Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1896-10-16

Damm's rapid rise to the distinction of
the Crocsus of Durango is the story of
the Promontorio mine. That is proper
ty of which the mining market never
heard. 1t is known to Durango people
because they see the on carts and mule
wagons come crcaking in with 600 tons
of ore monthly. The mine is 100 miles
north of the city. and the ore must he
hauled that distance in carts and wagons.
The ore is quartz, and all that is thus
transported is of Il grade which yields
lao ounces to the ton. The monthly ship
ment from the Iromontorio is 10000
to 1.oOO.0OO ounces. 1t is worth in
Mexican money 81 .2.,O, 900, and in Amer
ican money Si50.OOO. Hut this shipment
of ore ut the rate of GOO tons is not all
of MIR. Damm's product. From his own
works mt the mine he makes every day
4 @ bar of silver silver weighing 66G 1000 ounces. A
money and half of that in American mon
ey is not very. formidable in appearance.
1t is only 16 inches long by inches in
breadth and thickness. Every day one
of these bars is turned out ut the mine,
brought down to Durango and added to
Damms warehouse. The mint officials of
the United States will have an opportuni-
ty to handle IL collection of these bars if
free coinage becomes the law.
The present product of the Promontorio
Is l,IOo:.h)u ounces year, worth 81, 149.-
400 in Mexican money. and to be worth
that in American money il 16 to pre-
walls. This is one mans mine. That is,
heard of it.
About ten years ago. when silver be-
gan to go down, the Promontorio began
to uncover it's richness. With his rep
utation established as the richest man
in Durango, MIR. Damn does not admit
that he has done any mining. He has
simply been developing what there is i'll
the PrOmontoriO. blocking out the masses
of ore to he removed when he gets down
to the real business of mining. But
while doing development work Mr.. Damn
is taking out incidentally ore. which
yearly. "A fissure vein which gives him
this ore carrying $50 ounces of silver
to the ton is from 1S inches to 5 feet
wide. While developing his property,
MIR. Damn has taken out IL third-class
of ore which has not been shipped to the
smelter or treated at the nine He now
such ore which. he says. will average GO
ounces to the ton. That means 3,O0O.-
600 ounces more. to he worth S3,S2O.-
GOO when the United States declares
for unlimited silver.
MaNimiliano Damn can furnish all
of the silver the mints of the United
States will be able to coin into
dollars during five weeks of opera
tion Mt their present full capacity.
Open Mints Cheaper silver.
'Why is it that in silver country,
with unlimited coinage, bullion does not
go to the Mexican mints to be coined
into dollars hut is shipped out to be
sold i'll another country where it has a
tiuctuating value and where so much of
it as would make Il dollar in your mints
is worth now only half dollar?"
This was submitted. during the rest in
the saddle of Las Mitras. to the owner
of the mines below. from which the Mex
leans were tlotting forth i'll never-ending
file with their sacks of ore The mine
owner chucked q pebble over the preci-
picc. and shook his head. as if the ques-
t!on was too much for him.
We'll. why do you send your own
bullion to the United States to be sold
ut bullion value under the gold standard
instead OF having it mintcd into dollars
which are worth 100 cents on the silver
busiS?"
The mine owner got ont his pencil and
figured. lie took the cllange. the cost
of transportation. the :,77 grains of fire
silver in the Mexican dollar. the 3I1
grains i'll the American dollar. the ounce
value. and made elaborate calculations.
AT length his face frightened.
SILVER he said. "yiclds today 4 cents
an ounce more when sold in the states
as bullion. after paying freight charges
ana brokerage commissions. than it
would if taken to the Mexican mnts and
coined into dollars.''