The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1911-04-14

called the United Mexican
III States" was one of the two
great vice-royalties of Spain in
the new world. Mexico and Peru
represented the dominions of terri,
tory extending from the underlined
north to the extremity of South Amer.
ica Mexico as New Spain retained
its identity, but Peru was subdivided
into Rio de la Plata (Buenos Aires),
New Granada, and the original Peru
The revolutionary struggle that ulti,
mately resulted in the independence
of the nation began in 1910, but sue.
cess was not attained until the estab.
lishment Of independence from Spain
in 1921. The first Mexican congress
was held in 1922, when a regency was
installed and an emperor was named
1t is in the northern provinces Of
Mexico, Sonora and Chihuahua, where
revolt and sedition is rife and where
the revolutionary forces are the
strongest.
Northern Mexico, where perhaps
significant history is being made to,
day, has long been the battle ground
Of the races in North America. Cen.
turtles before the Spanish conquest,
the Pueblos, or village-making Indians
came here from parts unknown and
erected their quaint houses, pursuing
| their peaceful industrial occupations.
The ruins of these towns are found to.
day sometimes buried deep under
sand-drift or old lake bed. About the
thirteenth century there came an
Other migration from the north, the
race of savages that never has been
equaled in the world for cruelty-the
fierce and unrelenting Apache Indians
They swept through the villages OF
the gentle Pueblos like a scourge,
butchering and laying waste, and driv.
ing the terrified end helpless villagers
far up into the Sierra Madre noun.
tains, where they chung among the
peaks until they persisted. Before
their race was run the Apaches com.
pletely destroyed not only these Pueb
los, but also the results of their civil.
zation.
Then came the fight between
Apache and American, and the events
of this struggle, which was ended only
recently, are among the most thrill.
ing and picturesque in American his.
tory. Miles, Lawton, and Chaffee are
familiar names in these chapters, and
the overcoming of the tenacity and
strange, fierce courage of the last
great fighting Indians of the United
States has even its pathos as well as
its note of absorbing, exciting inter.
est.
Following the Apaches began the
American invasion. The cattlemen
were first, for the range was unlim.
tied and the grasses in many parts
unsurpassed. Then came the prospec.
tors-men who from choice endure
the most severe privations and face
the greatest perils. Many of these
prospectors are mining kings today.
The Mormons, also, established set.
Elements in Sonora many years ago,
and soon had built up several pros
porous communities. The Latter Day
Saints even contemplated a general
migration to this region, with the pur-
pose of making it the headquarters of
the church. For the sake of freedom
from the restriction which the laws
of the United States place, about
them they were willing to undertake
the new pilgrimage, but they were
checked by famous Mexican. Gen.
Luis Terrazas, who owns the largest
landed estate in the world. Without
passing on to property of another. one
mar travel 800 miles east and west
and 200 miles north and south on the
lands IF Gen. Terrazas. He refused
to surrender any of his ground to the
Mormons, and their plans were neces.
sarily checked.
Railroad building and mining deyel-
opment in Sonora has been practical
ly in the hands of Americans. Great
mining operations have sprung into
existence and millions Of American dol.
lars have been poured into the conn.
try. Towns and cities have sprung nm
in this one-time wilderness like magic
and the district is now the third
greatest copper-producing section in
the world. II is the peril that revolu.
ton brings to these American dollars
and American citizens who have set.
tied here that makes the problem an
acute one for Mexico.
The state of Chihuahua, bordered on
the north by Texas, is large state of
$4,000 square miles and has a popula-
ton of about 100000. A long noun
tain chain, the Sierra Madre, occupies
the western part Of the state, and the
eastern is high arid tableland and gen.
orally sterile in the absence of irriga-
ton. The state is rich in minerals,
including gold. silver, copper, lead, tin
and cinnibar. The great silver mines
Of the Sierra Madre were formerly
very productive and some of them are
again being operated by American cap
ital under modern mining methods.
The chief wealth of the people con-
sists of herds of cattle, horses and
mules. The ancient city Of Chihuahua
Is the capital Of the state. It is on