Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1902-01-04
THROUGH MEXICO.
An Interesting Account Of an
Interesting Trip.

Mr.. Fred S. Pheby, of the firm of
Pheby Bros, returned a few days
ago from Mexico, where he was in
structed by wire to go several weeks
ago to inspect mine for Spokane
capitalists. By request of the Bo-
MANIA he contributes the following
very readable account of his observa-
tions on the trip;
"We left Ell Paso in the morning
and Travelled south all day through a
country much like the deserts of
southern Nevada and Arizona.
Probably half of this day was con-
sumed in traversing the estate of a
very wealthy Mexican who counts his
lands 10y the millions and his cattle
by the hundreds of thousands In
fact it is said that 80 per cent of the
property of the Republic is held by
less than 600 individuals. Chihuahua,
the first city of Importance reached,
is about 80, 600 in population and is a
very popular city with the Ameri-
cans. The principal object of in
terest here is the magnificent cathre-
dral, costing a million of money,
raised by special tax on the product
of the famous Santa Eulalia mine.
In this city Hidalgo, the father of
Mexican independence, was executed
in 1911. For many miles south we
passed cities of much Importance,
but too many for me to touch on.
Zacetecas, probably the Oldest camp
of which the world has any definite
knowledge, certainly calls for con
siderable attention in mining way,
as having the greatest record of pro-
duction of silver yet credited to any
one mining district in the world. The
amount of silver minted here from
its discovery in 1916 up to 1918 is
definitely placed at over 500, 900, 900.
While the district is still considera-
BILE producer, it is small in compari-
son with its past. From what |
could see | should Judge the ore lay
in blanket form, as the hundreds of
shafts cover thousands of acres and
we probably Travelled ten miles in
travorsing the district.
The next point of interest reached
was the city of Aguas Calientes (hot
waters). Besides its many interest
ing baths and buildings it has one Of
the largest smelling plants in the
world, formerly owned by the Gug-
genheims but now part of the A. S.
r. Co. 1t must be remembered that
along the entire line of the Mexican
Central the elevations are never less
than 1000 feet and in several places
nearly 5000 feet.
The city of Mexico Of course con-
mands the greatest attention, being
the most beautiful city of the repub-
lie. Records show the city to have
been founded in the thirteenth cen
fury by the Aztecs, and to have been
conquered by the Spaniards in 1921.
This is certainly city of churches,
having upward of 12O within its
limits, among them being the cathe-
dral, the largest house of worship in
the western hemisphere. The mag
nifcence of this great structure can
scarcely be imagined there are tons
of gold and silver used in ornamental
ton about the affairs, and the numer-
Gus great paintings reaching almost
to the domes make it gallery of
intense interest In this church are
inferred the remains of many of the
great men of Mexico, such as Ytru-
bide, the first emperor of Mexico.
There are many beautiful drives to
be made about the city and of these
the most popular is the one about
the castle of Chepultepec, the Off
cial residence of President Diaz.
This castle figured prominently in