Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-26
SYNDICATE TO
INVADE MEXICO
LOCAL MEN GET CONCESSION
AT ACAPONETA
WILL SETTLE LANDS AND OPEN
MINES
Town of 5000 Inhabitants AWakens
Through Touch Of American Gold
and Begins to Realize
Possibilities


preparing to invade the Tepic territory
Mexico, not with cannon, but with
sack of gold, and as a preliminary mas
secured a concession for an electric
light and water plant in the thriving
town of Acaponeta, a few miles lnlanu
from the west coast, about eighty
miles from Mazatlan, the prlnclpal
shipping point and port. A corpora
ton is now being formed Whlch Will
take over the concession granted 10
George w. Perkins and r. g. Glraud,
who are extensive owners of mineral
and agricultural lands in that fertile
section of Old Mexico. Mr.. PERKINS
has been at the Hollenbeck hotel for
the past ten days, rounding out the
proposition, and within another week
will probably return home with Los
Angeles men who appreciate the pos
Biblities of investments in that lana.
Acaponeta is an old Mexican town
of some 5000 inhabitants, which is
awakening to the touch of northern
gold and beginning to realize, vaguely,
Its wonderful resources. 1t Is situated
on the Acaponeta river, a stream OF
considerable size, which finds its way
through another and larger stream
into the Gulf of California. The Acap-
oneta is naVigable to the town of that
name during the rainy season, and the
other stream, which is but a short dis
tance away, throughout the year
Rich Farming Country
The town is located in the midst of
country rich in cattle, agriculture ana
minerals, and with a climate in whlch
it is a delight to live, where coat Is
never necessary during the day but
blankets are always comfortable at
night. Lemons and oranges, according
to Mr.. Perkins, grow wild, and cotton,
coffee, tobacco, rice, bananas and all
tropical fruits flourish. Two crops of
corn can be raised in q season. and
Mr.. Perkins pronounces it a perfect
climate and soil for melons, berries
and other small fruits, although as yet
not much has been done along those
lines.
The seaport town of Mazstlan has
just completed a sewer system costing
S600,000, and with the assistance of the
federal government has undertaken to
improve the harbor so that the coast
steamers can enter it and to build
wharves and docks. This work, which
is to cost $30,000,000, has already been
contracted for with the British firm
of the Pearsons, who have done great
deal of work of a similar nature IN
Mexico. 1t will be completed stimuli
taneously with the Panama canal, and
will make an important port of Ma
zatlan and add stimulus to the de-
velopment of the country inland.
The principal manufacturing inter
is on the Southern Pacific railroad,
are the cotton and cigar factories, of
which there are a large number. There
are also several distilleries where is
manufactured tequila, the Mexican
whisky, from the tequila plant, the
fiber of which is manufactured into
rope.
Stock Raising a Feature
Stock raising and agriculture also
play an important part in the COM
rnercial life of the region and there are
large grants of public land to be had
at small acreage cost, which will grow
anything, Irrigation is unnecessary,
the natural rainfall yielding sufficient
moisture and the long seasons assur-
ing large crops.
The concession under which the Los
Angeles company will operate has a
life of fifty years. The water OF the
Acaponeta river will be converted into
the town by means of fumes or con-
duits and power will be generated for
the electric plant from the same
source. Beside the business of Aca-
poneta the company will sell light to
five smaller villages, namely, Tecula'
Escunapa, Rosamorado, San Felipe
and Sayula. The estimated cost of the
water system and light plant is $780,
900.
Aside from this concession Mr.. Per-
kins and Mr.. Giraud have an option
on 100000 acres of government land
through which the Southern Pac1hc
road runs, situated but sixteen miles
from a seaport, and own several val
liable mineral locations.
The mineral possibilities of the Tepic
territory in the vicinity of Acaponeta
have been demonstrated by at least
two Los Angeles concerns. The Gnu
charas mine, owned by the Lacey
Manufacturing company, is equipped
with mills and smelters and is heavy
producer of both gold and silver. The
Talco mines, old producers of the same
district, are owned by the Bradburys.
Suffered from Superstition
It is reported that the mineral re-
sources of the country have suffered
from the influence of the Spanish
padres who once ruled the country.
They impressed upon the Indians a
fear of death should they reveal the
existence of any of the old mines, and
so prejudiced are the natives that they
even refuse to sell food and grain to
prospector, and in some cases have
made their stay so uncomfortable and
unsafe that they have been forced to
desist in their work in certain local
tiles.
In spite of this feeling, old and new
mines are being discovered, and Per-
kins and his partner, by dint of hard
work and much diplomacy, have sue
ceeded in the discovery ana location
of four of the old mines. At one of
these mines, the Campana, they found
the ancient buildings and arrastra of
the one-time owners, and tunnel the
entire face of which is in ore of splen-
did values. Samples of gold quartz
from a rich streak in this tunnel are
alive with yellow nuggets and the
mine will soon again be yielding its
wealth to the world.
Another of the Perkins-G -Giraud prop
critics is the San Vacinto, in which
ten-foot vein which samples II per
cent copper, 81 ounces silver and So
gold to the ton has been developed to
a depth of fifty feet. With water
TRANSPORTATION to the smelters of the
United States, or concentrating plants,
this is counted upon to develop into
bonanza mine There is running water
on the ground and an abundance of
wood for fuel and mine timbering Mr..
Perkins has several pounds of samples
with him, embracing specimens of both
the high and medium grade ores.
To prospect in Mexico it is necessary
to procure from the interior depart
ment a "zona," or permit After min
eral is discovered and the course of
the vein or lode determined as nearly
as possible by development a de-
nouncement is made, which is synon-
ymous to a location in the United
States. The announcement covers
ground 100 meters square (about 1888
feet), and the owner is entitled to all
4Io haf thara