Fergus County Democrat., 1906-01-23

as difficult of solution. These improve
ments in mining and benefication of
ores will doubtless continue to have
their effect for years to come, and will
aid in keeping up the gold production
even should no extensive new depos-
it's be discovered. There is every rea-
son to look for a maintenance of the
present rate of out for several years
at least; at any rate, no great de-
crease is probable Where the next
great developments are to come from
is, of course, uncertain, but the most
probable direction seems to be in the
mines of South America, which have
hitherto been worked on a very small
scale and which for a number of years
past have actually produced lessor
at least not more-than they did in
the early days of Spanish settlement
and exploitation. Eastern Asia also
| holds out the promise of increased
yields.
Undoubtedly this large increase in
| the production of the precious metal
has been one-and a leading one
| among the many complex causes
| which have brought about the prese 1T
great activity in trade and manufae-
| ture all over the world. That such an
! advance has been made, in spite of the
waste and devastation caused by the
| Boer war in South Africa and by the
| recent war in the east, is in great part
due to the extraordinary supplies Of
gold which have been available for
| trade. A similar expansion Of trade
| activity was witnessed by the Cali
fornia and Australian discoveries At
~ - o%a,,
than it was then, owing largely to the
extraordinary improvement in meth
DDS Of communication and manufac-
ture all over the world. This subject
is an extremely attractive and sugges-
tive one for discussion, but it's proper
consideration would require far more
| space than we are able to devote to it
| here.
Some two weeks ago a Mexican of
| the buscon class offered to sell me a
| considerable quantity of placer gold,
| which he claimed he had found within
| 100 kilometers of Tepisco, but he re-
fused to tell where he got it," said T.
G. Gibson of Tepisco, Sonora to the
| Mexican Herald Among this gold
was one nugget as large as an ordi-
nary sized marble. friend of mine
bought this gold for $500 and a day or
two later sold it for $685.
| 1T is no uncommon thing to find the
| buscones Of that part of the country
with gold for sale. This nugget'-here
he exhibited a piece of gold of smooth
ly worn wash gold of irregular shape
and about half an inch long by little
| over quarter of an inch wide, with
piece of white quartz running cross
| wise through tt bought from a
| buscon come three years ago in Tep-
| isco. He had several other pieces OF
fine gold ore, but as l was not inter
ested in mines, l bought this simply
for the purpose of making a pin out OF
it.
about eight months ago a buscor
brought into Tepisco a mule load OF
silver ore, which he sold for $3.50 to one
of the local ore buyers. All efforts tc
induce him to reveal the place where
he obtained the ore proved of no avail
When he found he was watched by
spies of mining men he went back tC
work upon little corn ranch that hi
had in the neighborhood, and there ht
stayed until those watching him go
tired. About two months ago he sud
denly disappeared, and had not agar
been seen there at the time of my de-
parture, two weeks ago. 1t is my
opinion that he is again on the hum
for the mine from which he got the
ore. Or if he knew where it is, ne il
taking ore out of it on the quiet, fol
he sold all his corn and realized on al
his other crops at sacrifice before hi
left
1T may be that he is taking out de
aouncement papers. But this l doubt
as an Indian in that country rarel,
ever does that, for it means the pay
ment Of taxes, and incidentally the Re
vealing of the place where the mine |:
|. situated. The Indian about there ha
been so badly treated and cheated tha
he is afraid of everyone. and suspic
ious of even the mining authorities,
THE silver ore which this Ind;al
brought into the town was an oxide
| almost let black running like a grea