Bisbee daily review., 1909-04-24
VENTURESOME
 AMERICANS IN
 MEXICO HILLS

The edAlc opAlAb tudt tuc overland prairie schooners upon their long western journey in 1S49, some what modified by reason and caution,
 is today sending prospectors into Mexico in great numbers. The ma jority of these are young men fresh from the mining schools. and it $ chiefly for their benefit that this ar , ticie is written. A minority ar CT men, hardened by experience in the mining districts of the west. and l inured to many of the hardships en- countered in Mexico's mountains. AS rule they have acquired enough Spanish to enable them to conduct their affairs without the aid of an in- terpreter, and to handle peon miners
 where necessary. Moreover, they find no difficulty in adapting themselves | to the rugged conditions of Mexican | fife as they require no luxuries, and but few of the necessities.
 | A good working knowledge of the | Spanish language is one of the requi- | sites for a successful mining engineer in Mexico. Many of the young grad uates whom I have met do not pos
 sess this The legal proceedings in cident to the announcement of min | eral claims, while simple enough of themselves, will not only involve one, | ignorant of the language. with cun- l hing lawyers but often will lay him open to extortion. A brief summary of the Mexican mining law will show the many pitfalls for the unwary.
 The Mex.can mining claim or per tenencia is 100 m. square. Five per tenencias slightly exceeding in area
 the American mining claim, is usually the minimum denounced although in the richer auriferoes district. single | perteneneias are held and worked. l The law permits Announcements Of | mineral claims on either public or private domain, but in the latter case | prohibits the use of standing timber, lor of other superficial resources. Rea- sonable ground for dump and mine | buildings may be arranged for With | the land owner. at assessed value or in the case of his refusal. can be
 condemned for that purpose by due nrocess of law. Building stone, oil, l coal and placer ground are held as the inalienable property of the land owner, and hence cannot be de l nounced on private lands. Further
 changes in this law are looked for
 shortly.
 After locating mineral, the prospec-
 tor first makes out his application. This must give the general location. | stating what ground is wanted, It's shape. and the direction of it's boun- dary. This application is then filed in duplicate at the Oficina del m bre Go be found in every mining dis trictl, and with 1t must be deposited Is5 for each pertenencia. If tke mum
 Der be 25 CT less For Announcements of over this number of continuous de
 posits. Ss per perteDencia is required A soc stamp must be affixed to Tn,
 original application. irrespective ol Ithe number of units of land applied
 for
 IL is important that the prospectoI name the surveyor whom he has en
 gagged for the subsequent survey, fol in case no one is named the govern ment is obliged to appoint one with in eight days, and this appointee may lprove unsatisfactory to the prospec 1 tor. or he may charge exorbitantl! for his services. Forty days are al lowed for the prospector to complete his survey and draw the plans io the same. Prominent and well known natural monuments such as the hign
 CT neighboring peaks. must be de
 scribed in the survey, and all ad1a cent claims and free ground clearly shown and marked upon the plan During this period the prospectol i must also publish notice Of his de . lnouncement in the official newspaper of the state in which his claim is To l cated.
 Plans and survey records must bt o filed in triplicate (oDe copy being re . turned later upon grant of a title U and the same remain with the loca
 mining agent for a period of fou F months from the date of filing Or an IpIication upon the expiration of whicf : either the title is assured or the ap lpIication rejected Upon receipt O h the title the prospector is called upor
 to pay s1 for each pertenencia If th'
 number be 25 or less. or 50c per per
 tenencia if the number exceeds 25. 4
 yearly tax of s5 for each pertenencii q is exacted, being payable in equal ln
 | staliments every four months. [ The expense incident to several de
 | nouncements as well as the initia
 outlay in mining operations are high < and the graduate, trusting to tecnnl
 cal education to make his way as
 urospector in Mexico and thinking r easy to secure a good position in on
 of the numerous centers of Mexic mining industry, is liable to fin
 himself stranded and lucky to secur d a position carrying with it probabl
 ls5o gold per month. As a rule, es V perience rather than theory, is tn
 qualification for the mining enginee K !n this country.