Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-19


overdrawn. Certainly there are but few
of the metals used by modern civilization
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 abundance and beauty of their
product
Mexico today occupies first rank among
the nations of the world in the pro-
duction of silver. Its 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 possession OF
the land of the Toltecs. silver mines of
seemingly inexhausible richness had been
worked for uncounted years. When Cor
teZ invaded the land of the Montezumas
he took from it more than S1,oUo.No
worth of gold and silver. Silver is some
times found in nuggets Of vast proper
tions. One of these, discovered in the
Bate Of Sonora, near the American
frontier, weighed 2.I5O pounds. The pro-
duction of silver has ceased to be as
profitable as 1t once was, owing TO
the decline in the market value of the
refined metal
The annual output of silver amounts TO
hoped by the
Silver Market Price MeNicans tha'
the improve
Continues to Decline. ment of trade
conditions in foreign markets would re-
suit in an increasing demand for silver
in such countries as India and emma,
the principal users o fthe white metal.
1t was thought that in connection with
the gradually diminishing supply of bar
silver it would bring about an improve
ment of prices !. But just at the time that
it seemed as II this hope was to be real
lied a new competitor appeared on the
scene and silver went still lower The
extension OF railroad in Canada was
the means of discovering rich deposits OF
silver mixed with cobalt and nickel In
1910 the output of these mines amounted
to one-sixth Of the worlds total produc-
ton of silver. The cost of mining ana
treatment is so small and the assay in
many Of the veins SO great. III some cases
averaging more than 300 ounces per
ton, that the effect Of this discovery mas
been to drive the price of silver down and
almost swamp the worlds markets. Mex
leo suffers most severely by this owing
to the fact that many OF its mines pro-
duce nothing but silver.
But what Mexico is losing in silver is
being made up in the production OF GOLD
Last year the output Of the Mexican
gold mines amounted to S45,OOo,WO, an
increase Of 100000 over the years 13o6
and 1907 This increase is partly due to
the discovery of new mines. but mainly
to the further application OF the cyanide
process to the treatment of gold-silver
ores The Real del Orc mine IN Mexico
is one OF the largest gold mines IN the
world. It has been worked from pc
riod far antedatinE the Spanish occupa-
ton and is still producing large quantl-
ties of the precious metal.
There are upward of LOCO copper mines
in the republic some Of them possessing
deposits Of remarkable richness. Ihose
ar Cananea are said to be the third larg-
est in the entire world. The annual out
nut Of copper approximates s2O.OO0OO0
The territory Of Lower California boosted
of the largest output from single mine
last year. even SURPRISING the record OF
the Cananea mines. This was the Bolleo
tons of copper. The United States is the
principal consumer of Mexican copper.
using nearly one-half Of the entire out
put.
Nearly all of the other metals which
are produced in the United States are
also found in
T-,on.. Ealds Mexico. The
production Of
of Crude Petroleum. p troleu m
promises to become one Of the leading in
dustries of the country, the region be-
tween the mouth of the Rio Grande and
the peninsula of Yucatan appearing to
be undertake with vast quantities of it.
Only recently an Oil we'll was opened not
far from Tampico with a flow which
places it in the front rank of oil-pro-
ducing wells in the world. 1t was feared
for awhile that it would be impossible to
cap this vast stream. of OIL but after
many days of strenuous work the efforts
were successful. Two years ago the
Pennsylvania Oil Company was engaged
in drilling the Dos Bocas well, located
fifty miles south of Tampico and ten
miles inland from the gulf. When the
drill had reached a depth of 1S24 feet it
apparently penetrated a channel con-
meeting with the oil-bearing stratum. The
gas pressure blew out the tools and cas-
ing, and the spouting oil took fire al
most Immediately, continuing to burn for
nearly two months. during which time
it was estimated that nearly 10000. COZ
barrels of oil were consumed. Hot salt
water gradually replaced the OIL and the
flow was estimated at 1900 barrels per
day.
The oil business in Mexico has devel-
railroads of the country, owing to the
cost of coal. have been predisposed to
use oil as fuel for their engines. The
Tehauntepec route was the first railroad
in Mexico to make the experiment, and
1t proved SO successful that the Mexican
government hopes to equip all of it's
5000 miles of railroad with oi-burning
engines. All of the new engines ordered
are equipped with Oil burners. Surveys
made around the gulf coast indicate that
the supply of oil is greater than was es
timated and it's abundance will doubt
less prove a great Stimulant to every
kind of industry. 1t so happens that the
mineral lands of Mexico extend from the
American frontier to the city of Oaxaca
along the line of the Mexico extension
of the Rocky mountains, while the oil
fields cover the coastal plains around
the Gulf of Mexico, thus making the en-
tire country a mineral region.
There are a great many American min
ing companies opera ting in Mexico. The
A m eri C n
Much American Capital Smelling and
Invested in Mining, many tncorno-