Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1889-07-20
OLD MEXICO.
An Interesting Account OF Trip to
PinOs Altos, state Of chihuahua.

turned from Old M,xico gives us quite an
interesting account Of his trip to that country.
To get to Pinos Altos you take the train at
San Francisco for FL Paso, Texas, which
place you reach after a very hot and dusty
ride OF four days. At Ell Paso you change
cars for the city Of Chihuahua, State Of Chi
huahua, Mexico, and reach il after ride Of
$50 miles. Chihuahua is one of the Oldest
Mexican towns, and is still inhabited but
sparsely by Americans. To those Of whom
have read OF Maximilian's career, it will be
remembered as the place where he cracked
one Of tho church bells. The Mexicans are
a very relsiously inclined people, and serv
ices are held daily in the old churches, es.
tabllshed as early as 400, while the cracked
bell peels forth sepulcharial sound about
every fifteen minutes during the day. In
front of the church is large plaza where
nearly all the inhabi ants Of the city gather
every pleasant evening for pasta or walka
round. Two or three nights in the week the
brass band plays National airs on the plaza,
and the gallant Mexican takes much delight
on these evenings in trotttng out his best girl.
They are very courteous people, and the
som6rero Of the gentleman is doffed at every
meeting, whether to a stranger or acquaint
ance. Sundays and Saturdays are the great
days for amusements. Sundays there Is gen
orally a bull fight to which the PEG.
pie for miles around come to attend. In
these contests many animals are killed.
Frequently horse is gored to death and the
rider escapes many times by mere scratch.
Quite a number Of German people live at
chihuahua, and one Of the largest firms in
the State is that Ketlesen q Degelen Al
this place, WHO do a business OF about S..
900, 900 TO $4,000, 900 year. This firm
deals in everything imaginable, from fine
tooth comb to quartz mill. Cigarette
smoking is great custom of the people here.
women as we'll as men being inveterate
smokers, peculiarly Of the smokers is that
the men always use little pair Of tongs TO
hold their cigaretts in when smoking. A
number Of fine buildings are being erected
at chihuahua, and fine park, or garden, is
being laid out with large and beautiful arches
over the entrances. A large new custom
house is nearly finished and there is a large
foundry, soap factory and other manufac.
tories there. Mining is the principle indus.
Try, although along The Rio Grande river there
is considerable splendid farming country,
and stock.raising is carried on on large
scale by the Mexicans. Poems are hired to
herd cattle and the vaqueros are paid 81 a
month in Mexican money, while farm hands
only receive Sc per month. The Mexican
money is worth but IS cents on the dollar OF
American money. Americans do not engage
in stock raising for the reason that III, re
cattle would be stolen in such large numbers
that the business would not pay. 1t is part
OF the Mexican religion to steal, but if any
one steals over dollar day he is oblgeI
to confess to the Priest, which means a divi
sion Of the money.
From Chihuahua you stage it $50 miles to
Guerrero. The time taken is three days
The road lies through rolling plains ri fine
agricultural country. The town Of Guerrero
lies at the foot Of the Sierra Madre mountains,
and, like Chihuahua, is an old settlement.
II is quiet place, smaller than chihuahua,
bu, the people are the same, as well as the
customs, etc. Two railroads are building for
this place, one from chihuahua and the other
from Deming.
Leaving Guerrero you travel $50 miles
further, up the mountains, by mule back, to
the town Of Pinos Altos. This is the hard.
est part Of the journey. as it is all up hill.
through forests Of tall and slender pines,
scrubby oak and knotty manzanita trees.
P,nos Altos is place Of about 1000 in
habi,ants, about thirty OF whom only are
Americans, English, German and Irish. Ii
IS mining camp, kept up entirely by the
Pinos Altos Bullion Co., Id, of London.
This mine was discovered years ago, by the
Mexcans, and worked in a crude manner by
them for time. About II years ago it was
sold TO the English Company that now con
trolls it, The rock contains both gold and
silver. the gold predominating, and on an
average about $40 per ton. The depth Of
the mine is but 1900 feet on an incline, and
the ore is taken out with a Cornish skip,
which works much like car, the ore shoot
ing out Of the end when dumped. Abou,
100 men are employed in the mine, eight Of
whom are white men or s,insos. The Mex
lean miners work by the '.,ask, "drilling by
hand, and are paid 81 per day in their money,
which amounts to 81 50 day in American
money. The white men who superintend the
mine and mill are paid as follows: Miners,
81 a day and board; carpenters, blacksmilhs
aud mechanics, IS a day and board. The
mine is now looking better than ever it did
and is paying monthly dividends. There. is