Mohave County miner., 1894-08-18
First Gold Miners.

the most ancient Of gold miners. The
amount oi gold and silver produced by
them 10 amazing. Atahualpa, the last
Of their chiefs. bribei Pixarra for release
from prison by offering 10 til with gold.
as high as be could reach, a roam 22xl7
feet. These Indians were very success-
fui mining engineers Many OF the
canals and sluIces constructed by them
Tor use in hydraulic mining still exist In
Peru and show surprising ingenuity.
Many oi their copper mining tools have
also been discovered. For washing the
metaIliierous dirt they employed 30
called "oatea." or wooden pan, differing
from the miners pan" OF Arizona only
in having a conical bottom, At the apex
OF which the gold was collected by dex
ferrous handling. These Indians were
also acquainted with the process Of col
Letting gold by quicksilver rifles.
The Amazon Indians used dugolt
canoe, its bottom hr'ci with transverse
grooves. This they tipped on ehd,
turned on some water, and then rscked
il 10 and fro, gathering the gold IN The
grooves and the bow OF the boat. These
antique tools and mining works we're
displayed In the South American sec.
tons or in the archaeological division OF
the nam mining display at the worlds
fair. Ths rich mines OF gold and silver
in the IN )uattns Of Mexico have been
worked sincs prehistoric times oy the m
cein. M,ntezrp.s. Their process of
treitins tbs ore, survive TO ths present
day. The ore Is packed 20 the reducing
establish nsat, cAllei nteisniis, is as.
sorted and then pulyerized in the ar
rastra. Tnis consists of ltrg, road
vat, liks mortar, with sriniing ar
rangns,t consisting Of three granite
stones OF an oolong shape. These arr
tied 70 a pole, connected With ~ axle
and turnei by mile waking around
in circle bindiolisd.
An arrls,ra Vas also on exhibition II
the mining department. The sons
whr fanon, patio process. wts inyen,
cd by Brth Jio "a d. Ms,inl. a M.xi
can miner lDoi. 1851 Wtlhia tw, csa
turies il ~, generally us,i thrpng ghou
Mexico Al thsl ii,pted IN Eir,p, o.
ly TO ne replaced by IN ore IN iefa me b
DDS. Tns process derives Its ma ne
from the patio. or yards. ~ the mont
; of tbs mine Shef. tn, oDsrui)l is ~
u lily c,nduc;ei. rns ptty mul takeI
from the arrastra mills ~ tnrogi up,i
a hard stone f1or, and after being file
with quick silver and salt, is Gale soup
: After nn1ers ,ins esip)riti,n f1r severa
days the mass Is ,tirrsl 10 ~ tn, lee
. OF horses and men until Il is we'll IN xed
0 whea It's ctllei ak, Or nal. tn
. amalgamatei silver Is washed and the
. placed IN canvas bags.
TIE N .rcury i, squeezed ont by pre-:
sure and the residual silver Is puritie
in furnace and thea run OF iat
moulds. Mexico still furnishes sou
d OF the old.fashionei CATALAN forces fo
0 iron. m aking with their crude hammer
Y and water blasts. Catalonia was a pro
Il ,ncs in Spain where Ihls antique impl
Q men, WAS first employed and froI
d which skilled ironm )ngers were expor
i ed to the new world. In New Mexi'
Q and Ariz,ns the Aztec mines, Sorks
IS by pe9ns hun1rsis OF years aso, are st.,
d to bs 10 IN 4, and in the state OF Sono:
n Senator Tabor Of Denver lately pnrcha
It ed and re- e.openei one OF these know
3 from early history as ths Santa Maria
II Holy Mary. These mines extend nortl
= ward TO the Colorado line and some
o them are very rich.-Vide:te.