The border vidette., 1904-03-12
THE RICHES OF SONORA
Probably the Greatest Gold Producing
Region or the Continent.

President J. E. Hubinger, of La
Proveedora Copper Whining company
in Sonora, and F. ID, Wetmore, direc-
tor of the company, will leave tomor-
row night on their return to New Ha-
ven, Conn. They have spent couple
of weeks III Phnnix and in Sonora
Mr.. Hubinger, who is extensively en-
gagged in mining in various parts of the
country including Alaska, speaking
yesterday of Sonora, said he believed iC
to be the greatest mining country in
the world. He said it was ditficult to
form an idea of the extent of the in
dustry in that state. The gold pro
duction of Sonora is said to be greater
than that of the Klondike and ile be-
lieved that if the figures could be
obtainted it would be shown that So
nora annually produces more gold than
Colorado. The figures given out\ by
the mines show nearly as much, but
it is estimated that OH account of the
seven per cent duty, five to the re-,
public and two to the state, one third
of the production, is smuggled out of
the country. The Minas Prietas alone
has produced more than 100000, 900.
There was story in The Repub-
lican day or two ago of the visit of
Mr. Hubinger to La Proveedora and
of the intention to build railroad
from the mine to Puerto Lobos on the
Gulf of California, thirty-five miles
from the mine. He said that work On
the railroad would most probably begun
on the railroad within IA year. lie
believes that the railroad would be u
profitable investment as common
L.. &C al Il
it would be to the mining company.
There are a great many other mining
properties in that section which would
would not be difficult It is estimated
that it could be built and equipped for
$4,000 a mile. There are only two
rivers to be bridged, the Altar and the
MagdaIena There would be little
grading necessary and the difference
in altitude between the coast and L.
Proveedora is only 800 feet. 1t is
likely that the road would be extended
northward to a connection but that is
no part of the plan of Mr.. Hubinger.
Regarding the mine, he said that
the hosting machinery would be put
in at once. There are about 5000
tons of ore on the dump already so
that a smelter could be proftably en-
ployed, but the company has thought
it best not to use up this ore, which is
self fuxing, but to save it until the
sulphides are encountered. But if at
the end of the year the character of
the ore remains unchanged the COM
pany will not wait for the sulphides
but will proceed to the erection of a
smelter and the building of the road.
The ores will probably be sent to
Europe. 1t was been found that
Scotch coke IAN be delivered to Puerto
Lobos for 81 a ton.
This mining enterprise is only one of
many enterprises in which Mr.. Hu-
binger is engaged. He is one of the
great starch manufacturers of the
country. He is interested in the big
works at keokuk, Ia, whose pricipal
offices are at New Haven. One of
the factories of the company which had
Just been flashed, burned last Decem-
Der as the result of an explosion, an
ever present danger in the manufact-
ure of starch. About two weeks ago
the starch works at Oswego, n. V,
burned from the same cause. MIR.
Hubing ger is also interested in a large
salmon canning plant on Prince of
Wales Island. British Columbia.-Rep.