The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1916-10-12
WEALTH OF SONORA
MINES OF NORTHERN MEXICAN
STATE AMONG RICHEST
IN WORLD.
Legends Of the Immense Wealth Taken
From Them and How II W:s
Wasted by the Nations
Early conquerors.

II Americn'D nrny sees foreign serv-
Ice In It's patrol duty along the
northern SOnOn border the boys in
khaki will he In Mexican state where
| fact and fable are fuscinutngy inter-
woven In the accounts of it's vast min-
eral wealth. says the geography bull
etin issued from Washington by the
National Geographic society. Even the
nume Sonora is said by some histO-
rians to be derived from-u peculiarly
musical and "sonorOwr quality pos
sessed by certain marbles quarried In
the state.
Within Il decade aftcr CorteZ land
ed on Mexican soil and conquered the
followers Of MOntezumu. the Spunlards
had launched expeditions by SEA and
started exploration parties over the
mountains TO find that region which
two centuries before. according to tra-
ditlon, had supplied the Aztccs with
great stores OF gold and silver when
they passed through the land In their
tribal migration to the vale OF Ana
huac. by 1880 Almindez Chirinos had
/ proceeded up the cOast ns far as
the mouth OF the Yuqui river. and he
was followed by De Vucn. who
brought back n report that gold and
silver could be pluclied from the
| ground in unbelievable quantities. one
Of De Vaca's followers was Sebastian.
mulattO who had remarkable gift
OF imagination. Among the places he
'saw" were the Seven Cities of Cl-
boa, ruled by King Tatnrax. whose
wonderful bejeweled robes dazzled the
eye ns he wOrshiped each morning In
his magnificent palace before II golden
cross. Mermuids also figured in Sc
bastlan's narrative as allurlng mar
vels Of the Sonora coast.
Among the Sonora mines nbOut
which romance and reality are strnnge-
ly mingled Is that of Senor Almuda
Of Qulntera. The owner Is said TO
have celebrated the mnrriuge Of his fa-
vorite daughter by paneling the
bridal chamber with silver. und paw
ing the road from his home to the
church with bars OF the precious
metal.
The legend concerning the DOna
Maria mine Is that it's owner the Wild
ow Of Spaniard, De Rodriques, la
bored for years saving nuggets Of gold
until she had a treasury which re-
quired Il caravan Of 80 mules 10 convey
the four tons Of precious metal to Mex
leo City. II was long and urduous
journey, and the widow wus constant
ly In fear Of being robbed. When she
finally reached the capital she would
not rest content until the fortune had
been placed In the safckeeping of the
Spanish vicerOy. a few days later the
widow disappeared. and the vast store
of gold was appropriated by the gov
ernment treasury and that treusury's
custodian.
An equally pathetic story Is told OF
the Plunchas de Plata (Silver Plates)
mine, which, according to Jesuit nc
counts, was discovered by Yaqul In
dian during the first half OF the eight
eenth century. From deep canyon
the Jesuits are said to have taken
great glObules of silver ore. weigh.
ing from 20 to so pounds. One mann
moth nugget Of pure silver. weighing
a quarter OF 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
the capital, where 1t was seized for
the crown. After years Of litigation
the authorities decided that not only
this nugget, but nll other ore from the
canyon belonged to the state. Where
upon JeSuits and Indians cOnsplred
successfully to lose" the mine.
Just 10 miles south of the Arizona
line and midway between the border
towns Of NOgales and NacO. Is
Canunea. the center Of one of the rich
est copper regions In the world. while
to the south is AIaSdalena station. eust
Of which Is the SantO Domingo can.On
with It's placer gold demsita which
are said to have furnished the cur.
20 for many Of SpalE's treasure gal.
Icons.
In addition to copper, gold and sill
yer, the mines Of Sonora produce lead,
coal, nntimony, mercury, iron. zinc, salt
and tellurium. The graphite deposits
OF the state gre said to be the finest
In the world, producing an even het-
ter grade tlmn the famous mines of ST.
beriu and Japan.