El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-11-26


II have visited the mining sections
of Colorado Nevada. California. Alaska
and in fact nearly every section on this
continent and many on the others. but
| in all the thousands of miles | have
travelled. never have / had the pleas
ure of visiting a country so admirably
situated as this. The country is well
tapped by the leading trunk lines of
the west. thus affording cheap and am
pie facilities for transporting ores to
the different smeletrs. and then some OF
the largest smelling concers have large
plants right here in your midst.
II have just returned from trip
through the Sierra Madre country Wis
iting the San ePdro. Leon. Eecondidas.
San Joaquins. San Bias. in fact every
district in that section where any
mines have been developed. and there
is one thing that brought to my notice
very forcibly. while there. that should
be borne in mind by all investors and
prospectors who are now turning their
attention to Mexico. /. e. the fact that
in northern Chihuahua. Mexican peon
labor. which constitutes the principal
help about am inc. can be had for even
less in Mexican silver per day than one
has to pay for such labor in any part
of the United States in gold. Then.
too it's close proximity to the United
States and the shelters are other feat
ures that make great deal OF diff
ference. The man vho invests in that
section can reside in Ell Paso. where
all the comforts of life to be found in
the United States can be had. and
yet be within a few hours ride of his
property. and when il comes to the
small investor who has TO depend more
or less upon quick returns from the
smelter To carry on his operations. this
is certainly the place for him. for he
can send his ore to the smelter at Ell
Paso or Aguascalientes and get re-
turns from them in half the time in
takes ore from a great many other sec
tions to reach the smelters- And when
it comes to the richness of the country.
and the possibility of the mines play
ing out after a certain depth has been
reached that is al most out of the ques-
ton. for there are a great many being
worked in that section. long before
even Columbus dreamed that there was
such a country as this. then when the
Spaniard came he turned their output
to his own account. then the Mexican
took them. and now most of them are
owned and operated by American COM
panies who are making big returns
from them.
"One of these old mines that | Wis
tied in that section was originally
worked by the aborigines of that coun
try. then by the Spaniards. and is now
owned by Mexican. who has refused
very handsome figures for ii. but so
far has declined all offers. and yet he
does not work IL himself. preferring TO
hold it for no one knows what.
This working is about "A feet deep.
The shaft first runs on an angle of 40
degrees to the north and is about a
hundred and fifty feet long. it next
turns a sharp angle and runs about IS
feet in a southerly direction and at an
angle of about 40 degrees. then il again
make a sharp turn. this time to the !
west. it then fillows a westerly course |
for about IT'S feet at an angle of 80 |
degrees.
There is no violence of any ladders |
,r windlasses as ever having been used |
N this mine. and no doubt the an
cients who worked ii packed the ore |
)ut on their backs. 1t must have |
been tedious job. but they were |
noted for that logged pertinacity |
which has been so often manifested by |
,emi-civilized races in the achieve
nent of their public works. When |
me takes into consideration the fact |
hat these people had no knowledge of |
he use of explosives. as the miners of
oday have. it is a wonder that they
rave succeeded at all in tunneling into
he living rock as they did. 1t must
ave been done by what the Dutchman
erms main force and awkwardness
"On the dump of this mine there is
10 evidence whatever of any ore ever
laving been taken out. but not far
way is a pile of Stag and other evil
ences that on that site once stood a
ude smelter.
From the bottom of the shaft l Sc
ured samples that assayed 173 ounces
liver. 2 ounces golda nd a trace of
Upper. hence ii must have been a good
aging proposition for the ancients
tho were thus prepared to treat their
res at the mine.
Il believe that you have a very !
ourfshing and promising little city |
ere. and I think il safe to gamble that
GU will have over SO. 900 inhabitants
ere in the next ten years" l.