The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-11-16

ing developed. These are "AstiquAA'
or old mines, worked I'm the eeAseenth
century By the Jauits. d NV
ground out in the ancient ~arrastrae,
ruins OF which are still 10 be sem
wa 0ken 10 the city OF Mexico on
mule back, an fntermfnable journey.
San Juan Baptista was in old times the
capital OF Sonora. = region which
stretched almost to Canada. D mis-
son church. a beautiful specimen or
ecclesiastical architecture OF the span
ish order. stands In q partly ruined
state. The San Juan mines yield silver,
p p and gold. and are being devel-
oped under direction or George r
Woodward. OF Montezuma. who reds
covered them. Interesting. references
to the rich San Juan mines are made
in books dealing with the history OF
Mexico IN the eighteenth century. Near
tn eSan Juan properties. at Cumpas.
the Transval Copper Company mas
erected a large smelter, and Is develop
ing adjacent mines.
Col. Epes Randolph. the right hand
man OF f. H. Hartman in railroad
operation and construction in Arizona
ana Sonora, Is the principal owner OF
the Llano de ORC property, on Sonora.
where n mill Of 200 stamp is being in
stalled. The Llano de Orc as implied
by lis name. is a plain or valley yield
ing placer gold in a conglomeratc OF
cement and gravel. The mines are
said % have yielded S600. 600 In 1900,
ImDortant silver AMI lead mines are
operated in Sonora, one Of the biz
properties being La Bufa. east Of the
Yaqli river near Toniche. This mine
IS owned by Richardson Bros. who
ship their product to FL Paso and san
Francisco for reduction. The Nina
Mexico. near san Xavier. has yielded
a fortune Il the Ortega estate. n
Trinidad. in SahauTipa district, IL -
steady producer of silver.
Mention is made here only OF In
portant mines and districts. which
would attract notice in any mining 70
zion In the world. Dozens OF properties
large and small. are now being dcFe'op
ed all through the state. on both sides
of the Yagui river. The great mineral
belts which have raised Arizona to the
first rank are equally strong in sonora.
which is geologically a twin of lis
northern neighbor.
The transformation Of SonOra. result
ing from these railroad, and mining OPP
erations. is of interest in sociological
sense. The Jesuits and Dominicans
have long since passed away. The mis-
sion bells, which still hang in the ruin
ed bellfries, have not rung for decades.
The Mexican population, fringing the
Sonora railroad and occupying small
ranches along streams, is face to face
with the American invasion. The
scenes resulting from this comminglihg
of the old and the new are sometimes
| grotesQue. 1t is not unusual, for IN
| stance, to see blanket Indians hanging
| about smelters and mines. looking III
blank Amusement upon the operation
of electrical machinery. Occasionally
| q band of Yaquis swoops down upon
a party travelling in an automobile, n
the struggle between old n new
takes a mighty practical tune as the
bullets fly.
The Mexican people, as a rule, ar.
glad TO see Americans come In ana
| develop their country. They make fair
laborers. and unless the lower class
are full of mescal, they are peaceable.
The higher classes, comprising the Of
| fcials. are very friendly to the Ameri-
! cans. Some Of the better-class Mexi-
cans are men ol hlSH de'S' an
cultivation, such Il man RS Gen. Luis
f. Torres. for example. being a credit
to his country and his race. He has
had a long and arduous struggle with
the Yaquis. and has displayed abilities
of the highest order in his campaigns
against these implacable natives. the
Yaqui troubles have been greatly over
rated on account of the ubiquity of the
savageS. They are comparatively few.
but their ability TO get over ground
and bob up in unexpected places Is
remarkable. With the construction OF
! railroads their sphere Of activity VIII
be greatly circumscribed, and n few
wears more will see them permanently
isolated. At present, in some Out-of-
the-way mining districts. a guard is
! necessary in travelling.