The sun., 1896-09-20
UP AND DOWN LAS MlTRAS
IT ANYTHING rs HARDER THAN
ISCEHDING IT rs DESCERDIFG.
A Long Mite and n Hnirip Old Mexieo-How
Two Monterey Girls Made Fart OF
the Distanco-A Remark able Formation


A Long Mile and n Hn,rin Old Me1Ico-Hov
the Distance-A Remark able Fornations
Erom the ST. Louis Globe Democrat
II is journey that begins with hilarious ease
at Leona Station on the Mexican National. 1t
Is q journey that ends with devout thankfulness
ht tho Rancho Trevibo, near the Mexican ana
Gulf Railroad, on the opposite side OF the noun
tain. II one could walk through q tunnel at the
base of this range he would have but about
mile and a half TO go to reach the Rancho from
Leona Station. But even with the help of burro
and cable for such distances as these ways OF
locomotion are possible the crossing of Las MI
tras Is considered a great feat for the tender
foot. The range rises about a.O0o feet from the
valley. Ascent IL on q curve, which grows
nearer and nearer to the perpendicular, until
the last hour of It calls for ropes, twigs- crew
ices and occasional iron spike driven into the
solid rock. where all natural footholds fail
Happy Is he who enters upon the crossing Of
Las Mitras with little conception of what is bes
fore him. The hardships and nervo requiring
experiences come singly. and do not overwhelm.
1t is all very well TO mount the sure-footed
burro and ride up the easy trail for the drst
threo-quarters of mile in the cool of tho
morning. II is Interesting to let the little beast
pick his way while ono watches the buckets OF
ore come sailing down the lower cable. In the
distance these buckets look no larger than cigar
boxes. As they approach each supporting
trestle of the cable these buckets rise to the arm
and then drop down with the slack OF tho wire
rope. On they come In a succession of downward
and upward curves. and go whizzng by with
their loads OF ore for the cars on the
railroad track. In an hour one OF these cables
will bring down the mountain, distance of .
mile and n half. the ore to load q carton or
twelve tons. Occasionally an adventurous
spirit gets into the empty bucket and goes
skimminR upward to the first cable station. o
mile and quarter from the railroad. 1t is .
hair-raising trip. At times the bucket is only
thirty or forty feet from the ground. At other
times 1t is 200 or 800 feet or ore. when the
route passes across canon. There two
girls in Monterey who live to tell of such an
experience. They sat down in the bottom OF the
bucket, displayed their hosiery over the sides
The burro is slower, and the rider enjoys tho
scenery more with his eyes open. Hall mile
course ends. it becomes what is known to the
to tho left the harrow footway bears. Each
turn is q few feet higher up than the preceding.
sharper and more frequent From above comes
warming cry. It's answered from below. A
Barro. can NO 1877 more % pass here than | ioco@osve.
on the same railroad track. On Las Mitras
ARE s't oa as IN The 20
and pass. So when sdtilcien. CHOICE Mexi-
can has been volleyed up and down the noun
oending burros hold the right Of way. Before
the end of the first cable is reached walking be-
turned over to the Mexican who has been trude-
ing solemnly in the rear, and TO whom this
amountsinesTTing ao is daily vocation at 37Ia per
The rat mile and a quarter Of cable may be
tenderioot cannot refuse q seat In the iron
bucket for the second division OF the ascent OF
down in the ore dust, breathe a prayer. and
wonder how often that cable is renewed.
to Es other X n MexonS
above who manipulates the wooden brake. A
bucket Of ore starts down from above, and you
If you shut your eyes 1t viii not make you
DIZZY and you'll be there before you kRow It."
the superintendent 10 good enough to suggest
After all. there are worse forms OF locomoton
than riding in an ore bucket and glance
one OF them; Out of the upper cable station
there is climb upward, with an ore chute to
burro path to the mouth OF the Aztec mine
From there you look down $500 feet and have
more than slight blot on the landscape.
The cotton mill, with its red roof. looks Ike
cHiIaren. San '9f Gaiarse RveH Is fg WtsdpS
thread The farms are little patches in green
az OF np e a sound
train on the llroad erawls along like worm.
You know nov now how n' MImbolaS felt on chimbo-
niflcance as the dinicultie. remaining arc sug-
4 nights rest at It's Ale is quie,ing. Tho
yigor Of tie mHrming is Needed for what 10
mention Of RATA" may not Impress yop until
shoulder several coils OF rope. 1hs trail be. be-
GIN The MsseSn 81 goes asea o. rope
10 1utting rock or bunch of laurel growing IN ~
yourself with the rope aud andlng the little
cracks and projections with one foot and then
sh1 other you go up and up; Thse comes
ed. Next. You lean, inward against, tho face
other where there is barely six inches between
you and eternity. II may be- simply exortion,
drops on the rocks, although the sun is not yet
over the mountain and Tho wind cuts like
rope, then crawling as far as The ledge will take
You. gradually nearing the saddle between two
space, dozen feet wide. with 1000 feet OF de.
scent on the right and the same on tho left, you
has followed in the. rear unsling the cask from
his back and opon the bunghole
II there is anything harder than climbing ono
side OF the Las Mtras IL 10 going down the
other side. One can look upward and forget tho
distance down while climbing, But with each
pressed By the vast space beneath, always In the
vision Swinging downward by the root of
ialluilE On tNEee-lncn pTeuk IN inc
direction. The Mexican ladder, so.eSsa stick,
Is less formidable seen froiu the bottom. II is
easier TO help ones self up than down tho almost
perpendicular places with the ro!s The mus
oles suffer in the ascent. Tho nerves sustain
the shocks of the descent. But Las Nitras must
he overcome II tho traveller would soc this new
era OF silver mining in northern Mexico.
Nature has upended tho strata in mar
vell0us manner for tho manufacture Of these
mountains: When the crust OF the cooling
earth orinkled here, Il left the strata standing
AT only n little better than right angles with the
level. Las MtraB Is like very stepped pitched
roof with the Limestone strata for co, ering, In
stead OF slate. These strata warped and cracked
ami got out Of place during the construction
period. They left great spaces-caVes Into
these caves poured the ores during tho free
coinage OF the creauon-siver, lead, and iron
mingled with reddish clay.