New-York tribune., 1890-07-14
A QUAINT MEXICAN CITY.
TIE MINES AND PRISON OF GUAYAJUATO.

prowl by night 10 way!ay and rob the unwary
stranger, We supplied ourselves before quitting
the safer precincts Of Gugdalaiara with anmuni-
tion, for we had not yet found use for even the
half-dozcn cartridges in the single siX-Shootcr
tucked in n side pocket of one Of our portman-
teaus. We did not believe the conductor of our
train Ia jolly Pennsylvania who had wandered
across the Rio Grandc in search Of fortunc)
when he assured us that there was no more dan
ger, indccd-to use his own worls-not 81 much,
from all he could gather frorl the latest home
news, in going about Silao between sunset and
dawn there would he in frcqucnting after
nchtfall certain precincts OF the staid Quaker
City. "Oh yes: TO be sure, There used to bc
rohbercs and murders hcrc-lotS! But used
there 10 be in San Francisco and other Western
towns in the States, and SO there are yet-and
have heard with a twinkle &C his blue eyes
" that there's an occasional attempt at burglary
on Broadway Don't believe everything you
hear about the dangers OF Mexican travel. just
YOU behave yourselves. and I'll warrant you won't
need that arsenal, "-laughncly indicating the
formidable package Of cartridges strapped rather
oStcntatiouSly with Our several Guides 10 Mex
leo. and rising as the engine gave the signal for
halt at Silao. However, tie appearance Of the
crowd awaiting the train at the station was not
quircd no great stretch Of imagination 10 invest
with sanguinary inclinations any one of the
swarthy. briqand-loolng crew, who certainly
gave one the impression Of an ability 80 relieve
the traveller Of watch and purse with dcXtcrity
equal to that of the light-fngcrod gentry OF the
States
There are two hotels at Slao, one kept by
Frcnchman the other hy a native Of Ncw-York
.. T,o al. i'm
self To the latter, where English is spoken
we directed the cargodorc to convey our luggage.
and ourselves walked across the dusty space which
separates the town from tho railway station. The
strength and power, Of endurance Of the Mexican
pcon are marvellous. \ carcodorc. an under
sized fellow weighing very little over 100 pounds
will carry for mile and more without stopping
to rest. luggage or other heavy burden twice his
own wcieht. \ lcathcr strap passes around hi,
forehead and cucircl.s the burden on his back,
and thus with sort Of ioc-trot he will trans
port your trunks from the railway station 20 your
hotel in considerably less time than it taxes the
baggage express wa1ons Of Northern cities +
perform the same criaud.
Aside from The churches ~ Sillo. Of which
there are several that are worth n visit. there
is nothing Of special interest 10 tine tourist About
SIN miles 10 the eastward Of Silao near the foot
hills of spur of the Sierra Madrc rau.c, whose
pinnaccs loom darly AGAINST the distant horizon,
there is cluster of thermal springs, the waters
u which are roputcd 10 possess wonderful curl-
tive properties There is some Talk of building
a hotel near the sprir.s. which are Eow accessible
only hy carrlaer from ~il1o. Tie r"-iou about
Siao. Il gently uudGlatirf stretch Of country, is
extraordinarily fertile. TH1 crops of vhc't anil
maize are grown annually. and whore irrigation
- properly managed Tie yield Of the wheat lar
vest is rs high as siAty 20 one. The mode Of
cultivation here, Ike many other industries Of
the sister EcpVhlr. bc1r~ strong resemblance
to tie methods employed in Scriptural days, and
st.ll in vogue in Lower EHpt.
\ branch Of tie MEXICAN Central Railway runs
AZ a heavy gradient from Slao 10 Mlril, twelve
miles di,'1nt. whence tram cars convey p1ss"n-
gers auI fr.-1t 10 GU3nal Iaio, three mics
further mp the almost ppcipItou, sides of the
mountain gorge. iu which !, pcr.hcd tie cry
founded hy 'ic Np,unrls over 300 years ago.
Naril. which ICES ~ trc entrance of tie canon,
is quaint Moorish to"u, with narrow. st.irc1e,-
like str,'>. and otcrloa-iu- balconies like mar
tens nests IL is tie residence of most of thc
miners employed u tire Gu1u1Iulio mines. From
here the tnm car. drawn hy -N sturdy mules,
1ioMcS rs toiiuor, way mp tlr lor.c. and hnd,
is passengers al o." I,riu dc L Union in the
hc.rt OF tie ,'y. where ia tie stree; limos centre
10 t4r lus.r of tie quaint and curious.
''IauaIl.t". with j., altitude of G.~3o feet. D, 90
strangely r-r.ulfine cIiv with t> steep. narrow,
and wiudiue ,t;rct,. lts too'wilc patcMcu's; (;
fortrc~,-likr buildings, seemingly part of the
rocky side, Of t.r cluou to which they cling; it.
swatihv, pictup.Irch cnd Inhabitants. and
uLmcrous hurro trains, o. Is interesting m Tine
extreme, and TO amy ore hgt civil cu.iuror "a
mystery IT, m1uy place. tine splrc occupied hr %
substantial ,IIr" ha, been blasted from tie solid
aail of thc canon. one Of tie haudSomcst and
hr.cst churrLc, in Tie c,v is built ON level. the
hla.tiu. oui Of which cost ucn-Iy $lo0.o0o. OWING
10 i's situation, Guauliuaio is subject, in Tie
rainy season. TO sudden foundations; one flood
which occurred in Tie pIcocdin. century, and
another in l-~j, causur great loss of life and
property. The r'~crVoir.-tic Pr'sl de- ia OLA
from which th" city receives Us supply of water
are az the head of thc canon, and are hUlt on -
succession of tcrIlccS one above thc other. IhcY
are fed b.; the waters Il mountain stream
Across and alorgsiic these art fetal lakes winds
the wagon road. along which are RANGED the
handsome villa home, of ta' owners Of the mines
for which CuauaJuato is celebrated. As early rs
SOB lumholdt wrote concerning these mines that
the principal vein. calrl Tie Ncta N2drc. work
on which WAS bceun IN LAOS had produced from
the end Of the sixteenth century 10 the year loJ0
fourteen hundred million flames worth of silver
Lately il has been stated that the wealth Of these
mines is exhausted. but il IS more than likely
that sufficient quantity ~ PAYING ore awaits
discovery At It lower level
Tho method OF nnne ia Mexico is still Of the
most primitive order. T." miners descend into
the shaft either lV means ui stone staircase,
which has been used for centuries, as at Guiana
juoto. or by s.r,cs of Ladders. as at /acatccas
The ore is brought by the pron miner lwho as
before stated, viii carry on his back twice his
own weight from the headings OF the levels to
tie main shaft. whence il is holstcd in baskets
10 the surface. Here other poems sort ont the
,aHouc, and load the ore on bnrroS for carriage
70 the reduction WORKS. The patio. or cold
ANA gamoiiou process, invented in loo by a
Mexican MINER /, still thc method Of
working the argent ferrous ores of tWanauato.