The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-01
SALE OF A VOLCANO.
Popocatepeu In Mexico and the General
Who Owned lite sulphur Mines.

Who Owned Its sulphur Mines.
A despatch to THE SUN from Mexico on
last wednesday announced the sale by
Gen. Ochoa Of the famous Popocatepetl
volcano, which has been his private property
since his early manhood The purchase
price Is said to have been IS, 600 900, which
IL a rather large price to pay for a sulphur
mine. Possibly the price was less than
this figure. though Gen. Ochoa doubtless
received large sum for his property, be-
cause its supplies of sulphur are mex
haustible The most of his large fortune
has been made by mining this sulphur
The story e Ais acquisition Of these
sulphur deposits reads like romance.
We seldom hear that a private individual
is the owner OF great and famous noun
tain. 1t is not exactly true to say that
Gen. Ochoa OWLS the whole Of Popocatepetl,
for he has no title to a largo part of the
mountain.
The part Of it that was conceded to him
by the Mexican Government Is the entire
higher portion rising above the zone OF
vegetation. All the bare, rocky surface
Of the mountain areas covered by eternal
snowfields, the two peaks al the summit,
and the yawnng crater with its sulphur
deposits have for many years been the
property OF this gentleman; but no part Of
the mountain on which tree, a blade OF
grass Of bit Of scrub finds Judgment has
been transferred to the new owners b.
Gen. Ochoa. because 1t was not his To sell.
Gen. Gasplr Sanchez Ochoa. for years
past the Chief of the Engineer Corps of
the Mexican Army. was "a student many
years ago in a military school at the City
Of Mexico. He was Il iavorite pupil Of
Senior Andres del Rio, one Of the in
structors in the school.
Ore day ~ ii II del Rio tod the boy that
he met the great Alexander Won Humboldt
when that famous naturalist visited Mexico.
aud that Humholdt called his attention to
the large deposits uf sulphur in the crater
OF Popocatepetl and expressed the opinion
that though they wrr" difficult Of access
they would some day le worked and would
yield a fortu. to thCsr who took the enter
prise in hand.
Not long afterwards yCuug Ochoa was
graduated from IT,. sol'ol. He was a young
mar OF coed itr.ily urd hadfrcEds who weIe
very influential IN put Vi" affairs. He also
had the assista,>c Of - Il fdcl Rio in carry
ing out the pro- cct IL hat fcrC.cd Of obtain
ing from the Government q concession Civ
ing To him the entire upper par, Of the
mountain. His plan succeeded and the
upper part Of the mountain above the zone
of vegetation became his private property.
For years past he has worked this source
Of wealth. The methods he employed were
somewhat crude, but a. the price Of labor
is very low in Mexico, Gen. Ochoa was able
to extract the sulphur at large profit.
He was the owner OF the highest mine
in the world. for the top Of Popocatepetl is
4 $50 feet above the sea. and the crater, a
cavity over half mile in circumference. is
only $50 feet deep. Above the crater rise
the two chief submits, the Pico Mayor and
the Espinazo del Diablo.
Visitors always climb one of these sum
mits to get the view stretching on one side
to the hot lands far below, and on the other
70 sea the yawning crater half filled with
snow and covered, here and there, with
patches Of yellow gold color. which indicate
the position Of the sulphur deposits
Gen Ochoa's Indian laborers. for many
years past. have Deen almost daily let
down to the bottom OF the crater in large
baskets lowered and raised by means OF a
windlass erected on the brim Of the chasm.
The annual yield has been about one hum
dred tons and the mineral is supposed to
accumulate in the crater at the rate OF
ton a day. However this may be, the sui
phur deposits in the crater are certainly
known to be much larger than they were
when Gen. Ochoa began to remove them.
The mineral is brought from the depths
Of the earth BY the ebullitions which are
almost continually coming from the era
ter mouth: So this volcano IL n source at
snlnhur which ia constantly being replen-