The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-11-29
ONCE FATTENED
SPA|N'S TREASURY,
Canton Man 10 on the Ground
Supervising Development
Of Great Deposits In the
Mountain Fastnesses.

"Goldl Many hunted, sweat and bled
for gold;
Worked all the night and labored all
the day."
Visions of fabulous wealth are haunt
ing the waking hours and disturbing
the slumbers of certain Canton parties
who are interested in what is known
as the Cantonora Mining company,
which has xch holdings in the Sonora
country of northern Mexico. And
there is m n in legend and story, his
tory and recent developments to adj
20 the hopes which inspire faith in the
mining ventures in that desolate coun-
try.
A new machine. the invention Of
John A. Simonds, of Canton, is being
used to secure the gold, sluices being
unavailable on account of the absence
of water. The machine, which oper
ates on an entirely new principle, Is
being turned out by the Aultman COM
pany,, of Canton, and from present re-
ports has been found to be exception
ally successfully.
The name given the company is n
combination of Canton and, Sbnora
and its holdings are in section OF
country remote from present civiliza-
ton; but there are evidences on every
side that at one time there was large
population in the vicinity, and its on
ly source of support was the product
of the mines.
During the seventeenth and eigh-
teenth centuries, when Spain occupied
and controlled Mexico and when the
Papal church had full sway, it was
known that Spain grew rich from the
gold and silver taken from the min IS
OF Mexico. They were operated by the
government and the Catholic priests,
and even with the crude methods In
those early days the products of the
mines were fabulous. These mines
were in the widest and most inacces-
sfble points in the mountains, and the
country was overrun with the warlike
Apache and Yaqua Indians, so that it
was necessary in order to protect the
mines and the caravans that carried
in food and supplies and took away the
gold and silver, to keep strong force
of Spanish soldiers. Everything had
to be carried on the backs of men or
mules, and the methods of mining were
of the most crude.
STORIES OF FABULOUS WEALTH.
Smelling furnaces and crushers were
built and operated and shafts were
driven deep into the mountain sides
IN search of the precious metals that
were SO abundant. Legendary tales of
the amount of gold and silver taken out
were Of course greatly exaggerated, but
enough was known to make 1t certain
that somewhere in that country the
mother lode was found so rich that men
with practically no equipment what
ever as compared with modern appl.-
ances, were able to take out enough
of the richer metals to make a nation
and church the richest ON the earth
at that time.
When Mexico rebelled against Span
ish authority and gained her inde-
pendence, the Spanish troops That had
stood between the miners and the de-
predations of the wild Apaches were
withdrawn. The Indians were wild
with desire to be revenged upon those
who had invaded their territory.
During the Spanish occupancy the
town of LaCienga had sprung up in
the mining section near the richest
mines. 1t had a population estimated
to be $4,000 souls, all more or less en-
gagged in mining. The priests were
uarnnd In onntrnI nnIv t, Al. acaxx,,,
and when Spain withdrew from the
field and the new republic of Mexico
was not able or did not realize the
Importance Of furnishing soldiers for
the protection of the miners, the heads
Of the church attempted to carry on the
mining Independent Of the ruling gov
ernment.
DESCENT OF THE SAVAGES.
The Indians were not long in dis
covering the unprotected condition OF
tho mining settlements and early In
the nineteenth century occurred what
IL known az the Apache uprising. They
descended upon the Mexicans in such
numbers as to overpower them, and
Il is a matter of history that but few
of the inhabitants of that section es.
capped the tomahawk and the scalpine
knife.
When the outbreak occurred, the
priests, Jealous Of their rich treasures
filled up the mouths Of the mines and
did all they could to obliterate any
thing that would give clew to their
location. None, however, escaped to
! tell the story to the next generation
For nearly seventy-five years the rel
man reigned supreme In that wild and
desolate tract of country. Dutina
those years, nature aided the work OF
priests, and for many years after thu
! pacification Of the Indians made pill,
Erimages to that country possible, nc
tracc could be found Of the lost mines
NJ ono living had ever been there, and
the directions that came from legend
Weso ~ unYelinble that no actual tsac1
e. . A. . II. 81 II. M. ~ u Z II n h ~ n N ~ s..