, who for many years have been
tramping the mountains and valleys of
this land Of promise, have all hinged upon
the finding of coal; but hitherto no vein OF
BLACK diamonds worth working has been
discovered,
With the introduction of coal the entire
mining industry of Mexico would undergo
q revolution, fer without 1t thousands of
claims are rendered vslueless by reason of
the high price and scarcity of fuel needed
10 work them, and with it unnumbered
low grade mines would be brought within
paying limits.
Meteorio iron is found in several of the
Mexican States and in one of them there
is q huge conical hill composed entirely Of
magnetic iron ore, which the native black
smiths manufacture directly into wrought
iron with no other apparatus than their
common FORCES.
Mexico lost most of her quicksilver when
we became possessed of Upper California,
for that section (now belonging to the
United States) produces more than half
of the quicksilver supply Of the entire
world
The ancient Aztecs made most of their
tools of copper, hardened by an admixture
of tin. But their most important article
was
oBs1DrAx-A SPECIES OF VOLCANIC GLASS,