Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-11-02
FIVE THOUSAND MINES.
VAST WEALTH AND RESOURCES OF
SONORA.
What May be Found just Over the
Southern Border of the
United States.

Sonoras mineral resources are excelled
by those of no State in the Mexican Re-
public, there being within its limits no
fewer than 5000 registered mines of silver
alone. Gold and copper are also abund-
ant; coal is known to exist, and lead, tin,
iron and plumbago are found in various
places. Several copper mines of consider
able value are lying idle, for want of cheap
transportation, they being situated from
200 to $50 miles distant from the coast,
and far from any line of railroad. One of
the most important of the several coal de-
posts in the State lies on the Yaqui river,
$50 miles above its mouth, and more than
100 miles distant from Guaymas. 1t is
anthracite, of fair quality-the only an
thracite known anywhere on the Pacific
coast, and therefore very valuable. The
valley containing it is about 1000 feet
above the sea level, and perfectly easy of
access; but it costs upwards of $50 per ton
to transport it to Guaymas (the nearest
port by the present roads; while to at
tempt it by the river-with its succession
of shadows and rapids, and low water more
than half the year-would be uncertain at
best, and even more Improbable.
There are two MINIS in the State, estab-
lished and owned by English residents,
privilege from the Government-one at
Hermosillo, the State Capitol, and the
other at Alamos, 240 miles southeast Of
Guaymas.
One cannot acquire absolute title to
mining property here, as in the United
States but may nominally own the mine
as long as he works it a given number of
months in every year-a wise provision,
probably, to keep things going among so
lazy a people. If the theoretical owner
fails to comply with these conditions-no
matter how much he may have paid for
the property, or how many improvements
he has previously made upon tit can be
denounced" as the term is; and reyerts
in that case to the Government or to the
denouncer. For those who are in the
secret, however, and in favor with the
powers that be, there is way of getting
around all this, by means Of which actual
labor in the mines can be dispensed with
and the owner still retain possession, by
obtaining what is called a prologue"
paying a specified sum to the Government,
(say SIS per month for each claim during
the time comprehended in the prologue.
When the great gold excitement broke
out at Muleje-just across the Gulf from
Guaymas, near the eastern coast of the
Mexican Territory of Lower California-it
was felt there more than on the peninsula
where the bonanza was said to exist. A
Mexican brought over about forty ounces
of coarse gold. which he said was taken
out by three Indians in less than week.
l had the pleasure of seeing this gold, the
largest nugget of which weighed exactly
fifteen ounces; the next largest piece about
half that size and the others about as large
as good fat peas. 1t was, indeed, a sight
calculated to set people wild with thoughts
of such
TREASURES LYING AROUND LOOSE
On the top of the earth waiting only to be
picked upl Parties were Immediately or
ganized to invade the new Ell Dorado with
pans and shovels-the main expedition,
and the very first to sail, consisting of
twenty-five miners of Tombstone, Arizona,
headed by woman-the same who made
herself notorious Jew years earlier by
heading party on snowshoes into the
Frazer river country. What became of
this enterprising Amazon-whose character,
of course was not even questionable
nobody seems to know; but doubtless, like
others of the genus miner, she is still
searching somewhere for treasure, with
speculation in her eye and the gold-fever
burning unquenehably in her veins. The
party, however, sent back word to their
friends not to follow until further word
was received, there being suspicion that
a trick had been played and false excite
ment created for the sake of getting up
''boom" for that section of country. No
word ever came back, and there is still a
great diversity of opinion on the subject as
to whether the parties aforesaid failed to
find the locality, or found SO good field
that they concluded to keep it to them
selves.
After time the State of Sonora laid
claim to the territory and sent out survey
ing parties, which would indicate that the
Government possessed some favorable in
formation concerning it. The placers are
said to be located between the 18th and
29th degrees of latitude, about thirty miles
from the coast. 1t is also asserted that
there is no water anywhere near them, but
if the gold abounds in nuggets as large as
those l have seen, a man could carry
enough water to sustain life while picking
up fortune with his fingers, without the
trouble of washing" it.
By the way, if l may be permitted to
digress
A MOST INTERESTING DISCOVERY
Has recently been made little way north
east from here, in an old Spanish mine in
Chihuahua, on an immense estate owned
bv parties in New York and Ell Paso. The
mine. which is called the San Pedro (St.
Peter, lies near the Casa Grande river and
on it is an old incline running into a
mountain. at an angle of forty-five de-
grees, evidently following the richest ore
streak in zig gag manner. At the end of
this incline a subterranean chamber was
found, which had evidently been fashioned
with great labor and care into Catholic
chapel. The chamber Is thirty feet square
and about twenty-five high. Seats, run
ming entirely around it, have been cut
from the solid rock and an altar and pull
pit have also been carved out of the
foundations of the eternal hills. Standing
in this weird and ancient sanctuary-in
total darkness, except for the Pickering
light of torch, with ears alert to certain
scamperings and rustlings and sliding in
moldv corners and upon the Shiny walls,
Indicating the presence of rats, lizards,
scorpions, centipedes, and perhaps poison
ous serpants-one thinks of the Huguenots,
the prosecuted followers of Christ in many
countries, and the mysteries of a religion
that has cost millions of lives in innumer-
able wars, and pain and torture and terror
enough to win Heavens favor for all the
tribes of the earth from its creation to the
end.
A tradition exists among the natives OF
the neighborhood that many years ago a
regiment of Spanish cavalry was stationed
at the preside OF Janos, twenty-five miles
distant from the mines, and that pious