The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-08-02
LOUISIANA FIND
 HEADS OFF TRUST Americans Come Near Buying
 Mexican Volcano GOES BACK TO OWNER Scheme of New Workers to Develop Mount Popocatapetl Frustrated
 by Discovery of Sulphur
 Crater in U. S.

From the Washington Herald
 Development of the sulphur deposits In Louisiana nipped in the bud one or the prettiest schemes to corner the sulphur trade of the world ever devised In the brain of the trust promoter.
 Just about the time of the announce n1ent of the big sulphur find in Louisiana a company of American capitalists was about to close the deal for the purchase of the famous Pepocatapetl volcano Tn Mexico. It was the intention Of thls com- pany to produce sulphur from the extinct crater of this mountain so cheaply as 10 drive out the product of Italy and so con- trol the trade of the world. The finding of the beds ip Louisiana stopped the game effectually and the Mexican moun- tain has gone back to it's former owner, Gen. Casper Sanchez Ochoa of Mexico City, who came into it's possession many years ago.
 General Ochoa thought he had got rid of the monster volcano by selling 1t to syndicate of Americans. headed by Capt Charles Holt, formerly of New York. but a resident of Mexico for sev- eral Years Captain Holt purchased the volcano in 1904 for reported considera- ton of s5.0O00oo United States money. which is equivalent to S10,0o0, 900 Mexican money.
 Captain Holt's Plan.
 It was planned by Captain Hoit 10 organize a company with capital stock of SIG, GOO 900 gold for the purpose Of carry ing on various kinds of operations on the mountaion. In addition to mining the sul- phur which is stored In the crater of the volcano, an incline railway was to De built from its base to It's summit, the City of Mexico was to be supplied wlth Ice from the perpetual ice field that sur mounts the mountain. and at its base the fn ha beautiful park. hotels were to be erect ed and 1t was to be made an ideal resort for American tourists
 Captain Holt was unable to finance the big proposition and after three years Of effort in that direction the project was abandoned, and a few days ago title to the mountain reverted to General Ochoa. It is stated that Captain Holt is interest ed in the park and hotel features of the original plan and that General Ochoa and other men of means are connected with the minor projects
 It is dizzy proposition to think of min- ing sulphur at an attitude of 1S,0o0 feet. But 1t Is asserted by experts who have investigated and reported on the feasibil- ity of the plan that the physical difficult ties which stand in the way can be over come hy the application of engineering ingenuity backed by sufficient money to carry 1t through.
 A commission of mining experts, ap- pointed by the Mexican government. made an exhausted study and investigation of the sulphur deposits contained in the era ter of the Popocatapeti volcano a few years ago. This official report states that not only is this sulphur deposit the larg- est in the world but that this native nonmetallic element is absolutely pure as 1t exists in the crater of the Popocatapeti volcano. The report shows that at the time the Investigation was made there were approximately 14Sooo,0Oo tons of sul- phnr in the crater within depth Of 300 feet.
 The manufacture of sulphur through the influence of nature is going on con stantly. and, according to the estimate made by the government experts, this an nual increase amounts to approximately 1 .4s0 GOO tons Astounding as these figures may appear. they are amply verified by measurements made from year to year.
 The annual consumption of sulphur in the United States is little more than 200 coo tons and all of Europe consumes annually less than 100000 tons. Most of the commercial sulphur Is known as sec onds, or 80 per cent pure. The annual in- crease of sulphur in the crater of Popo- catapeti is sufficient to supply the mar kets of the world. it Is asserted.
 The greatest sulphur-producing country in the world is Italy. which has an an nual output of about $50 GOO tons accord ing to the most reliable figures obtain able here. Nearly all of Italy's sulphur comes from the Island of Sicily. The United States, France and Japan pro- duce all told, less than 100000 tons an- nually.
 At an average market price of s20 gold a ton the value of sulphur stored in the crater of the volcano Is fabulous It was the ambitious plan of Captain Holt to sup ply big part of the world with the prod uct. He said 1t could be mined and placed on the market In the United States at an expense of not exceeding BIO gold a ton. This would have left big margin of profit. If his figures were correct The mining of sulphur in the crater of Popocatapetl has been carried on inter- mittently for 400 years. During the time of the conquest when Hernando Cortez was in power the deposits were mined in primitive way by the Spaniards. Since then great quantities of sulphur have | been brought out of the crater on the backs of Mexicans and carried down the mountain and thence to market. The daring of some of these native sul- phur miners is remarkable. They do not | hesitate to go to the very rim of the hole 1 which comes up through the incrusted | deposit of sulphur and which leads far l down to the ever-seething caldron of the
 
 diameter, and the fumes which constantly pour forth through the ventway are dissI | pated in the afr above before they extend l to any harmful degree over other parts | of the crater Tn most places the walls | of the crater are perpendicular. The de- | scent from the rim of the crater to the l top of the sulphur deposit is a sheer 5S0 | feet
 The natives who engage in mining the l product in desultory way for General | Ochoa reach the mines bv means of rope ladders, bringing the product out on their l backs. Enormous blocks of pure sulphur | are scattered about the mine. Some of those chunks weigh 15o pounds each. 1 The temperature in the crater is com | fortably warm On the outside or top of the mountain is an area of snow and ice, l which extends far down It's sides. | Mount Popocatapetl is reverenced by l the lower class of Mexicans. It is com l manding figure Of the landscape for 2n0 l miles around Many are the legends which are told concerning the old noun l tain. Most of these ancient tales about Popocatapetl, or smoking mountain" as its name is when translated into English. were handed down from the days of the | Aztecs.
 Popocatspet1 is a good volcano. That is trait of its character which is well worth considering by prospective Ameri- can buyers.
 Where Ocesn Freezes Blow $12.OO Round Trip to Cumber- |