Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-05-20
STORY OF A TEXAS MINE.
Supposed to Have Been Worked by tho
spaniards Many Years Ago.

| Supposed to Have Been Worked by tho
spaniards Many Years Ago.
The Bessemer Development Company
! owns one OF the most remarkable and
interesting mining properties that is
probably to be found in Texas at the
present day, observe the 81. Louis
Globe Democrat. This property con-
sists Of an old Spanish working which
is soon to be extensively explored, ar
rangements for carrying on the work
now being in progress. This property
is situated about ten miles from the
town OF Llano, In the county OF that
name. 1t has wonderful history, some
of which is traditional, but much OF 1t
has been verified by investigation into
the old Spanish archives, where docu-
ments bearing on the existence and pro-
ductiveness Of the mine were brought to
light.
The mine was being extensively
worked in the year 1928, as is shown by
letter written in that year by the SUI
perintendent OF the property to the
Governor OF this Mexican State, asking
that the worXmen at the mine be fur
nished with military protection, as the
Indians were becoming troublesome
and IL was feared that they would be
attacked and killed. This letter is still
on file among the government papers
at Monterey, Mexico, and was found
there few years ago by Professor w.
II. Won Steeruwitz, a well known
geologist of Austin, Texas. 1t is
not known whether the military
protection asked for was furnished,
but IL is supposed that the request
was not promptly granted, as the I'M
fortunate miners met with the fate
which their foreman had predicted for
them. Many years later party OF the
early settlers Of that section Of the State
stumbled upon the old mine. There
was one shaft apparent on the surface,
and lying at the mouth OF this shaft
were five skeletons OF men, one of which
had an arrow protruding from the skull,
plainly showing that they had met their
death at the hands OF the Indians. This
discovery was made some time In the
'7O's, aud there were, even at that late
date, a great many Indians around the
mine, but all OF those interviewed on
the subject claimed 10 know nothing OF
the skeletons or the abandoned mine.
In addition 10 these skeletons there
were found the ruins OF three smelling
furnaces, which were OF large capacity,
and from the immense piles Of Stag sur
rounding them they had treated large
amount OF precious ore. The finding OF
the skeletons was evidence that the
mine was being worked at the time the
massacre occurred, and that the ore
body had not given out and the mine
been abandoned, as was the case with
nearly all OF the old Spanish mines, the
ruins OF which dot the mountainous re-
gions of Southwest Texas and Mexico.
That the mine was q rich one is so
stated in the letter on file at Monterey.
tits called an "almsgres" mine in that
letter, which is . Spanish expression
for 3 mine that contains rich lead OF
precious metal covered with body OF
| iron.
After acquiring the property upon
which this mine Is located, Manager
Wooley visited the place In company
with another gentleman, with the view
| Of making 3 casual exploration OF the
workings. The ruins Of the furnaces
! are still 10 be seen. and growing at the
outh of the shaft is 3 blackberry tree
NrIy three feat in diameter. Colonel
'ay lat his c'npanion down into the
means of 8 zJpe, and at the
1t the body of iron was
Jingle shaft separated In
le being sunk on each