Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1919-11-08
The Mines of Mexico Some Interesting Statistics

(Facts and figures furnished by Gustavo G. Hernandez, Mexican con- sul of the Globe Miami district.)
 While the production of gold and silver greatly exceeds that of all other products, the development of other mineral resources is progress ing rapidly.
 The state of Sonora supplies the greatest amount of copper. In 1917 the output of the whole republic slightly decreased, owing largely to labor conditions, lack of facilities for marketing the product, etc. During the past normal year (1913) the value of copper ore and copper shipped fro11 Mexico to other countries amounted to more than $18,QO0, ,0OO, yet, copper ranks as the third in importance of Mexican mineral exports, silver and gold, respectively, being the leading minerals exported.
 The cost of producing copper in Mexico in 1916, including all export taxes and other costs, averaged about 13 cents per pound-from 2 1-2 to 8 cents per pound, representing taxes, etc.
 Common salt in combination with other salts, such as caustic, soda and bicarbonate of soda, is said to exist in the drained bed of Lake Texecoco in the immediate vicinity of Mexiro City to the amount of 26,000,OC0 tons.
 A concession has been granted by the secretary of industry and com merce for the exploitation of deposits of gold, uranium, and radium at Guad- lupa, state of Chihuahua. The ma chinery necessary for thorough and extensive operation of the mines will be imported free of duty. The con cession is for three years, and under the terms of same the government is to receive per cent of the gross out put. This is the only deposit of these minerals so far reported to have been discovered in the republic.
 Of the various regions of Mexico which possess iron deposits as well as foundries, probably the best known are those of Durango and Coahuila, Famous is the iron mountain of the former state or the Cerro Mercado, as it is called, which was first known in 1852 as possessing valuable iron de- posits. Since that time it has borne the name of its discoverer, Mercado. In connection with more extensive iron production in Mexico, two of the opposing problems are high costs of fuel and transportation. To offset this handicap engineers have made many surveys of water power and some of the latter have been success fully harnessed. In one case alone, notably at San Dimas, Durango, water is carried 5000 feet and force of 2,5OO horsepower developed, with 15,- 900 horsepower in prospect. Larger iron output undoubtedly hinges on cheaper transportation, Mexico's lead ing deposits showing an ore of from 60 to 70 per cent iron.
 The state of Nayarit has a num- Der of well-known mining camps, among which are are Santa Maria del Orc, gold and silver mines, the Acaponeta silver and lead district, the Ixtlan gold mines and the Yacqui copper properties.
 It is reported that the Sonora coal deposits are to be. developed by an American company. One shaft sunk 46O feet is reported to have encounter ed 6-foot thick vein at 80 feet, 7-foot thick vein at 271 feet, and vein 22 feet wide at 393 feet. Ex- tensive prospecting is done and a branch railway 30 miles long is to be built from the Southern Pacific ot Mexico to a point near Ortiz, where the mines are located.
 The department of industry, com merce and labor has granted eight concessions to different parties for the exploitation of salt deposits ia the states of Sonora, Sinaloa, Collma, Jalisco and the territory of Lower Cal ifornia.
 The total production of coal in 1917 was estimated at 6OO,O0O tons.
 The department of the industry and commerce has received request for permission to work the sulphur de- posits in the crater of Mount Popoca- tepl, the petitioners claiming that there is large quantity of flour of sulphur on the walls and in the crevices of the crater which can be commercially extracted and used Tn the manufacture of explosives,
 A decee of April 26th, 1918, revised and compiled all tax legislation on mining products. The stamp tax on gold and silver was increased by 2 per cent but the additional federal tax of 60 per cent of the local taxes on mines and mining products was suppressed. The same decree limited the authority of the state govern ments to decrease and change taxes mines and mining products thus sur- pressing a frequent cause of friction between mining interests and local