Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-16
RICH MINES
READY FOR
EXPLORERS
LOS ANGELES ENGINEER PlO-
NEER IN GUERRERO
NEW RAILROAD MAKES OPERA
TIoNs PROFITABLE
Reed Mine Development Company
Another California Enterprise to
Penetrate the Ancient State
Of Mexico

Reed Mine Development company
is the name of new corporation of
Los Angeles capitalists which has just
been organized in this city for the
purpose of developing mining proper
ties in the new district of Guerrero,
Mexico.
Guerrero is a wild and mountainous
state in the southern part of the Mex
lean republic and is practically virgin
field of operation so far as mining
ventures are concerned. Only within
the past four years have transporta-
tion facilities been developed to a
point where the new country is made
available as a field for mine operations.
The Reed Mine Development com
pany is the second Los Angeles COM
pany to enter this new district, al
though several individual Los Angeles
capitalists have taken up claims in the
new field.
The state of Guerrero. Mexico, is
crossed by the lofty mountain range OF
the Sierra Madres del Sur. A mighty
tropical Tiver-the Rio Balsas-ploWs
its way through this wild and unde-
Veloped state.
Shut off from the City of Mexico and
the federal authority by several lofty
mountain ranges and by numberless
swift flowing rivers and torrentlal
mountain streams, Guerrero has re-
mained for nearly a century sealed
land of mystery.
Many tales of the hidden mineral
wealth of the Guerrero mountains have
from time to time lured bold miners
into the region, but the distance from
transportation was so great and the
hazards and difficulties of getting into
the country so numerous as to pre-
vent the establishment of any perma-
nent mining camps. Only by Journey
ing for weeks on horseback over al
most impossible mountain trails could
the daring prospector enter the Guer-
rero mining country.
Railroad Into New Country
But in 1899 there came came a change
in this situation. A railroad was COM
pleted TO Iguala, Guerrero, opening up
the new mining region for exploration.
For years the Mexican government
had been impatient to get a railroad
into Guerrero in order that troops
might be sent i'm to discipline the re-
bellious Guerrero mountaineers, who,
safe behind their impenetrable noun
tain barriers, had for years dehed the
federal government, and had caused
the Diaz administration no end of trou-
bic by their continual uprisings.
Several engineering parties were sent
out by the government from time to
time to survey the new route, but they
all pronounced the task impossible.
Finally that bold and daring engineer,
Colonel Joe Hampson, agreed to build
the road.
The high peaks of the mountains sur
rounding the valley of Mexico was the
first task negotiated. Zig-zagging its
twin bands of shining steel crept up
the sides of the mountains, passed the
SHOWS of the summit of Tres Marias,
10000 feet above sea level and with
a mighty double loop dropped into the
sunny valley of Cuernavaca on the
opposite side. The first great obsta-
Gle had been overcome.
Many Obstacles to Overcome
But another mountain range re-
-mained blocking the way of Colonel
Hampson and his engineers. To scale
the precipitous walls of this range With
a roadbed was clearly impossible. The
only means of passage, the key to
mysterious land of rebellious Guerrero,
lay through a deep, dark and narrow
canyon, whose bare walls rose perpen-
dicularly to a height of 400 to 500 feet.
Native laborers said the place was
haunted, and refused to enter it. Other
la borerS were brought from distance
Engineers lowered over the edges of
the cliffs on. cables surveyed the course
OF the road. A year passed and then
one day little engine, bearing a party
of government officials, puffed through
the canyon and out on to the plains
beyond. Hundreds of Indians wrapped
i'm their blankets lined the sides of
the track to witness the performance
saw the engine come safely through
piously crossed themselves agd went
away. The spell of the Canyon de la
Mano was broken forever; one of the
greatest engineering feats Of modern
times had been accomplished, and
Guerrero, the long coveted state Of
vast mineral resources, was opened to
the exploitation of civilized men.
The Reed Properties
Henry w. Reed, an American en-
gineer-known as the pioneer miner Of
Guerrero-Was the first American min
ing man to enter the new field. He
took up some thirty mining claims. set
up d small fiye-stamp mill at San Mic
olas del ORC, and started work
With the ores which he took from
the mines during the course Of deyel-
opment he was able, with the help Of