El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-03-18
MINES YIELD
MARVELLOUS
WEALTH
Gold, Copper. and Lead,
Opals and Onyx Also
Abound.
FOREIGN CAPITAL
HEAVILY INVESTED
Before the Aztecs Came the
Mines Were Worked by
the Toltecs.
CBy Frederic ]. Haskin) /.

(By Frederic J Haskin).
Mexico City. Mexico. March 1S-Few
nations are 50 favored in the matter of
mineral wealth as Mexico Humboldt
once called this country the treasure
house of the world. When one consid-
ers that untold millions have been
taken out of its go1o and silver mines,
and that three fourths OF all Mexican
mining territory is as yet unexpected,
Humboldt's picture does not seem to
be oyerdrawn. Certainly there are but
few of the metals used by modern civ
ilization that are not found here in
abundant quantity. Besides its metals
Mexico has rich deposits OF precious
stones. its opal mines being famed
throughout the world for the abund-
ance and beauty of their product
Ranks First IN silver.
Mexico today occupies first rank
among the nations Of sthe world in the
production of silver It's mines have
been worked from times so remote that
even tradition does not record them
Long before the Aztec indians swarmed
down from the north and took posses
sion of the land of the Toltects, silver
mines of seemingly inexhaustible rich
ness had been worked for amounted
years. When Cortez invaded the land
Of the Montezumas he took from it
more than $1,000, 900 worth of gold and
silver Silver is sometimes found in
nuggets OF vast proportions, One of
these, discovered in the the state Of
Sonora. near the American frontier.
weighed 1850 pounds The production
of silver has ceased to be as profitable
as it once was. owing to the decline in
the market value of the refined metal.
The annual output of silver amounts
to approximately 100000 pesos. It
-
Improvement of trade conditions in for
eign markets would result in an in
creasing demand for silver in suoh
countries as India and China, the prin-
ciple users of the white metal 1t was
thought that in connection with the
gradually diminishing supply of bar
silver 1t would bring about an i'm
Trovement Of prices. But just at the
zine that il seemed as if this hope
was to be realized a new competitor
appeared on the scene, and silver went
still lower. The extension of a railroad
in Canada was the means of discover
ing rich deposits of silver mixed with
cobalt and nickel In 1910 the output
of these mines amounted to one-sixth
OF the worlds total production of sill
YER The cost of mining and treatment
is so small and the assay in many Of
the veins so great in some cases aver
that the effect of this discovery has
been to drive the price of silver down
and almost swamp the worlds mar
ketss Mexico suffers most severely by
this, owing TO the fact that many Of
its mines produce nothing but silver.
Gold Production Increases.
But what Mexico is losing in silver
is being made up in the production of
gold Last year the output of the Mex
lean gold mines amounted to $4,000
600, an increase of So. 0O0, 900 over the
year 1906 and 1907. This increase is
partly due 10 the discovery of new
mines. but mainly to the further ap-
plication of the cyanide process to the
treatment Of go1d-silver ores. The
Real del Orc mine in Mexico is one
of the largest gold mines in the world
1t has been workedfor period far an
fedating the Spanish occupation, and is
still producing large quantities of the
precious metal.
There are upward of 1000 copper
mines in the republic, some Of them
possessing deposits of remarkable rich
ness Those at Cananea are said to be
the third largest in the entire world.
The annual output OF copper approx
mates $4,000, 00O The territory of
lower California Boosted of the largest
output from a single mine last year,
even surprising the record of the Can
anea mines. This was the Bolleo mine
with a production of r. 900 metric tons
of copper The United States is the
principle consumer Of Mexican copper.
using nearly one-half of the entire out
put
Petroleum In Vast Quantity.
Nearly all Of the other metals which
ARE produced in the United States are
also found in Mexico. The production
of petroleum promises to become one
Of the leading industries of the coun-
try, the region between the mouth of
the Rio Grande and the peninsula OF
Yucatan appearing to be underlaid
with vast quantities of it. Only re-
Gently an oil well was opened not far
from Tampico with a flow which places
ii in the front rank of oil producing
wells in the world. It was feared for
awhile that It would be impossible to
can this vast stream Of oil, but after
many days Of strenuous work the eff
forts were successful. Two years ago
the Pennsylvania Oil company was en-
gagged in drilling the Dos Bocas well,
located so miles south of Tampico and
10 miles inland from the gulf When
the drill had reached depth Of 1924
feet it apparently penetrated a chan
mel connecting with the oil bearing
stratum The gas pressure blew out
the tools and casing, and the spoutin2
oil took fire almost Immediately, con-
tinuing to burn for nearly two months
during which time it was estimated
that nearly 100000 barrels Of oil
were consumed. Het salt water gradu-