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 Americas army sees foreign serv-
Ice In its patrol duty along tlie
northern Sonora border the boys In
khaki will he In II Mexican stnte where
fact and fable are fuscinutingly inter-
woven In the accounts Of its vast min-
eral wealth. says the geography bull
letin issued from Washington by the
National Geographic society Even the
name Sonora Is said by SOME hiStO-
rinns to be derived from peculiarly
musical and "sonOromr quality pos
sesSed by certain marbles quarried In
the state.
Within n decade after COrteZ land
ed on Mexican soil and conquered the
followers OF Montezmnu. the Spuniards
had launched expeditions by sea und
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
hunc. by 1880 Almindez Chirnos had
proceeded up the coast ns fur as
the mouth Of the Ynqui river and lie
was followed by DE Vucn. who
brought back n report that gold und
silver could be plucked from the
ground In unbelievable quantities. one
Of De Vacu's followers was Sebastian.
a muattO who had remarkable gift
OF Imagination. Among the places he
"saw" were the Seven cities Of Ci-
bOla, ruled by King Taturux. whose
wonderful bejeweled robes dazzled the
eye as he wOrshIped each morning In
his magnificent palnce before Il golden
cross. Mermaids also figured in Sc
bastIan's narrative as alluring mar
wells OF the Sonora coast.
Among the Sonora mines about
which romance and reality are strnnge-
ly mingled Is that OF SenOr Almuda
OF Qulntera. The owner is said TO
have celebrated the marriage Of his IA
vOrite daughter by nnneling the
bridal chamber with silver und paw
ing the road from his home to the
ChulNh WIN odlo VI NhV PtN'"u'
metal.
The legend concerning the Donn
Maria mine is that It's owner, the Wild
ow Of a Spaniard. De Rndrlques, la
bored for years saving nuggets Of gold
until she had treasury which re-
qured caravan Of 80 mules TO convey
the four tons Of precious metal to Mex
leo City. II was long and urluOus
Journey and the widow was 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 safekeepng 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 Plunchns de Plata (Silyer rlates)
mine. which, according to Jesuit nc
counts. was discovered by YuQui In
dim during the first half OF the eight
eenth century. From a deep cnnyOn
the .Iesuits are said 10 have taken
great globules Of silver ore, weigh
ing from 20 to 80 pounds. One mAm-
moth nugget of pure silver. Weighing
quarter OF ton. was discovered. and
proved the undOlng OF both the priests
and the Indians. This treasure rock
was with great difficulty loaded be-
/ tai IN
the capital where It was seized for
the crown. After years Of litigation
the authorities decided that not only
this nugget. hut all other ore from the
canyon belonged TO the state. Where
upon Jesuts 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 ls
Cananea. the center Of one Of the rich.
est copper regions In the world. while
to the south is AIaSdaena station. east
Of which is the Santo Domingo canyon
with It's placer gold deposits which
are said to have furnished the car
90 for mnny Of SpalE's treasure gal
Icons.
In addition to copper, gold and sill
\ yer, the mines Of Sonora produce lead
\ coal untimony, mercury, iron, zinc. sal
and tellurlum. The graphite deposits
] OF the state gre said to be the fines
i in the world, producing nn even het
ter grade than the famous mines OF 81
u beriu and Japan.