The San Francisco call., 1897-10-04
George H. SmaIIey of Phoenix
Says 100000 Has Been
Taken Out.
RETURNS FROM TOUR OF
INVESTIGATION.
One Mans Work for Single Season
n Melted 500, ,oOo-Amerlcans
Rushing for Claims.

PhENIA, ARIZ,, Oct. g. The first au-
thentic information concerning the re-
ported rich gold discoveries in the re-
Gently opened Yaqui Valley, in the Mex
lean State of Sonora. reached this city to-
day with the incoming of George H
Smalley.
Il have been in the richest mineral re-
gion in the southwest" said he, land
|hrn the difference in conditions and ac-
ce; sibility are taken into consideration.
believe the Yaqui country will compare
favorabIy with tue Klondike."
Heretofore only few conflicting rumors
have reached civilization from the seats
OF the Yaqui excitement al HermosilIo,
Nogales and Guaymas. But these have
proved sufficient TO attract hundreds of
prospectors from all over the country.
George II. Smalley is a newspaperman
and mining expert. In the latter lire he
has had wide experience in Arizona and
New Mexico. About month ago he was
sent into the Yaqui country by the Ari-
Zona Republican to MAKE careful exam
lnaton OF its mineral resources, and send
back conservative report. Smalley
brought his report back in person, instead
OF mailing it, and when he reached Phe-
nix his first important business was TO re-
sign his position on the Re Republican.
No more newspaper work for me,' he
said. Il have struck something Better"
He has located three claims of his own
in Yaqui Valley, and on the evening OF
the day Of mis- arrival in Phoenix he started
back to his Yaqui gold mines. smalley
admits now that he went south with not
a little disbelief IN the wild rumors that
od haop HNafino IL
And the farther south L went the less
heard about the new gold fields" said
he. Even at Guaymas nothing of a
definite nature could he learned
For half the year it is possible to reach
the upper Yaqui Valley by small boats
that set out from Guaymas. At this sea-
son, however, the current is too strong,
and the only communication with the
Yaqui settlements is by mule trains.
SmalIey went back to HermosilIo and
from there to MInas Prietas. At the lat
ter place, which is about sixty miles from
the capital of Sonora, he joined party of
Americans VINO were outftting for the
Yaaui region. They bought pack mules
and riding ponies and set out with a guide
over a very rough trail TO Sayope, 100
miles distant. Below this lies the Yaqul
god fields, where for centuries nation of
warriors has held lis own against the
Spaniard and the Mexican Since the
treaty OF Hermosillo, few months ago,
all hostilitIes have ceased and white men
are pouring into the valley.
The newcomers do not find placer m es
where the nuggets may be picked up for
the trouble of bending the back, Smalley
says: There have been such places, and
still are, but they were all pre-em pied by
the Yaauis long ago. The Yaquis are
good placer miners, but seem to know
nothing OF dry washing or OF ledge mining
Almost the entire valley is full of rich
mineral Lodges that have never been
touched, while on every hand there are
very rich hydraulic propositions.
1t needs experience and some money
to get the gold out of the Yaqui country"
=. ssid SmalIey TO The CALL correspondent
J2st before he left ON the evening train.
81 firmly believe that untold riches await
the men who first go into the upper Yaoui
Valley equipped for washing the gravel
banks by the California hydraulic method.
Water Is there in any quantity desired,
and the stream has an immense fall.
There are miles and miles of gravel all
along the course of the stream, and all of
II carries gold, believe. Every painful OF
dirt taken down to the water ana washed
shows color To dig the necessary bitches
would require capital. but the returns
would quickly repay all outlay.
Two men that l met there-Baker Grand
Wooif-worked bench of gravel not tar
from Sayaps. They cut sluices and in
two months took out $26, 600. Further m
the river small company has been oper-
atlng secretly for few mo onths ana IL is
said they have taken out $145, 600 already.
There are about 100 Americans along tine
river now and but few Mexicans. The
latter are not liked by the Yaquis and the
dislike is mutual. Few of the Mexicans
have enough capital 10 do any sluicing,
and they are wandering around hoping to
pick up something. l heard of one
American, whose name l had in a note
book lost, who went down to Guaymas
IN a small boat just before we reached
there. He had $4,000 in dust and mug
gets Tor ballast, the result of one season on
the Yaoui.
The 1aqui valley miners are very reti-
cent about their finds, and 1t is difficult to
get at the facts. You see the Mexican
government charges an export duty of 10
per cent on gold, and The miners wish to
escape this. The output has alreBdy far
exceeded $1,000, 600, and most of this has
oeen smuggled into the United States.
The mountains are threaded with gold
veins, but the Ysquis have never touched
them. Perhaps half a hundred ledges
have been located by Americans this sum-
mer.
Smalley and his partners. ]. w. Fox of
Pliladeiphia-one of the party be met at
MInas Prletas-have located several OF the
leiges' one OF which is a six-foot Iedge of
free muling rock that ASSAYS $50 10 the
ton. They have already SOLD one of their
GLAZING and on the iarnceeds