The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-26
YAQUf COUNTRY STORIES
GOLDEN ROMANCEs Exploded BY
ST. LOUIS PRosPECTOR.
Lies Told by Money ChanEers-Wage
and Cost of Living in HermosfIIo
Give Free Silver a Black Eye.
St. Louis Globe-Democrat.

NORA, III Olu mexico. SAID II. w. bOWeS, OF
this CITY, who has just returned from a
prospecting trip in that region.
Il am an experienced quartz miner, hav-
ing worked in Colorado ana Idaho" con-
! tinued Mr.. Bowes. MY two partners on
! this trip were Peter KEEL, a placer miner
and Walter Barnes, both of st. Louis
Barnes is only twenty-three years old, and
he simply went along as prospector. We
had read stories of fabulous riches that
were lying in the mountains along the va
qui river, and we concluded we would go
fortune hunting down there. Excuse me
from hunting gold in the Yaqui country.
The trip has cost me just $500 in cash. |
bought back a piece of flake gold worth 81,
and large nugget of experience that cost
me- of course, 1929. However, 1 consider
| that the nugget of experience will assay at
| least $1,000 worth of information.
| I'VE went to Nogales, Mex, and then to
| Hermosillo, the capital of the State of So
nora, and from there we started with bur-
1os and camping and placer mining outfits
across the country east to the Yaqui val
ley. After careful investigation we found
that the stories told about gold placerS
along the Yaqui river were untrue. Old ex-
perienced miners, like myself from Califor-
MIA, have spent six months in prospecting
Up and down the Yaqui river for placers,
with the most modern placer outfits, and
they have yet TO find any color. Miners
who know every foot of the country are
not able to find anything. So far as placer
mining is concerned, the Yaqui valley is a
consummate fake. There may be gold
bearing quartz in the mountains there, but,
II So nobody has been able to find pay
ing mine. OF course, there are some float
and small outcroppings in the mountains,
but nobdy has come in any way near
TO locating bonanza, so far | became dis
gusted with the Yaqui fake, and returned,
while my two partners left me at Hermo-
sillo and went into the old Altar placer
district.
TOLD BY MONEY-CHANGERS
II want to say now that these stories of
fabulous gold finds in the Yaqui country
are lies sent out by a gang of shrewd
American money changers. who are operat-
ing just across the line in Old Mexico. An
American firm Of money sharks in one city.
just across the boundary in Old Mexico. is
making 500 d day clean profit off the crowd
of American 'tenderfeet who are rushing
TO the Yaqui country. For instance, a
traveller has to stop over enc hour in this
town. between trains. The money changer
gives man going into Mexico two Mex
lean dollars for one American dollar, when
There is s per cent. profit for the money
changer. When man is coming out of
Mexico and wants TO exchange Mexican
money for American money the same
money changer charges $2.15 in Mexican
FOR 81 of American money. These money
changers 1t is said have been circulating
false stories of gold finds in the Yaqui dis
trict in order to help along the boom, and
have more. 'tenderfeet' to fleece at the
boundary line.
"One difficulty in mining in Old Mexico is
the operation of bad mining laws. BY pay
ing Sl.50 man can obtain a concession to
prospect for minerals on a tract of land
three miles square for ninety days. and he
can renew the concession as often as he
likes. BY standing in the favor of certain
officials a man can hold hundreds of acres
OF land III q concession, and II anybody
prospects ana finds Il rich mineral he must
pay a heavy royalty thereafter. There are
men who make business of holding these
concessions. This explains how one Amer
lean with money has obtained mineral con-
ssions on 10000 acres of land in the State
of Sonora. Another difficulty in other sec
items of Sonora is to find water for mining.
Then, If a man pays 2500 for a stamp mill
ard takes it one hundred miles into the in
terrier by burros and sets up the mill on y
claim he can never take the mill away. If
the mine does not pan out ne must leave
the mill there, as the mining laws give it to
the owner of the land. There are many
places where it is one hundred miles from
an adequate water and wood supply.
There are many peculiar sights for an
American in Hermosillo, the capital of So
nora. IT has population of 1900. The
only WOODEN DulluDlS Ill the CITY is the
railway depot. The only brick buil(-'ng in
the city is q Touring mill, owned by the
Governor of the State of Sonora, and which
was recently built by American contractors
The other buildings are adobe. The resi-
dences are mostly little one-story adobe
houses. There are no paved streets and no
sewers. the only drainage being by the
small Sonora river. large corral of
stone. with no cover, that stands on one
edge of the town, is the abattor. The bones
and hoofs and horns of the slaughtered
cattle have been thrown on the hillside
near by for years and they lie there and
from this Strengthening place is thrown out
side several hundred big black buzZards
will swoop down for a meal. The dogs from
the town cluster about to carry away the
fresh bones No attention is paid TO sani-
tary arrangements in the city at all The
days are hot and the nights are chilly. A
large portion of the towns population is
employed by the railroad company in cut
ting wood and bringing it in on the backs
of burroa; as the the, railroad dc company s uses
there. Up to n short time ago the city had
only coal oil lamps for illumination, but d
Touring mill, and from there few electric
lights are provided for the town.
WAGES AND FREE SILVER.
NOW, | am d laboring man myself, and
want TO state a few facts in regard to wages
and the cost Of living in Hermosillo. The
men who cut wood for the railroad com
pany are paid so cents day in Mexican
money, which is % cents in American money.
Coal oil is shipped in fiye-gallon cans, and
the law regulates the sale so that no less
quantity than five gallons can be sold at
one time. Coal oil sells for 81 d gallon,
Mexican money. American bacon sells for
so to 80 cents a pound, the payment in Mex
lean money. Mexican coffee unroasted.
sells at 10 to so cents, in Mexican money, for
"A pound. So poor labOring man will have
to cut wood two days to make enough to
buy one gallon of coal OIL he will spend one
days wages for one pound of bacon, and it
will take another day $ wages to pay for one
pound of coffee Eggs sell for cents apiece
No such thing as butter is seen there. Oleo-
uct are shipped in for use in cooking. Milk
is found only upon the tables of the rich
No milk Is found in the ordinary restau-
rants. Now, these are few of the dis
comforts down there. Taking into consid-
Grafton the wages of labor and the cost
of living, ] don't want to live in any free
silver country. They tell me that Bryan
came out of Mexico wearing a Mexican
sombrero and jingling forty-six-cent Next
can dollars in his pocket, and is still talking
for free silver. Well. l saw American labor
ing men walking out of that country to get
back to the States, and they were wearing
old jeans clothing and soiled shirts, had no
money of any kind to jingle, and they We're
cursing free silver They didn't care to re-
main in country where it takes two days
wages to buy a gallon of coal oil.
My partners. Peter Keil and young Wal
ter Barnes, left me at Hermosillo" contin-
ued Mr.. Bowes They bought a dozen bur-
ros and a big camping OUTFIT and started for
the ancient gold placer fields in the Altar
district. Stories have been sent out recently
saying that rich strikes have been made
there But many of these stories are false.
| have just received u letter from my two