Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-27

An old Californian who has mined in both
the Sierras and the Rockies and who has large
interests near Guanahuato tells ne he thinks
these are better workers and better men than
the miners of our country. They are satisfied
with what they get and they are more polite
than we are. They are for many things
cheaper than machinery and the Oldest
Of these Mexican mines are run on the
processes of a generation and more ago. The
ladders up which the ore il carried by these
Indians in bags here at Zaeatecas are merely
logs or rafters witt. notches cut into them about
eight inches apart, and the wonder lie that men
80 not fall daily They do lose their balance
3emetimes, / am told, and are crushed to
pieces at the bottom Of the mine. but rs a rule
they are sure-footed. and / saw men working
who had passed their three score years
All Of the miners wear but little clothing in
the mines. They do most of their work bare
footed and bare-legged. and the little clothing
they have on is searched before they leave the
mines to see if some silver has not slipped into
it by mistake The average Aztec has little
idea Of property rights ard he takes what
he can get as gift fr I'm God. In some Of the
mines the meL are searched by three different
sets of mel, and they conceal the silver under
their arms. in their ears and under their toes.
and. In fact. in every conceivable manner and
place Mexican honor is not built on the con-
scientious Calvinistic plan, and the mine
owners take every precaution.
These mines about here are not quite as old
~ those of Pachuca, but they were being
died About the same time the mines of GUIANA
huato were found. They have been worked
ever since, and ont OF them has come a great
part of the 1000. 000, 900 worth Of gold and
silver which Mexico has given to the world.
WEALTH IN THE REFUSE.
1t is estimated that the miues Of the country
turn out s20. 1000 900 worth every year now,
and l saw a stream at Guanahuato which
contains the refuse washings of the mines
there and which is said to carry of about
million dollars worth Of silver every
year. There we're little knots OF dark-facetl.
sare-legged, black-haired. big-hatted Indians
washing the dirt of this over and over again to
catch something Of what the big works had
thrown away. but large percentage is never
gotten After the ore is dug. blasted
and picked out OF the mines il is crushed in a
most primitive way by dragging a sort OF mill
stone around over it, and when it has become
fine enough 1t Is reduced by what IN known as
the patio process Imagine "a great round vat
Of chocolate-colored mud a foot or 90 deer,
and in the center OF this u Mexican Indian Il,
dirty white shirt and wide cotton pants rolled
mp to his thighs.
Let him have four ropes In his hand and to
each Of these let there be attached one or two
on three mules. Put long whip in the other
hand and let him thrash the mules vigorously
with this. keeping them cn . dog troi az tLey
plough their way around and around and
through and through the chocolate mud for
hours until IL is Thoroughly mixed. This
chocolate mld 10 the crushed silver ore which
has been chemically treated and IL now being
mixed with vitriol. salt and quick silver in order
that the silver In the ore my be united with
the quicksilver. and this be reduced by chesni-
Gals. ws-hings and evaporation until the silver
!. run out In bars or bricks / saw this sort of
work going ON ia many places, and counted
twelve mules trottng around I'm one Of theee
big mud vats They we're sorry-lookinx AMI
mails. and In q vat besidc them I saw what
4 looked like brokeu-dowu bob-tau car horses
Upon inquiry learned that only the oldest
and poorest Of animals we're used. as the quick.
silver rotsed on their hoofs in year OF two
no means economical one. 10 II wastes about
70 per cent OF the ore. and 1t may be that In
the future the old streams 81 Mexico may be re-
washed by our modern prccessea. Practical
mining he In fnct In its infancy in Mexico, and
the Mexico Of the future Will produce . much
greater quantity than has the Mexico OF the
past 10 far u n sstd that every dollar Of gold
and silver taken cut Of Mexico has cost a
dollars worth II labor 10 get IL The failures
and waste have eaten mp the profits. and while
many have grown rich many kave been worked
TO death and have RAinsd nothing.
There are, however NO better mining Aelds
In the world today than here. The hills Of the
| odd rexsous seem 10 b insxhs ustibis and the
new fields are many. The new railroads that
| are being bnils all ever Mexico VIII open IN
much new territory. faAxx o. CAnsxif.a.