The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-06-24
t,s FRANK G..
Mexico City

Ivy HtNN Vs.. N&NftN Elm Elk. A
Mexico City.
S,erc I am to Mexico, my eyes
nave i,een buieing at the stories I hear
~ he los, treasures Of Mexico. They
come rom old prospectors, from min
Ing engineers. and from men posted as
TO ne Mexican mineral territory. At
the College Of Mines. in this city. you
may see gold and silver from workings
which ,uce turned out millions, but
are aaU Tiled with water: and in the
government records are notes of vast
properties which have long since been
abandoned. When Alexander Hum
boidt. the great scientist, travelled over
Mexico. more n a century ago, he
fouaied S.o0e mines, and l am told
that fully 1000 OF these are not now
~ exis,eoce. OF some the records
have been lost. and they are now
known only by tradition.
Abandoned Mines.
When Mexico got its independence
by ovcrthrowing the rule OF Spain it
entefcd upon an era of revolution
which lasted for years. During that
s,,e sooe of the most profitable mines
werc abandoned. The water rushed
an t"etr works ere destroyed, and
Tor = cine their very existence was
1lo,'ed from the knowledge OF man.
There are still many old dumps and
the remains of old workings scattered
mere AID there throughout the whole
nex'cah territory. Some Of these old
a"uips are said TO contain fortunes. It
USED 10 le that q mine had to produce
a, least 30 10 the ton to be worth epor-
%'as, 50 that rich ore only was taken,
a"u Tue poor left or the side. We have
IN the U1ited States mines which are
now payias weN AZ less than IS PEI
%" And the cyanide and new smeltins
processes are bringing out tens OF mid
o'nt " dollars worth Of gold and sil.
YER mat formerly went to waste.
""r Treasures Of the Axsecs.
Macy IT the mines Of the Axtecs ART
s'". - be foand When Cortea
~" c"nauered Montezuma he
:" """' 10 send his tax gatherers ou1
oNef toe country to make records q,
,.ne location Of the best mines. The,
"'a:n' back an itesnized list, but it i
""o"'oi whether ii was q true one
'"'e, sas even less successful in hi
n't"'p's 10 md where the Aztecs hal
po"ea their treasures. He tried t,
-. lhts Information out Guatemo
wv ne aephew OF Montezama, and hi
~" 'o-h~, This prince WAS torture
ny '"e 80 make him disclose the secret
rs, nrst claimed there war no treas
~ eu' naalay said hat the gold Ia
&C." throvn into the waters. Corte
s" searched the LAX Is about Mexic
NY. os' his divers found netting, al
.aySs" tney dag up q disc OF pur
~" IS bis As a cart wheel out tn
Saves" ef Guatemoxin.
a"e treasures OF Montezpma Ar
y" undiscovered. They are said I
~srta $50, zoe. SOe, and Their
~ documents, in picture lAnguags
-" tcn'izeS the shields. heEnlet.
~"'a's AID plates Of solid gold. an
s"1 grains and dust which wen
-" MS great sum. One traditfo
"s tse burial site Of the trAaSuy
'""acan, not far from AexiC
mexico city.
~h&, CeSes Cos.
there ia no question rs 10 the =,
~" ~ the precious metals Of II
""rs of the Aztecs. The king WI
preceded Montexuspa. vas a miser ax
~ mad collected a treasure wAic
-. Says vas greater than that Do
$3.50 nv any monarch OF Europ
oOn ~ this consisted Of grains ~
cc"ssees Of gold and gold utensi
e1 mad a great part OF il melt,
~ Sas' into is,gcts. He sent one-nS,
mhes product to Spain, and amor
our~ss a gotd canAOn. which Il
.cs csT FOR him, aud a platter
s"' ~ big that a tvo-hundred Dou,
u's costd have been served upon
- ssscriSes how gold was sold
a." es.tfs as IN article Of mercha.
~ N~ofttexuna's capital. md .
hS.',ss upon the great beauty Of Il
-. helmets and plates which We
A. ~ the lnAians-
Wcr&a~2s Which View Pay ~
R0ms.
~"' II the best mining n~Anerti