Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1940-03-07
Gold Rush Upsets
Mexican Village,
Pan $225 in Day
Population Goes From 40 to
5000 in Few Months;
Still Growing.

MESQUITE, MEXICO.-A few
months ago this tiny Mexican town
boosted population of 40.
Now it is teeming with 5000 per-
sons and is growing daily.
Some months ago Javier Gomez,
bartender, was broke. Worse than
that, he was $3.50 in debt and there
seemed no way out of it.
Today Gomez is the leading citi-
zen of the town, earning about $225
a day.
The magical thing which doomed
Mesquite and enriched Gomez al
most overnight was the same thing
that sent thousands into California
almost 100 years ago-gold.
Reminiscent of the gold-rush days
of the 1905, a gold strike trans
formed Mesquite from drowsy
little village scarcely larger than a
good-sized ranch to a rough and
ready desert metropolis which al
ready is making inroads on the pop
ulation of established Sonora towns.
Made First Strike.
Gomez, who made the first rich
"strike" in the canyon which shell
tiers Mesquite from the surround
ing desert, says he tends bar in his
spare time now and will prospect
permanently. He has the distinc-
ton of panning the most gold a day
-$225-and also has the most elab-
crate dwelling in Mesquite-a small
frame house, IL by IL, constructed
of unpainted pine boards.
Mesquite is located almost 80
miles southeast of Nogales on the
Mexico-United States border and OPP
crates under numerous handicaps.
There is no communication with the
outside world. There is no cleo
tricity, only one small well, and
nothing like a road except a few
trails constructed by prospectors
racing toward the strike in anti
quated cars or on mules.
Jesus Maria Valenzuela, owner of
the Ell Poso ranch which was the
nucleus of Mesquite before the
strike, operates several profitable
enterprises. He has monopoly on
the water supply and sells the COM
modify for about three cents small
can. A 50-gallon drum costs Is
cents.
Housewives, because of the scar
city of water, are encroaching on
Valenzuela's business. A brackish
pool of water was uncovered in
sink hole on the desert and water
is transported nearly 10 miles.
Holds Water Monopoly.
Valenzuela, oldest resident and
owner of the only adobe house in
Mesquite, says he will not enter into
mining activities. He says he
makes ''mucho dinero" selling wa
ter-and whisky. Valenzuela op-
crates the only saloon in town and
recently has installed a new fea-
ture-a concrete dance floor.
Civic industries are incomplete,
but citizens are proud of their bust
ness establishments.
The Jail, a dugout carved in the
side of hill, has had only two pris-
oners since Gomez "struck it rich"
Main reason for lack of prisoners,
Gomez explains, is dearth of law
enforcing officers. He said every
one was too busy mining gold to
worry about who should be police
chief.
If the gold supply holds out Mes
quite might become an established
city with permanent population.
If the strike peters out it probably
will become ghost town-deserted
. except for Jesus Maria Valenzuela,
who philosophically said he had
lived in Mesquite before the gold
rush and that he would continue
staying there for the rest of his life
gold or no gold.