Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-22
Los ANGELES MEN BUY
OLD SILVER PROPERTY
BoIanoS Mine, Worked in Early
Days with Great Profit,
will Be Reopened

north OF Guadalajara, have been pur-
chased by q syndicate of Los Angeles
Capitalists, who will reopen the old
workings and probably erect large
mill to treat the ores. All conflicting
interests and ownerships in the old
Bolanos and claims Immediately ad-
joining have been bought outright by
the Los Angeles men and an end has
been put to the litigation which has
retarded the proper development of the
Bolanos camp for the past seVeral
years. The purchase price Is not given,
but it will run handsomely into six
figures.
f. w. Oldfield the English mining
engineer, who has been investigating
the mining situation in Jalisco for sew
eral months on behalf of the Bradbury
interests and other investors of Los
Angeles is responsible for the Bolanos
deal He spent several months in the
Bolanos district - is year and, besides
closing the purchase with the several
warning factions of the old mine
proper. has taken up lot OF new
ground The holdings Of the Los AM
reles men in that camp now total 300
perteneneias equal to about $50 acres
Mr.. Oldfield says his company is IN
process of formation in Los Angeles
and that it was little early to stare
just what the plan of campaign would
he but that their intentions are to
build a good road to Colotlan to con-
meet with the road from that town
to Zacatecas, and bring in the neces-
sarv machinery to unwater the old
works and extract ores.
WILL BUILD MODERN MILL
A modern mill of large capacity Will
probably be erected as soon as the ore
in sight warrants 1t.
The Bradbury family is In control
of the Tajo mines, near MaGatlan,
among others, and are counted among
the really big mining people or the
west coast. Their entrance into 30
lanos means much for that section and
the state in general
The modern history of the Bolanos
mines is clouded more with the law
suits between Juan B. Izabal of Quad
alajara and the Bolanos Mining COM
many of St Louis than it Is illumlned
with real work done. st. Louis men,
headed by w. c. Stith, formerly trat-
fic manager of the Missouri Pacitlc
railroad, and members of the simmons
i. Hardware company, organized a $5,-
600. 900 corporation about seven years
ago TO take over the properties ana
appointed Mr.. Izabal general manager.
differences arose shortly among the
heads of the concern and the mines
we're sold by n Guadalajara court IN
1907 to satisfy Judgment, but that sale
was set aside by the supreme court
of Mexico after sharp diplomatic work.
IT Is stated that the st. Louis men
never did fully comply with their CON
tracts with Mr.. Izabal, and that gen.
tlenan held the balance of power ana
blocked their development plans' II
they ever made any serious ones.
INTERESTING HISTORY
However, the story Of the original
opening of the famous old properties
is interesting, even among the bonanza
tales of today. Bolanos was once the
fifth producing camp Of the republic,
according to the German historian
Humboldt, who wrote n most minute
story of Mexico's antigua" mines at
the beginning of the last century.
in 1887 the group Of properties was
leased by its owners, the Fagoaga |
family. to the Anglo-MeXican Mines
limited, a London company which had
acquired extensive holdings in Zacate- |
cas- Guanajuato and Pachuca. The |
primitive methods of the Spaniards
who had abandoned the shaft at a |
depth of 300 feet, were supplanted by |
the installation of powerful pumping |
machinery, brought across the coun-
try from Vera Cruz. roads having TO
be constructed in many places to
transport it. The first operations OF
the Englishmen were made on the
north end of the vein, where they
were unsuccessful in striking any large
ore bodies
n the development, about seven years,
the company expended S1l,OO0,00O in
most elaborate improvements, consist
ing of dam across the river with
three-mile flume of arched masonry,
ponderous machinery from across the
Atlantic, a paved highway reaching
nearly to Zacatecas, six furnaces for
treating lead bearing ores, office build
ings with cut stone trimmings, pala-
tial residences and underground work
ings. Failing to strike paying ore they
moved their works to the south end of
the vein, where they sunk two shafts,
reaching a depth of about 600 feet,
and finally found the pay streak. In
n little over two years they extracted |
sufficient values to repay the entire
outlay and, it is said, a balance to
their credit of $2,0O0,OO0.
BLOCKS OUT ORE
During the prosperous period of the
English, under the management of an
Italian, M Florezi several long levels
were run into the ore bodies, one of
which is the Esperanza. 6SOO feet in
length, blocking out immense guam
titles e ore. 1t is reported that at the
bottom or the deepest shaft they
struck two meters of ore which as
sayed 1000 ounces of silver to the
ton. The majority of their ores were
treated in three large patios, the ar
rastres being run by water power. The
bullion output was shipped out of the
country by Zacatecas and San Bias.
Considerable silver for coinage was
sold to the government mint at Bo-
lanos, the building of which is still
standing.
Shortly prior to the end of the lease,
during which time it is reported the
Englishmen paid the Fagoga family
SSOO.O0 yearly rental serious lawsuit,
growing out OF stopping out the rich
nillars of ore in the more important
levels by the lessees, brought opera
tions to a standstill Fire broke out
in the Cocina shaft the main en-
trance, which communicated to the
other compartments of the workings,
burned the extensive timbering and
cost the lives of 160 miners. Manager
Florenzi escaped from the country and
the Englishmen abandoned the camp.
For over 70 years the mines have
remained full Of water, the only work
done being that Of two or three Amer
ican companies, which with Indifferent
success have reduced the old dumps
and extracted some ore above the wa