The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-27


oftensbeen flooded, and several mules have been
killed by these pluuging rocks. The hacienda 10
about 700 feet long. incoses the works, and has
accommodations for over 100 persons.
Minirg at Batopilas 10 conducted under the
greatest possible difficulties. In the FIRST place,
all the machinery must be brought over the
mountains on the backs of mules it is imDos-
sible to put package weighing over 300 pounds
on any one mule. as the swaying of the load at
precipitous places is likely to cause the fall OF
the animal and loss of the load. The average
load is from ITO to 140 pounds Thus it becomes
necessary to construct all machinery. even great
boilers, designed for the mines in such a way
that it can be sectionalized at Chihuahua and
distributed in these little packages among the
train. Not os1iy this: coal is an unknown COM
modify. The Immediate country is barren OF
timber. Fire wood, worth more than S12
by mules, and all ore transported in the same
way. As IL takes twenty mules to transport
single cord OF wood, and as it is common
snng to seee se sixty or seventy cords OF WOOD
ployed IN moving ore. 1t is common thing for
1000 mules to be conRregated about the town at
one time, while their drivers keep up eontinu-
Gus yelling from morn till night. But In spite
OF the isolation and inaccessibility OF the place.
Gov Shepherds pluck has successfully solved
tho problem of transportation. and he has set up
his machinery, blasted distractions from the
river bed walled in his works from the attacks
of mountain streams, built his aqueduct laid
tramwAv. bored tunnels, and with sagacity,
tact and :ndomtable will is surrounding every
obstacle in the road to complete success.
san Miguel, the hacienda, has been rebuilt. its
site enlarged from one to ten acres IN extent, It's
working capacity increased from TWO to hun
drcd to ms daily and the hacienda made one OF the
largest, handsomest and best equipped in that
country. Mills and furnaces have been erected
at various mines in the vicinity OF Batopilas, an
aqueduct to increase the water power for tunnel
driving built. and in 1856 Governor Shepherd
obtai ned grant from the Mexican government.
embrace ng some sixty square miles of mineral
territory. including rights to all abandoned
mines He is even now engaged in the con-
struction of the 'Porfrio Diaz,' which, when
completed, will have a length OF three miles, the
longest mining tunnel in the world. 1t will cut
all the silver-bearipg veins on the west side of
the river. and bring yield. so says Governor
Shepherd, of several millions per year.
One of the engineers, who has spent much
time in the mines. says OF the geological form
alton of the county; THE whole range of the
Sierra is ade up of volcanic and igneous rocks,
and the country in the valley of Batopilas ia
principally a pure black and white diorite,
fanked on all sides by volcanic porphyry COM
posing the lofty Sierra above. Both varieties of
diorite show strong indications of mineral life
below and it is estimated that over 5000 veins
form a network of interlacing veins through the
iEneousl outcroppings of diorte. syente and
granite. So far is known, it is only the
diorite that the great raw deposits of native
silver have been found; more abundantly
at present in the white variety. These
veins vary from mere stringers to over twenty
feet in width, and are filed with coarse granu-
lar Gale spar, carrying iron. copper and arsencal
pyrites zinc. blend and lead, all the rich arsen-
ical sulphuretted and antimonial compounds
of silver, and finally great raw deposits of beau
tifuly crystallized native silver. which deposits
are now tho principal sources of silver. These
deposits range from few inches to twenty in
width, and are found at frequent intervals in
the calc spar matrix. The silver is almost bull
ion fine, and the method of reduction is purely
by amalgamation with quicksilver. At times
the amalgam is formed rapidly that it clogs
and stops the mullers, and at regular periods
the batteries also obliged to be hung up
through the same cause.-the heavy mass silver
cloGgiug the mortars"
The richest ores are Masses Of solid metallic
silver; the lowest grades of ore go down to
ing here is known as the tunnel system, long
tunnels being driven on at right angles to the
veins, on entering which work is pushed in all
directions from the tunnel level
The Mexican is very good miner, but lazy
and improvident. He makes ST. so to So per day.
and spends as fast as he earns He is willing to
work three or fonr days week, and not more,
unless under the spur OF necessity. All work
in the mines is done the contract
plan, which the companies obliged
to adopt in order to protect them
from the sh1ftlessness OF the hands The min
er's notions of the rights of property some
what vague and shadowy. He has a general
idea that silver ore is placed by nature in the
earth to be used by whosoever finds it. and he
is not slow to act upon this notion by carrying
use. A good deal of silver disappears in this
way. The uniform of these poems consists of a
breechclout and sandals. When they emerge
from the shafts they are obliged to straddle over
their mouths and. while in this grotesque
attitude, to submit to q thorough search,
silver are secrsted about their persons. Yet,
despite all precautionary measures, much is car
risd away by these cunning thieves, who often
go so far as to incisons in their flesh to con-
ceal pieces of rough silver The soles Of their
sandals, their boards. hair and cigarettes are
utilized places of concealment, and, despite
the rigid search and the sevsre penalty which
follows upon the heels of detection, nothing
seems to dampen the miners predatory ardor.
He defes detection, laughs at punishments, and
each failure whets his fac ultes for thieving to
greater alertness.
Although possessed of a religious sentiment,
the people cannot be said to be prostitution.
and are rather independent of ecclesiastical con-
troll. Gambling, drinking and cock fighting
form the standard amusements, and a good deal
of money changes hands the plaza every
night The evenings are usually cool and pleas
ant. The mercury rises to 800 and $50 Fahren-
heit on midsummer days, and on winter nights
falls to about 400, with occasional frosts
in the valley and SHOWS upon the sum-
n1its. The winters are dry. but in early sum-
wet season-furious thunder showers,
w hch swell the river to torrent and bring
down boulders and masses of earth from the
and wash out the trails are of fire.
quent occurrence.
Up to the present time the only way Of reach
ing the Batopilas has been that already de-
scribed from Chihuahua. but now a new way is
to be opened from the west coast. The new route
is by way of Atchison Topeka g. Santa Fe con-
nections to Guaymas. on the west coast, thence
by packet to the port of Agiabumpo, and Over-
land $50 miles to Batopilas on mule back. The
coast country for $50 miles is comparatively
level, and the mountains on the western side are
lower and more easy of access than those which
must be crossed in going from Carchic.
Gov. Sheperd ia accompanied on his eastern
trip by Mr.. Walter nj. Busy, a mining ergi-
neer from whom most of the facts in this ac-
count have been obtained, and Mr.. E. w. A.
Jorgensen, the book keeper of the company.
Gov Shepherd is confident that Batopilas has
an excellent future, and contains the richest
deposits of native silver in the world
Tortured and Robbed.
HUNTINGDON. Pa. Jan. pa dastardly ont