The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1916-10-20
WEALTH OF SONORA
MINES or NORTHERN MEXICAN
STATE AMONG RICHEST
IN WORLD.
La. eads OF the Immense Wealth Taken
From Them and How II Was
WaAlcd by the Nations
EARLY conquerors.

Early Conquefora.
II Americas uruy sees foreign sery-
Ice IN ms patrol duty along the
northern Sonora border the boys In
khaki will be In Mexican state where
fact and fable are fuscInatiagly inter-
woven Ia the accounts of its vust min
erUl wealth. suys the geography bull
lrun issued from Washington by the
National Geographic socier", Even the
name Sonora Is suid by some histu-
rims 10 be derived from q peculiarly
musical und "sDDurous' quality pos
sgyacd ly ,aIsain marbles quurred in
the state,
Within decade after Cortpz land
ed ON Mexican soil aud conquered the
followers Of M0utezma, the Spauiurds
had launched expeditions boy sea- aud
started exploration parties over the
mountains 20 find that region which
two centuries before according 10 uu-
ditiou, hud supplied the A2tees with
great stores Of gold and silver when
they pussOd through the land in their
tlbul migration 90 the yulp of Ana
huuc. By 1890 Aminde2 Chiriuos had
proceeded UP the coast us far us
The mouth OK the Yaqui river and he
was followed rs be yucu, who
brought back report thag gold and
silver could hc plucEpd from the
grouud IA unbelievable quantities. one
Of De Nucos followers was Sebastian
% mllHtto who had a remarkable gift
ur Imagination. Among the places he
",aw' were the Seven cities OF Ci-
lula, ruled 10y King TataIuN, whose
wonderful helewclcd robes GaZzIed the
owe as he wsrshlpel each morning In
Eis magnificent palace before a golden
cross. Mrrmaids also figured In Se-
basCian's narrative as ullurng mar
wells of the Sonora coast
Among the Sonora mines about
which romance and reality are strange
ly mingled Is that Of Senor Almudu
of Quiutcra. The owner is said to
have celebrated the marriage of his fu-
vorite daughter by paueing the
bridal chamber with silver and paw
Ing the road from his home TO the
church with bars of the precious
metal.
The legend concerning the Dona
Maria mine Is thar It's owner, the wild
ow Of Spanard De RpdriqueS u-
bored for years saving nuggets Of gold
until She had treasury which re-
QUirad caravan Of 40 mules 10 convey
the four tons of precious metal to Mex
leo City. 1t WAS a long aud arduuus
Journey aud the widow was CONSTANT
/ ly i'm fear of being robbed. When She
finally reached the capital she would
not rest content uLiI The fortune had
been placed in the safpkecpHg of the
Spanish riccruy a few days later The
widow disappeared and the vast store
of gold was appropriated hy the gov
eumpnt treasury and that Wcasury's
custodian.
An equally pathetic story is told Of
the Planchas dc Plata (Silvcr Plare)
mine, which, according To Jesuit uc-
+ counts, was discovered by 70 laQui In
dian during the first half of the eight
eenth century. From a deep canyon
the JeSuliS are Suiu To nave taken
great giohuIes OF silver ore, weigh
la IRON 20 TO 30 pounds one mann
/ moth nugget oi pure silver Weighing
Il quarter of a ton, was discovered, and
proved the undoing of both the priests
and the Indians. This treasure rock
was with great difficulty loaded be-
tween two PACK mules and taken to