El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1896-12-05
GREAT TIMES FOR SONORA
1t is Predicted that in Five years the
State will Rival South Africa!

DR.. j. r. Magruder, the well knowr
Sonora mining man is at the PiersoI
from the City of Mexico, en- route II
his valuable mining properties in the
state of Sonora. He is enthusiastic
over the prospects for gold mining il
that the developments were so rich and
so remarkably promising, that in five
years the state would rival South
Africa in its gold output
The only drawback is the scarcity of
water, so that in fact the output espe-
cially at the Minas Prietas and sur
rounding properties is mostly
run the mills. To increase the present
Supply in that district to any marked
extent, it will be necessary to bring it
| twenty miles from the mountains
which no doubt will be done ere long
1t is on account OF this scarcity of
| water that the Colorado mine has been
allowed to lie idle for two years while
| the Creston, it's height Dor, is being ex-
tepsively and richly worked as enough
water is being gotten out of the latter
mine to run it successfully. There are
two thousand men employed on the
Minas PrietaS properties, and many OF
these have DrospectOrs out for them
locating claims, and doing the neces-
sary assessment work to maintain the
claims.
The English syndicate paid on Sep
ten Der 9th last, one million dollars for
q three quarters interest in the Los
Amarillos and Grand Central mines,
and are now ready to pay another
million for the remaining quarter. ln
October last, these Minas Prietas prop
critics turned out $780, 900 in gold. The
two mines are treating 1C0 tons of rich
ore daily with a twenty stamp mill in
three #. Huntingtons in the other.
One hundred and twenty tons per day
is being amalgamated, and the tail
ing5 are concentrated. At the Creston
and Prietas mines there are being
worked two mills of forty stamps at the
latter and thirty stamps and three
Huntingtous at the other mine, with a
monthly output of s4OO, OOO Two hun
dred tons per day is being treated by
the amalgamating and concentrating
processes.
There is sufficient water gotten out
of the Creston mine to run forty
stamp mill. Doctor Magruder
predicts that the La Colorado will
inside of ten years be running one
will be ways found to bring plenty of
mine is sinking it's shaft down to a
25O0 ft level, with triple compartment
shaft and double decked cages. The
taxes amount to y per cent gross
on the output Of mines. There are
already great many Americans IN
Sonora, and the number is rapidly
increasing. In fact the mine owners
are almost entirely Americans, as the
Mexicans are either laborers or mer-
chants or rancheros. A few however,
are drifting into mining, and one
Mexican is drawing large amount OF
money from his properties. The
reason why there has been no gold
development earlier is that for years
only silver was sought for, and the
assays made with silver only in view.
But now that the gold developments
are so wonderfully promising, the state
is attracting the attention of the world.
American skilled miners are getting
five dollars per day in gold, Mexican,
good Mexican mirers three dollars in
gold, and ordinary car workers and
laborers Sl.50 also in gold.