The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-03-16
TIA JUANES DELUSIVE ELDORADO.
stoeles OF Life In the Kew Found
California Gold Fields.
The Precious Metal There sut Not
For the Multitude
VINO Pay Big Mexican Duties and are
Clad to Walk Home.

SAN DIEGO, Cal, March l5.-The excite
ment over the report Of the new Eldorado
near Tia Juana continues, although eonser
vatlve people are, and have bean for several
days, disbelievers as to the genuine
ness Of the find. As the hours pass on, the
latter opinion grows stronger Many miners
who started when the first news Of the dis
coyery OF gold In extraordinary quantities
was brought north and who were delayed
and charged exorbitant duties on every ar
ticle they had In their possession before they
were permitted to cross the border and pro-
ceed to the gulches, are returning sick, sore,
penniless and disguised.
Almost all Of them came back with a theo-
ry. This theory Is that the whole exeite-
ment was brought about by an adroitIy en-
gineered Ilan. which was the product Of the
brains OF the agents IN California Of the In
ternati0nal Company, composed almost en-
tirely Of English capitalists, who some time
ago bought up the land, and who desired to
lid themselves OF what was proving a white
elephant.
This theory finds plenty Of supporters In
this city. Yet, In spite OF the dfse0uraging
reports, people are constantly leaving for the
scene In parties Of all sizes. No one comes
back denying that there Is gold In the
gulches near Ensenada, but exery one who
hao bCCu tlCAC ucClAfto LutL bltIt Is not the
slightest chance Of getting 1t out, unless the
effort Is made by big company with a big
capital. and even then they say there won't
be any too much money made out Of It.
Instances Of priyation and suffering are
many. OF course the country filled up with
gamblers and risreputable people of all kinds
directly the discovery was reported. The
adventurous ones who first arrived OF course
believed that all they had 10 do was to Olga
hole In the ground and pick up money. Be
foxgfn thaf hoH 20. huf
money they brought with them In dissipa-
tion and debauchery, with the result that
they were soon without the barest necessi-
ties Of life, not easy to obtain under the
most favorable circumstances In the des0late
country.
The Mexican government has a big force
OF military at Santa Clara. They are there
70 Keep order, but they don't succeed very
,Sl: weL: The scenes are the same as
new mining camp for years. There
are Just as many fights, Just as much shoot
ing aud Just as much general cussedness as
tnere ever was. The tough people who 20
there take the guns away from the soldiers
and crack them over the head with the butts
| II they protest
A man named Perkins, an experienced
miner and man Of observation, came in 10
| day from the mines. He said he had spent
three days In prospecting. He declared that
| he was quite positive that there was no gold
| in paying quantities there for any individual
miner at the end OF the first day. But he
| tried little longer. He took out about S25
in the three days. That was just enough 70
| cover the charge the Mexicans make
| for permission to travel from Ensena-
| da to the mines. II cost him 500
| In duties 70 get across the border. SO be Is
| out just x75, besides the discomforts and
hardships Of the trip. From talks he had
| with people there he Is inclined TO the belief
| that the International Company, while OPEN
| ly protesting TO desire to buy up the mines.
Is secretly unloading the land to new
i c0mers.
The already outrageous duties are growing
i worse. The duty on wagons a week ago was
| $40 wheel. Now II Is SIS On flour the
duty has risen from 80 cents pound 10 S1.25,
and now, instead Of charging a duty on a
i whole harness, its various parts are charged,
the aggregate being 80 per cent higher than
before. In fact, there Is where a great por-
tion Of the money goes.
| The newspaper dispatches are eontradlc-
| tory. IL Is openly charged here that Rum-
| Der Of the correspondents have been subsl-
died by the land owners, and such Is the
state Of mind now that reports from a no
toriously trustworthy man would be looked
upon with suspicion.