Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-23
Gratifying Advices Received From
Far Off Mexico.
A REPORT FROM GOV. SHEPHERD
Effect of the Completion of the
Great Porfirio Diaz Tunnel.
RECENT HEAVY TPUT

lating in a most gratifying manner to show
that the faith which Gov. Alexander r.
Shepherd and his associates have had in the
mining properties under his control and
management at Batopilas Mexico, would be
amply fulfilled in the near future, and in the
past few days authoritative advices have
been received further corroborating this.
Mr.. Frank A. Miller of this city, who has
been identified with Gov. Shepherds inter-
ests for many years, received letter
yesterday from Mr.. Lyndon H. Stevens sec
rotary of the Batopilas Mining Company in
New York, announcing that a telegram
from Batopuas had stated that the output,
largely from single mine, for the six days
including the Spanish holy week, reached
$4,000, or 5000 day. A previous record
this year for thirty days was over $4,000
So it will be seen that the results are sub
stantially increasing.
The last issue of the Engineering and
Mining Journal contains an exhaustive ar
ticle on the Batopilas mines, which will
prove vastly interesting to Gov. Shepherd 8
legion Of friends and admirers in Washing
ton, which is such lasting monument to
the indomitable energy of the man who
largely made the nations capital the beau
tifui city that 1t is. The article begins as
follows;
Brief History of the Mines
I'VE have received advance proofs of a.
report prepared by Governor Alexander r.
Shepherd for twenty years past general
manager Of the Batopilas Mining Company
which covers the operations of the mines
for the years 1898 and 1899 This last has
been a year of great Importance to the
company, because of the practical compile
ton of the great Portirio Diaz tunnel, on
winch work has been in progress for a
number of years. This tunnel was intended
to connect the various properties of the
company, to enable the managers to carry
out the drainage and mining works eco
homlcally, to utilize the great bodies of low
grade ore on the property and to continue
systematic exploration for the bodies of
high-grade ore believed to exist.
ne Batopiias mines are in the state of
Chlhuahua. about 80 miles from the city
| OF Chihuahua and are 245 miles distant
from the nearest railroad. Part of this
distance is covered by a good road the
balance by mule trails which are kept in
| order by the company. The concession
covers an area of sixty-one square miles
and contains a number of mines which
| nave been worked and a number of veins
| which have been located, though not vet
developed. All these are valuable chiefly
| Tor silver, but on the property there are
| also gold bearing veins, some of which have
been worked by Mexican companies of
| which the Cerro Colorado is the best
| known The district has been known for
20 years, and for fully a century, from
| 1000 to 1850, when several Of the mines
/
| large quantities of silver were taken out
| In fact, the yield was large up to 1910 when
the troubled times of the revolution set in,
ana IN Few years the region was almost
abandoned Later several efforts were
| made to reopen the mines, but nothing was
| done systematically or on large scale un-
| I'll the San Miguel mine was bought in 1879
| by Governor Shepherd and associates: who
| organized the Batopilas Mining COMPANY.
| The concession was extended later to It's
| present size. The company has done a
| very large amount of work in opening and
developing Its mines, and especially in
building the great tunnel. which was soon
| understood to be essential 1t has also
built a dam 7Gi feet long across the
batopiias = rirer at San Antonio, and a stone
aqueduct $500 feet long to carry the water
| There is fall in this distance of "a feet,
| and over $50 horsepower can be obtained
In ordinary seasons. Two mills have been
| machinery provided.
This is a very brief description of the
| WORK Done; and 1t has been done with a
very small working capital. Most of 1t has
| Deen paid FOR from the output of the mines.
| mis- method of working has necessarily in
| VOWED delays, and progress has at times
been very slow. AS the Porfirio Diaz tun-
Eel Is now completed, it is hoped that work
| may be extended more rapidly
| THE report above referred to gives the
| total work done in the mines for the two
years at $3.50 feet, of which 1888 feet was
On the tunnel The total ore taken out was
| 212f,1 1876 pounds; third class 49, 1855 o2s
pounds; total, 47,0G0,S50 pounds or 1850
tons. The average value of the ore treated
was sl792 per ton. The gross product was
In bars $S3971 in sulphides, s5s7 76G; total
| s1.127,4S5 The total payments were 81 ST.
| SeS' OF which the cost of the tunnel repre-
| scented $139, us.
| Gov. Shepherds Report.
'"rhe report of Governor Shepherd, as gen
eral manager shows the present condition
Of affairs on the property. 1t begins as fol-
lows:
With reference to the product of the
mines, and in Confederation Of the opinion
always expressed by me that the opening
of the Porfrio Diaz tunnel would be the
| beginning of a new era in the company's
| history. / note that: In July 1890 the tun-
mel was opened partly and ore began to
be delivered through the Diez de Enero
| shaft For the first six months of 1855 the
! yield was $lGi.3SS or equal to 81 ,O47 per
diem. counting twenty-six days to the
month For the following seven months, in
| cfudfng January, 1900, the yield was $413,.
OIL, or equal to g. $50 per diem. The condi-
tions In the other properties of the COM
| pany were the same during both periods
being all IN bora and hardly paying ex-
| penses: therefore, the comparative state
| ment would seem to be a fair one, and the
opinion warranted by the facts.
From the report 1t will be seen that: 1.
the disbursements have largely exceeded
l
respondingly increased 2. Thai 1t was not
possible to pay the interest on bonds and
continue improvements. When consolida-
ton was effected in 1887 and 3sss, it was
supposed and intended that the 81 600, 600 OF
bonds authorized would be SOLD and would
complete the improvements But only $459,-
700 bonds were sold, of which s55s, 700 was
used in paying the debts of the several con
solidating companies, leaving only SOL .0Od
applicable to the improvements The rest
of the bonds. 400, remain in the treas
ury unsold, and have been used as far as
possible as collateral for loans made to the
company The large yield of 1898 and 1894
paid UP most of the debts contracted be-
tween 1888 and 1894 for improyefnents leav-
Ing comparatively small amount due.
Since then to the present time. there have
been no oonanzas to help QUIT but the i'm
provements have been driven az rapidly as
possible. money being borrowed to continue
them at r, the high rates of interest prevalent
! here. This was most unfortunate but was
I the only thing to be done If the Enterprise
was to lob be made successful. The years 1895
complexion OF the IMPROVEMENTS COM
completion: -
work to Be COmuaeted