The National tribune., 1891-06-18

about six inches in diameter and cut notches
into il about six feet apart Let each notch be
about three inches deep and you have an idea
Of the ladders up which these men have TO
climb in their bare feet, carrying from one to
two hundred pounds Of ore on their backs.
asked If they did not sometimes fall, and was
told that they did, but the information was
impaired in such way as 10 give me the idea
thst there were plenty Of others 10 take their
places These Indians make very good miners,
and they are preferred TO the Americans. They
work for from 20 to 10 cents day and never
strike. Some of them spend tho most OF their
lives in the mines, and the only fault found
with them is that they will sometimes steal
choice specimens OF gold and silver. Atmany Of
the mines the men are searched, and, as they
wear only shirt and pantaioous, it is impossi-
bic for them 10 carry much away. Some of the
mines are very warm, and in these the miners
wear almost no clothing whatsoever. Such mines
are far below the surface, aud this whole city
is underlaid with tunnels away down under the
earth. One might wander for a long time in
these tunnels aud not find his way out, aud
was shown the opening of a shaft up on ono
mountain which led down intoa mine the tun-
nels of which ran for several miles away 10 the
top Of another mountain across the valley. The
mines here have now big engines, and many Of
those owned by Americans are as well equipped
as any OF the bOnanzas OF the Western States.
l found one which was working air drills, and
! could SEQ that it was managed on a careful
business basis lt had great steam pumps TO
keep 1t clear Of water, aud it worked thou
sands of hands.
Much of the mining of Mexico is done, how
ever. after the oldest and the rudest methods.
The ore is dug and blasted out, aud the water is
kept out of the mines by a number Of mules
pulling around great hOgshead-liko wind
lass, TO which is attached buckets. After tho
ore has been taken out, it is crushed by mill
stOne-like wheel being dragged over it by
mules, and it is then mixed with quicksilver
aud chemicals. This last work is dOne in
curious way. The mixture needs to be thor
oughly stirred together and il looks like great
vat of chOcolate-coOTcd mud when II is ready
TO mix. This mud is spread out in a sort OF
shallow vat, and mules are driven back and
forth and around and through il for days, until
every particle Of the silver in tho mud comes
in contact with the quicksilver which holds it,
and which can be taken out Of the mud and
reduced so that the pure silver can be gotten.
! saw a great deal Of this sort OF silver redUc-
tion going on. There seemed TO be mules and
men working at il everywhere, and noted that
the horses and mules employed were always
old and dingy. This Is because the working
the mud ruins them. The mercury has the
same effect upon horses hoofs as il has on a
mans teeth if he takes it. These mules lose
their hoois alter working for time. They
drop oil, aud the animals are ruined. The
other chemicals are also hard upon both
men and beasts. One OF these is yitriol, aud
another constituent Of the mixture is com
mon salt 10 is in this way that the most Of
the $1,000 100000 that have been taken out Of
the Mexican mines have been gotten, and it is
in this way that large part OF the mining Of
South America is done to-day. great part
OF the silver is never gotten out, however, aud
the old refuse Of both the mines and OF the
washIugs is valuable. At Guanahuato / saw
little groups OF miners rewashing the mud
that had been already washed at the mines;
and j was told that S3000O0,0O0 worth Of
precious metals had gone % waste in this way.
prominent American recently bought a mine
in Mexico, and agreed to put up big works and
to redcvelop the mine, which was an old one.
He fiIst tried his improved stamp mills on the
waste ore that had been cast aside at the mine
rs not worth reducing, aud found il paid so
well that he has not yet begun on the main
shaft.