Mohave County miner. [volume] (Mineral Park, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1882-1918, 1910-10-15
Plunged into Shaft; Finds Famous Mine.

mine of Sonora has been found and
the old workings that have been idle
for nearly 100 years are being opened
up again so that the famous old prop
erty can be again made producer of
silver.
C. 1. Reynolds and District Attorney
Carranco of Cananea have an option on
the property and if it proves to be
what there is every reason to believe
it is they will take it over and operate
it on large scale.
The story of the loss and rediscovery
of the Santa Teresa is another of the
thrilling romances of the southwest
mining country. The mine was closed
down in 1920 because of the Indian
troubles and the mouth of the tunnel
covered with loose earth.
1t was originally worked by Span
iards who we're driven out at the time
of the Mexican independence 100
years ago. Following the Spaniards
the property was worked by Mexicans
who were in turn driven by the In
dians who we're very hostile and who
killed some of the miners.
All trace of the location of the mine
was lost and after the Indian wars
were over and American treasure hun
ters went into the hills near Arizpe to
locate if possible the rich Santa
Teresa. Many searching parties have
roamed over the Sierra Azules hunt
ing for the old mine. These parties
almost without exception hunted on
the Arizpe side of the mountains it be-
ing the tradition among the Mexicans
that the mine was on that side of the
hills. No one succeeded in finding any
sign of the mine until few days ago.
A cowboy from Cucurpe, the Proto
ranch, was riding across the Azules on
the Magdelena side short time ago.
His horse plunged into a hole about
six feet deep and was rescued with
some difficulty by the vaquero who did
not take time 10 examine the hole into
which he and his horse had fallen.
A few days later the cowboy related
the circumstances of his accident to
Carranco at Cananea. In describing
the location of the hole he said that
there were several old ounce trees
nearby. Curranco told McReynolds of
the circumstances and they looked up
ha ola ba
records spoke of a ounce orchard at
the mine. They we're carefully read
and everything describing the location
of the Santa Teresa pointed to the
place where the vaquero had fallen in
to the hole.
A party headed by McReynolds went
out to the place indicated by the
vaquero and the hole was cleaned out.
1t led into tunnel which terminated
in big sUope in which there was still
some silver ore. Markings on the
walls of the stope showed that the ore
had been taken off with a tool that
must have been something on the
order of a framing chisel. Some of the !
old hammers and other tools were
found in the mine.
From the stope a winze had been |
sunk few feet and a drift run from |
the winze. At the end of the drift !
the timbers had been pulled out TO all
appearances on purpose and the rest
of the mine shut off by cave-in which |
is now being removed.
Near the place where the timbers
had been taken out two human skel- |
etons were found lying on the floor of |
the Grift. AS soon as the air hit them |
the bones went to dust.
Everything about the mine points to |
the fact that it must be the Santa |
Teresa. The workings are as de. |
scribed in the ancient Spanish records
and the extent of the development of |
the property comedies with the tradi- |
tions handed down among the Mexl-
can inhabitants of the region. There |
is nothing in the mining history of the |
district that mentioned any other big |
silver property in that locality except |
the Santa Teresa.
In its palmy days during the Spanish
occupation of Mexico millions of dol |
lars worth of silver was taken out of /
the Santa Teresa. Its owners are said |
to have contributed a half a million |
dollars towards building a large
church at Cucurpe and towards main
tanning them. Both the church and |
the convent are now in ruins. ]