Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-19
TEXAN GETS BOGUS
HIGH GRADE FOR
CONFEDERATE Money
Willy STRANGER IS W0RSTED
BY MExlCANS
Paper Currency >FIoods ArIape Dis
trict After Sale of Fake "Gachi"
Ore to Enterprising
Outsider
Especial to The Herald

ARIZRE, Sonora, Mexico, April IS
Old Confederate money being accepted
as legal United States tender in TINS
district is causing CONSERVATION
among the ignorant MeXicans The
unwise and unwary, who are not IA
miliar with the paper money OF the
United States, are using this worthless
currency and it is not until it reaches
this city or Cananea that it is identi-
fed. In the outlying districts many
small deals have been made involving
payments in this money and as re-
suit there has been much confusion.
About twelve miles from this city is
the famous Chispas mine, which is
rated as second only to the well known
Palmilla mine of Pedro Alvarado, for
the richness of its ores. Since the
discovery of the mine, more than ten
years ago, there has always been
large amount of these ores stolen, but
when the large mines of the Greene
Cananea Copper company shut down,
during the panic of 1908, this thigh
grading" received a. tremendous boom.
Many of the former employees of the
Greene company went into this Illicit
trade and at one time the superinten-
dent of the Chispas mine said that not
less than $4,000 worth of ore was
being stolen each month.
Business Was Good
These SOLDIERS of fortune" did well
in the business-sO well, in fact, that
the fame of the great profits spread
until it was well known across the line.
As a result those willing to take a
chance came from the United States
and many of them made money One
OF these adventures was the cause of
there being Confederate scrip in cir
culation at this late date. He was
from Gan AptOOiO
On the second day after leaving
Cananea he rode into Arizpe, and being
told what to do and where to 60 soon
was in touch with the "high graders"
He found that there was about 1900
pounds of the ore cached away not far
from town, and deciding that this was
about the amount he could handle he
hired a team and Wagon-paying in
advance-to haul it to his little smell
ter about 100 miles away. He COM
pleted the deal that night. After sat
sfying himself that the ore was as
represented he saw it loaded on the
wagon and then paid the chief of the
ore thieves $4,000 in paper money.
Three days later he stopped for the
night in Cananea and, elated with sue
cess, began to celebrate.
Blow Almost Fatal
One of the Greene company's as
savers was invited to take look at the
high grade, and then what happene4
almost killed the Texan.
A sack of the ore was dumped out or
the ground in the sunlight, and the
assayer attentivcly examined it. He
was silent for a moment and then
Strengthened up with a queer look on
his face. "Gachi ore, by all that's un-
holy" he exclaimed. and then very
unfeelingly added "Stung!" Gachi ore
it proved to be, from the old Gachl
mine, about ten miles from Arizpe,
which only differs from the Chispas
nigh grade in its sheen and values. 1t
runs about II per cent lead and car
ries no gold or silver. "Stung' indeed
was the Texan. as it was not worth
hauling one mile, much less seventy
five. His mistake was natural. Only
those who are thoroughly familiar with
these ores can tell the difference be
tween them, and then only in the sun
light.
The Texan left for San Antonio on
the first train.
The above is the real reason that
there is confusion abroad in the land
and is the only instance of recent years
of the old Confederate "shinplasters"
being worth real money