Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-29
THE MINES OF MEXICO
Latest Statistics Show Total
of 16,430.
OF THESE ia ARE AT WORK
More Silver and Gold Being Produced
Than Ever.
PRIMITIVE METHODS IN USE
Accidental Discovery Of the Rich La
Luz-Efect Of High Price Of
Fuel.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS
Special Correspondence of The Star and the Oh
Record Herald

BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS
Special Correspondence The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald
CITY OF MEXICO, April o. 1906.
Ihere is now pending before the Depart
ment OF State at Washington q claim pre-
ferred by citizen of California against
the government of Mexico for damages
amounting to 1854 100000, which the claim
ant alleges to be Cue him because he might
have dug that amount out of mine on the
Pacific slope Of the Sierra Madre mountains
II his rights and operations had not been
lnterfered with. This gentleman is not
likely to get his money. Several courts in
Mexico have decided that he has no title to
the alleged mine and that he has lost moth
ing that belonged to him. Judge Penfield.
recently solicitor of the Department of
STATE at washington, has given It as his
omclal opinion that there is no ground for
complaint. Gen. John w Foster, as coun-
SCI ior me mexican government, has writ
ten Drlef that leaves the claimant as
they say, not single leg to stand on. The
amount also seems somewhat excessive
rev men ever expect to make as much as
slo4'oooooO even in mining, but several
mines IN Mexico have paid even more
La Luz. at Guanatuato. has maid moro
IMAM S320.oO0CO0; the Valenciana in the
same district, has paid more than $780,
O0OooO; Santa Eulalia, up near Chihuahua
has yielded more than $500 coo COO and sew
eral others have been wonderful producers
Inc total amount of silver dug out of the
eafth IN Mexico is estimated at $1,000 600
Uo-1nore than one-third of all the silver in
the whole Worthwhile more than $3Oo, OoO-
w OF gold has been produced since the
conquest 1t Is a singular fact that the
Aztecs placed little value on silver and that
the ornaments found by the Spaniards in
the palaces OF the Emperor Montezuma and
the houses of his mobiles were all of gold
Silver was so common that they did not es-
TEEN 1t highly.
humboldt estimated the average annual
product of silver from 1921 to his time at
something over SS,000,000 Other authori-
Ties nave placed the annual ayerape eft
Sl0,0o0o00 for 3e0 years, but 1t is impos-
sible to arrive at exact figures The Span
fards kept no records except of the exports
to Spain. and there was so much smuggling
that they are almost worthless The prod-
ucts OF some of the individual mines are
known almost to q certainty however for
their records were kept with great care
the taxes We're assessed and collected with
exactness, and the priests of the parish
VINO received tithes noted every dollar on
their books as soon as they received IT,
Much more silver and gold both are pro-
duced today in Mexico than ever before
The latest statistics show total Of 10, 430
mines-4,SS2 silver 1892 producing both sill
YER and gold, 1.095 gold alone. 2618 lead
There are various copper, coal, zinc and
other mines.
The records show that ia mines are in
actlVe operatlon-2O9 producing gold, 246
silver, 66 lead and % copper
The annual product OF silver has increa sed
from s25, 100000 to 5000, O0U a year and
the increase is likely to be even larger in
the future because of improvement in the
methods and machinery and the introduce
ton Of processes by which the dumps of
discarded ore may be worked over with
great profit.
The gold output is about $4,000 900 a.
year, and that Is likely to increase also.
Primitive Processes Retained.
The most primitive processes of mining
are still in use In the interior of Mexico.
but nowadays the ore has to be very rich
to make them pay. In some places every
pound of ore is brought from the bottom
shafts, sometimes hundreds of feet deep.
on the backs of Indians, who climb a
notched pole. The old patio process, as 1t
is called, for the amaigamation of siIver
is still used. The ore Is first crushed he
tween two heavy stones. The small par
ticles pass through a sieve and the larger
ones are run through the crushers again
This powder is carried by water through
troughs to paved patio or court, where
II is impregnated with blue vttriol. salt
and quicksilver, and herd OF mules or
oxen tramp upon It for three or four
weeks until 1t is thoroughly mixed This
mass Is then taken to tanks of water and
stirred until the silver and quicksilver
being heavy, sinks to the bottom, and the
mud and other impurities remain on top
The quicksilver is then separated from
the particles of silver by distillation
There are many mines in Mexico so rich
that such processes still pay, but, as
rule, silver mining Is not profitable at the
present prices except where modern ma
chinery can be introduced
Guanajuato, of the small states in
the central part Of the republic, by the
more silver than any other section of the
worlds treasure house. Considering the
size of the district, 1t may be considered
the richest spot on earth, and the city
which stands upon the mine is one of the
most interesting and picturesque in Mex
leo, aside from Its great wealth. It has
what many consider the most beautiful
opera house in America and one of the
contains the finest wood carving in Amer
lea and was once the richest religious
foundation on Gods footstool. Several
hospitals and schools founded two or
three hundred years ago are of the same
class, for money had no value at one
time. It's people were so rich that they
did not know what to do with their In
comes. But after while, when silver
lost it's value. and all the fuel within
reach of the camp was exhausted, the
mines were compelled to close down, and
American syndicates. which own them
now.
Discovery Of La Luz.
La Luz, perhaps the greatest silver
mine that ever was known was acciden-
tally discovered in 1647 by squad of SOL
diers travelling from Zacatacastro to the
City OF Mexico. Making camp for the
night, they built a fire on a rock and kept
It up on account OF the severe cold until
morning, when they were amazed to find
puddles OF melted silver which they could
I'M.
covery, and for hundred years there
after the camp was the center of the
largest mining operations on earth. From
i547 to 1887, according to the records, 1t
yer. and you may safely add TO that a
hundred million more that was never re-
corded. In the same neighborhood is the
Valenciana mine which was opened in
1850. The Spanish owners impressed the
services of nearly q thousand peons who
carried sacks of ore on their backs from