Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-09-27

fused together; SO can readily see now
the present of solid native silver could have
been made. In 1880 royal decree ordered
the collection of all data for history of
scientists was ordered by the viceroy and
Royal Tribunal Of Mines to report upon the
Batopilas 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 Batopilas in a
short ,ls number OF years amounted to $780,
100000, not including that which was
surreptitiously taken out to escape the
heavy imposts levied by the crown, and
which must have been enormous. The most
famous period of Bonanza" for the Batop-
ilas District was during the last fifty years
of the eighteenth and the first fifty years of
tile present century. During this time the
famous mines of Pastrana. Ell Carmen, Ar
btrios. and San Antonio were discovered.
and yielded the fabulous returns which
have been variously estimated at from $780,
100000 to $sO.OOO0OO. From the outset of
the Mexican revolution. in 1910. period of
decay set in which reduced Batopilas
greatly and almost caused its ruin. The
many revolutions. together with the Won
derful 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 1916.
From this time the reaction which has
made Batopilas the richest silver district in
the world may he said to date. 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 Spaniaros. however, owing to the lesser
energy displayed, but proved amply suffi-
cient to repay the timid efforts of the native
spectators. Not until the year 1862 did
American enterprise direct its efforts in SO
promising direction. A purchase was eff
fected by an American company: mostly
Fargo &. Co.. whereby the property en-
bracing the famous veins of San Antonio
and Ell 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 company which
has held and worked them to the present
Since the present company has had con-
troll, over 100 miles Of openings have been
made, the detail of which would be- too
important is the great Porflrio Diaz tunnel.
to be three and one-haf miles in length,
and when completed one of the longest and
most important mining tunnels IN the
world, cutting over sixty well-known veins
at the rivers level. 1t is now in LOGO feet.
the rate OF fifty feet week. This almost
infant American industry started with less
than S15O.OOO capital. Governor Shepherd
told me, and in seven years. after paying
fair dividends. had been able to put 50 $780,
600 back into the mines to develop them.
It Is now q first class mining camp. and rs
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 aaueduct of enormous masonry
eight or nine miles long that will take up
all the water of the Batopilas River. nor
can they look at the town of Batopilas. the
most active saw in Mexico. now six thou:
sand strong and less than five hundred
when Americans took charge. and the
thousand and one other signs of activity.
without respect for the nation that sent In
such people, whatever may be their out
ward signs or talk in the matter. Such.
then. is q 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. tenths OF my readers have heard moth
ing, owing to It's 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
tba big barrancas do not cut SO deep into