Asheville daily citizen., 1892-04-01
MINING In OLD MEXICO
(Continued from First Page.)

beautiful churches, which are still stand.
ing in an admirable state of prcscrva-
ton After this the mines were worked
from time to time by Mcxicans. until all
work was finally stopped by an over
flow of water which could not &c drained
bv the primitive methods employed, to
wit, the carrying the water to the SUI
face i'll leather sacks borne on the backs
of men, who climbed 100 feet by the aid
of notched poles, the sole ladders cl-
ployed in Mexican mines. Work by this
manner proving no longer possible, |
purchased the mines three years ago,
put in stcam-pump, the first ever in
troduced into the state of lalisco, drained
the mines, found the orc rich and abund-
ant, and am now importing large ma
chinery for the greater prosecution Ct
the work.
The deepest working on these mines
when l purchased them was 120 feet,
and all the ore above that level had Of
course been extracted. The manner of
working was by crooked tunnels and
drifts, running in every direction along
the course of the veins. The ore as well as
the water was carried i'll sacks up the
notchcd poles, and ground i'll arraStras
with horse power, There is much inter
est in examining the remains OF the crude
arrastras and patios stllremaining, and
comparing that method of extracting
the precious metals with our modern In.
ventions. If Don Rubio were reused
from his long sleep and could see the
steam pump throwing the water from
the lower levels of his mines, the hoistlng
engine lifting the ore to the surface; were
he to hear the laundering noise OF the
stamps and witness the smooth, jaress
movements Of the amalgamating pans,
the conceutrators for the saving of the
suphurcts, and the settlers, where the
amalgam containing the silver and gold is
flowing through canvas sacks, draining
the bullion ready for the retort, his suf
prise would surely be great. | often
fancy the ghost of the old caralice i'll the
ancient tunnels and drifts which he had
worked, can see him in his rich sixteenth
century costume, can catch the gleam OF
his sword and hear the clattcr of his
spurs, as he directed his Indian slaves in
the extraction of the precious
metal, which made him the rich
est man in the state of Jalico, and a
Marquis of the kingdom of Spain. And
then | wonder if some unborn seeker
after fortune will come after me, bring
ing with him still newer and more in-
proved methods for working ores, and
laugh at the crude methods of the nine.
tecnth century as we now laugh at those
of the sixteenth. | think it most likely
for if Edison's electric invention for the
extraction Of the precious metals should
succeed, it will cause such revolution
in the manner of working mines as has
not been dreamed of, since by that meth.
cd low grade and now worthless ores
could then be worked with profit.
An Aztec Town.
The town of Ahualulco was, as | have
said, founded by Spaniards on the dis
covery of the mines, but an Aztec towr
already existed here, which still lies
about mile to the southwark and i:
called the CieneGa, meaning place
where water abounds. Very interesting
and most picturesque is this village
where one can see before ones eye!
identicaly the same scenes which greeted
the Conquistadores three hundred ant
fifty years ago-the low homes of adobe
or waited tamboo, buried in luXuriant
tropical foliage, and the dark, graceful
people, with their oriental appearance
and manner. Their mode of life is mucl
the same now as then, the cooking ant
eating utensils which they make of pot
terry are the same as those they fash
ioned before the Conquest; there is only
one great and important change in them
and that is the fact that they are sin
cerely and deeply Christian. The asser.
tions of travellers, who know no more OF
the inner life of the Mexican peasant
than Of the interior of Thibct, to the
effect that the people still believe and
practice rites of their old idolatry, arc
too absurd, too entirely without founda.
ton, in fact, to merit serious refutal
Every one who knows Mexico at all
knows the passionate attachment of tho
people, the descendants of the ancient
race, to the church that saved them from
destruction, redeemed them from the
rule of the most cruel and sanguinary q
idolatries, and civilized them by tn,
knowledge and practice of Christian
virtues. Years of residence in the hear
of Mexico have taught me this, that i
would be well if those who misreprcsen
and slander this people. whetherin book
or from lecture platforms, had grac
enough to pray for few of the virtues
which elevate and the graces whicl
adorn the humblest Of them.
f For a Decaying Party.
r In the village of which l speak ar
still retained many interesting relics q
the ancient time-among the rest tn
sacred Instruments which were formerl
} always carried before the chief on solem
occasions. They are preserved wit
great care by the people, and an oil
Indian is elected as their custodian VIII
never allows them out of his sight. Th
: mcst noted of these instruments bear
the Aztec name of tepenahuaste. 1t
carved in basalt rock, is eight inches i
diameter and fourteen inches long and
hollow with an opening on the uppe
side which is crossed by bridge. 1t
. played by beating on this bridge, evokin
sound which is louder and more mus
cal than that of drum, as the diferen
! notes of the scale of music are produce
. as the beating moves from place to place
The other ancient instrument is ais
carved from basalt with skill which
simply amazing. 1t is long tube wit
a mouthpiece and faring end, shape
somewhat like clarionet, with fou
holes for the fingers and large hole nea
the mouthpiece to allow the sound t
, escape. The sound which this instr
ment produces is most peculiar, unlil
any other in the world and doleful in tt
extreme.
should like to bring these instrument
!. and their players to the United STATE
after the election next November I
play solemn dirge at the burial Of Il
r republican party, and to accompan
| II arr,aov, NJ, l,ic ;anrnay home m Ind