Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-10-11
garE1rnva wonKs AT BAFoPmAa.

fused together; so I can readily see now
the present of solid native silver could have
been made. In 1850 a royal decree ordered
the collection Of all data for history Of
New Spain, and a special commission Of
scientists was ordered by the VicerOY and
Royal Tribunal Of Mines to report upon the
BRtOpiias district. There is but one copy
Of the report extant. which I traced to
the records of the city of Chihua-
hua. The commission states that the
silver extracted from BatO pilaS in a
short number of years amounted to $780,
100000, not including that which was
surreptuOusly taken out to escape the
heavy impOsUs levied by the crown, and
which must have been enormous. The most
famous period Of Bonanza" for the BatoD-
Has District was during the last fifty years
Of the eighteenth and the first fifty years of
the present century. During this time the
famous mines of Pastrana, FL Carmen, Ar
bitriOs, and San Antonio were discovered,
and yielded the fabulous returns which
have been VarlOuSIy estimated at from $780,
100000 to $4,000. 00G From the outset of
the Mexican revolution, in 1910, period of
decay set in which reduced BatOpiIas
greatly and almost caused its ruin. The
many revolutions, together with the Won
deTful discoveries Of very rich gold and
silver mining districts adjoining this one.
depOpulated it to such a degree that it
counted but ten resident families in 1915.
From this time the reaction which has
made BatOpllaS the richest silver district in
the world may be said to dale. The old
mines were again opened and new ones dis
covered. The measure Of success did not
compare with that attained in the time of
the SpaniardS, however, owing to the lesser
energy displayed, but proved amply sufi-
cient to repay the timid efforts Of the native
spectators. Not until the year 1852 did
American enterprise direct its efforts in so
promising direction. A purchase was eff
fected by an American company, mostly
composed Of gentlemen interested in Wells,
Fargo & Co., whereby the property en-
bracIng the famous veins OF San Antonio
and e. Carmen passed into their hands.
They operated with great success in the
face Of many difficulties until the year 1879
when the property again changed hands
and was acquired by stock COM any which
has held and worked them to the present
day.
Since the present company has had con-
troll, over 100 miles Of openings have been
made the detail OF which would be too
long and unInteresung to give. The most
important is the great POrftriC Diaz tunnel.
to be three and One-haH miles in length
and when completed one Of the longest and
most important mining tunnels in the
world cutting over sixty WeEl-knOWn veins
at the rivers level. 1t is now in 1000 feet
md being driven by modern machinery at
the rate OF fifty feet a week. This almost
infant American industry started with less
. than Sl5O000 capital Governor Shepherd
told me, and IN seven years. after paying
fair dividends, had been able to put S., 500, -
BOO back into the mines to develop them.
1t is now a first-class mining camp. and as
none of its stock is on the marketfOr sale in
any way I am not afraid to give it the credit
/ it deserves as an American undertaking
that has done more to make the American
name respected in Mexico than all the
diplomacy that has been enacted since the
two countries became republics.
No Mexican can look at the great mills,
the big aqueduct Of enormous masonry
eight or nine miles long that VIII take mp
ali the water of the Batopilas River, nor
can they look at the town Of BatOpilas, the
most active I saw in Mexico, now six thou
sand strong and less than five hundred
when Americans took charge, and the
thousand and one other signs f activity.
without respect Tor the nation that sent in
such people whatever may be their out
ward signs or talk in the matter. Such,
then is brief and. / hope, interesting ac-
count of the largest silver mining company
in the world and the greatest American
undertaking in Mexico. OF which, think
nine enths OF my readers have heard moth
ing.OWing to its inaccessible position in the
very heart Of the Sierra Madre range. From
BatOpilas, north or south, this mighty
range of mountains lower in height. while
the big barrancas do not cut SO deep into