Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1889-10-11
LOST MINES IN MEXICO.


You and your readers will undoubtedly
recall the articles published in the Globe
Democrat and other eastern papers, dur
ing the summer of 1887, on the discovery
of certain "lost mines" in the Sierra
Madre by myself and other persons. /
have never thought it worth the trouble to
state publicly what was really my connec-
tion with that wonderful discovery,
though to my friends have often given
the exact facts. An opportunity is nowof-
iered to do so IN connection with what is
really discovery as remarkable as import
ant and Of the certainty Of which can
vouch.
| ani responsible for the traditions relat-
ed in those wonderful articles and for
nothing more. l hsye discovered no
mines, neither lost mines" nor others.
went 10 survey and not to prospect, my ex-
pedition was one Of discovery, it is true,
but was hunting lands and not mines.
A prospectors party did accompany my
party, but long before we reached the ST.
era Madre went its way and left me to go
mine This party did denpunoe certain
old mines situated on the western slope Of
the Sierra Madre, in what was once the
Mining District of Ostinuri, but they were
not lost mines" There is not miner in
Sonora who does not know more or less
about them, not few who have sought
and expected to find unbounded wealth in
them because they bad tradition, and
there is not one who ever took ont of any
of them what he put in For many it is
sufficient that Mexican mine has ira
dltion." Itis of little moment what that
tradition may be. Lest, therefore,
some of your readers, with penchant for
lost mines in Mexico, may like the Arabs
Quietly fold their tents and silently steal away
to this land of lost mines and 'tradi-
tions," will tell you exactly what the
tradition really is in regard to the Dis
trict of Ostinuri. This District was orig
nally very large, but was finally reduced
so much as to be comprised nearly within
the triangle of which Muiatos, Trinidad
and Maicoba are the yertices. You will
: find these points on any recent map Ct
Sonora. 0stinur was originally the capi-
tall but lost its Importance more than a
century ago, as did also the District, and
even at that time tho lost mines" oi
which we hear 30 much, were 'lost" and
bad their tradition" Celenel "Don An
tonic lie Alcedo, Captain of the Spanish
Guards, of the Royal Academy of History
etc, in his "Historlco Geographical Die
tionary Of the West Indies or America 81
(Madria 1881 says of Ostinuri. There
are many mines of gold and silver, the
ores of which are of very low grade; and
which have been very little worked. y
This then is the true tradition" of the
lost Mines reported discovered by me
: and said to be fabulosly rich
According to TRADITIONS" to be heard
every where in Mexico there were seven re-
markably rich mines situated somewhere
in western chihuahua or eastern Sonora
The inhabitants of these mining camp.
were killed in an Indian uprising and
every trace of them has disappeared
Among these mines Guaynona and ono
other were exceptionally rich both in grade
aud quantity, None of them have eyel
been found. 1t is known that what is now
called Guaynopa is not Guaynopa but
Santa Fe de Rodriguez.
An important discovery has however,
been made respecting this 'other" mint
referred to alone, which may possibly eaC
to the discovery Of some or all of thu
others. This one, least, is much Older
than it has been thought to be. The dis
covery is one of documents and was made
in this manner, 80 am Informed. Som,
months since an individual lie dying in al
interior town Of Sonora. He had an in
innate friend summoned and told him sub
stantially as follows: "My granfathe
on his death bed told my father that in a
certain town in a certain corner of th,
church there was buried an immense ches
containing important documents. Thi
fact has been handed down from father t,
son. am the last male Of that hne.
you will go there you viii find them.
don t know what they contain The per
son who received this information attached
but little importance to it at-the time bu
finally decided to investigate and see wha
+. there was in it, With few friends HI
went to the place, which was readil,
found though in ruins and after consider
able work found the box and the docu
ments. The foregoing may be som
? body's version Of the matter, but the docu
ments exist and are unquestioDably gen
uine. They are over two hundred year
old, and begin with the statement that th
Indians are restless, that an uprising
, imminent, and that preparations hav
been made for defense. This documen
, with others were enclosed in box an
sent to the church in certain town fc
i. safe keeping. 1t decribes in great deta
everything about the mine, even to th
nnrnhay of man women and ehildre