Evening star., 1938-07-10
By Mary.Carter Roberts.

IL y XV4 ~ y ~ w W.
Silver Magnet. BY Grant Shepherd
New York: E. P. Dutton Co.
TH1S highly readable book has
about it all the flavor OF a
lost era. It is the story of
L the big days in the silver min
ing industry. not in our own West.
to be sure, but in Mexico. 1t is told
In terms of its authors personal ex-
perience in the San Miguel mine in
Chihuahua. and this means that the
work is virtually an autobiography,
for Mr. Shepherd was no more than
live in the Hacienda San Miguel.
from which time onward the mine was
the center about which his life re-
volved. The book covers the years
between 1880 and 1914, and in the
entire period the San Miguel digging
was under the managership of the
Shepherd family.
This family hardly needs introduce
tion to Washingtonians. The authors
father. Alexander Robey Shepherd,
who first made the venture into the
then wild and dangerous Mexican
country, was a former Governor of the
District of Columbia, and Washington
was the point of his departure The
family until the move lived In Bleak
House. an estate built by the Gov
ernor's father on the Seventh Street
pike. as it was then called. Today Gov.
Shepherds statue stands before the
District Building to commemorate the
service which he rendered the Capital
City before he entered on the mining
career which was to occupy him for
the rest Of his life.
THE author. since he was only very
small boy at the time OF the move.
had fine holiday outlook on the jour-
ney. It was made, the records, by rail
from the old Baltimore & Ohio Station
in Washington to st. Louis and then
south to San Antonio; after that "by
wheeled vehicles and hay burners to
Forts Concho. Stockton. Leon Holes,
Davis. and on to the last place in the
United States of America, which was
Preside del Norte. then across the Rio
Grande to the city Of Chihuahua in
Mexico" But even this point was 300
miles short of the final destination,
which was the village of Batopilas, near
which the mine was located.
The travel by stagecoach and wagon
~ opnfhnr tho
escorts Of soldiers. hardened drivers
and scouts-all this was enough to
thrill any youngster and Mr.. Shepherd
gives the opening chapters of his book
over to "reminiscences of his early Won
der It is done in humorous vein
and Is good lively reading
The same spirit colors the following
chapters They deal partly with the
development Of the mine under the
elder Shepherds management. and
partly with the authors own history.
As for the story Of the mine. 1t is that
Of the growth of large feudal organ
ization. at the head El Patron Grande
(the title bestowed upon Gov. Shep-
herd by his native workmenD. who had
1t for his job to build up modern in
dustry, using Mexican labor. Pic
turesque characters flocked to the sill
yer workings, seeking occupation, and
those who remained were. naturally.
individualists. dependable men with
sense Of loyalty and responsibility, but
marked with that incorruptible per-
sonal quality which appertains to
frontier societies. Out of such, the
Patron built up his staff. For the work.
men he instituted a medical service,
q hospital. a low-priced company store
and a personal manner of dealing with
their troubles and complaints. The
result was a self-sustaining community
where life was in the main, happy and
secure
IN THIS atmosphere the author Of
the book grew up. He was sent to
the States for schooling, to be sure, but
he records repeatedly when his holi-
day time arrived that 'it was good to
get back to Mexico" When he reached
the proper age. he was put in charge
OF a section Of the mine. along with his
brothers In 1908 the Patron Grande
died. and the workmen. mourning,
carried his body on their shoulders
through the mountains to the railroad.
The son remained at his work until
1914, when the revolution so disor-
gani1ed conditions that it became i'm
possible any longer to operate the
y,oip}po ,,rorertv
The story. like any other. depends
upon its telling, and 1t would be hard
to imagine a more effective method
than that used by Mr.. Shepherd. He
has given his book two priceless quail
ities-the flavor of expert knowledge
and a hearty natural humor. As Is
the case in any true feudal organiza-
ton, the men at the top of San
Miguel's management understood its
most menial and humble operations as
well as the laborer, who. performing
them, knew nothing but his own duty.
It was a 12-hour day that these "ex-
ecutives" put in in the shafts and tun-
nels-unless, as sometimes happened,
1t was an ID or "a hour one. Naturally,
when they came OF duty, they looked
for amusement. The author describes
the riding. hunting, cock-f1ghting,
parties and fiestas which the COM
munity afforded with color and detail.
There Is a Mark Twain flavor to his
"reminiscences which no one can posi-
bly, miss.
IT IS interesting, too. to note his
opinion of the revolution which de-
stroyed the mining industry as he
knew it. He rates President Dia1 as
q great man. whose patriotic services
to his country have been ignored by
the historians whose personal SYM
pathies have inclined to the revolu-
tionary party: Diaz, he says. brought
order out Of chaos and was in process
Of carrying out important humani-
tartan measures when he was over
thrown. He cites the fact that small
pox was almost eradicated under the
so.called dictator as A case in point