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CINCINNATI & SONORA
MINING ASSOCIATION.
GEOLOGICAL REPORT AND MAP
OF THE
SAN JUAN DEL RIO RANCHE,
IN
Sonora, Mexico.
By CUMMINGS CHERRY,
GEOLOGIST AND MINING ENGINEER.
-ALSOREPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE, STATISTICS OF
SILVER MINING, TRANSCRIPT OF TITLE, &C.
CINCINNATI:
WRIGHTSON & CO., 167 WALNUT STREET.
1866.








OF
SPECIAL COMMITTEE.
--— 0 —-- 0
Messrs. ENOCH T. CARSON, CHAS. C. REAKIRT, S. S. DAVIS,
JAS. D. THOMPSON, EDGAR CONKLING, WM. WOOD,
WM. T. PERKINS, JACKSON SLANE,  JOS. KINSEY,
THOS. SPOONER,  WM. W. MCGREW, WM. SUMNER,
HENRY KESSLER, JOHN R. WRIGHT, R. H. COLLINS,
Members of the Cincinnati Land and Mining Association, of
Sonora, Mexico.
GENTLEMEN:-On the 13th of July, 1865, you began in
earnest the work of selecting and locating. and thereby vitalizing, the Sonora Concession or Land Grant of Mr. EDGAR CONKLING, which had been lying idle from the date of
its original issue by the Mexican Government to Mr. CHARLES
DENMAN, March 27, 1857.
In securing the services of Messrs. CUMMINGS CHERRY and
son JAMES CHERRY, Geologists and Mining Engineers, the
result has proved that you were exceedingly fortunate. The
indomitable energy, cool courage, patient toil, wonderful
powers of endurance, and high professional skill exhibited
by these gentlemen, under circumstances the most trying
and against obstacles well nigh insurmountable, enables us
to congratulate you upon a success as magnificent as it is
gratifying and astonishing. They have secured for us the
most valuable unimproved mining property in North
America.
The time of locating this Grant, although deemed inauspicious by intelligent persons both in Sonora and in San
Francisco, by reason of the civil war now raging, was in real



4
ity the best possible; for hazardous as was the undertaking, we were yet enabled to select the best property, without the competition or opposition that our agents must
have encountered, had they reached there when citizens and
foreigners were alike devoted to mining and other peaceful
pursuits.
Location and Survey. —   This Grant of "four square
Mexican leagues of untitled lands in Sonora," we had instructed them to locate with special regard to the greatest
concentration of minerals, with water and water-power, firewood, timber, and accessibility to market. This happy combination was realized in the selection and survey of the
ancient San Juan del Rio ranche, of about 25,000 acres,
on the Yaqui River, in latitude 30~ 40' North, and longitude 109~ West, about 41 miles South of the Arizona
line, 55 miles West of the Chihuahua line, and 250 miles
North-East from Guaymas, the best harbor on the Gulf of
California.  Before deciding upon this property, they had
made thorough exploration of at least twenty-eight known
Mining Districts, besides many others whose names could
not be ascertained. An official survey was made of the property, corner monuments erected, and all the forms of Mexican law strictly complied with; and the National record evidence of title may be expected at an early day, from the
Department of Fomento, Colonization, Industry and Commerce of the Mexican Republic, of all of which we have certified documentary evidence.
Accessibility. —By a good wagon road from Guaymas,
through San Marcial, Matape, Oposura (or more properly
Moctezuma,) Cumpas, and Nacosari, we reach a point as
far North as San Juan del Rio, and West of it but ten
leagues.
Over this ten leagues was formerly a good wagon road, now
needing much repair. About 3 leagues of the distance will




5
require considerable grading; but by lengthening the route
through a pass North of the old trail, a better road can be
made, at less expense.
Another route leads from Moctezuma eastward, over a
wagon road to Granados, and thence northward along the
bed of the Yaqui River through Oputo to San Juan del Rio.
A heavier outlay will be needed to make this passable
than over the first named route. On either route much of
the distance is over roads which have no superior in any
country.
Two other routes may be pursued: one through Hermosillo and Ures; the other direct from the mouth of the
Yaqui River, following its course to the mines.
The Mines.-The Mines in the vicinity of the old towns
of Toapatz and San Juan, the Valenzuello, San Patricio,
San Juan, Santa Helena, San Nicholas, and San Filepe mines,
besides others whose names are unknown, are embraced within the boundaries of our survey. These were all extensively
worked, many years ago. And tradition-the lost archives
of the State of Sonora —-the historical collections and reports of WARD, WILSON, D'AUMAILLE, Col. BOURNE, MOWRY,
BARTLETT, and others-together with the debris, deposits of
slag and rubbish, outcrops, and still partially exposed excavations-all bear unmistakable testimony to the immense
mineral wealth hoarded here. The Valenzuello mine alone,
in the short period of two years, yielded over $2,000,000.
This vein at the surface is 6 feet, at 40 feet below increases
to 10 feet, and seemingly widens with the depth. The San
Patricio vein where exposed is not less than 20 feet wide,
the San Juan 5 feet, Santa Helena 8 feet, San Nicholas 5
feet, San Filepe 4 feet, while the other veins are each 3 to
6 feet on the surface, and all are likely to widen with the
depth. Some of the veins were traced for miles in length.




Minerals.-Segregated mineral veins seldom, if ever,
justify much outlay to develop them, because they are not
permanent. The veins upon the San Juan del Rio property
are true fissure veins, permanent and reliable in their character, and are of that class which have been fitly styled
" the grand repositories of the precious metals."  Silver
occurs here in almost every form-native, antimonial, sul
phurets, silver glance, chloride and chloro-bromide. Copper
occurs in the several forms of gray, pyrites, red and black
oxides, sulphates, sulphurets, &c. Lead and gold are in
quantities to pay abundantly, under scientific processes o0
separation. Hydraulic lime and fire clay are found, and of
superior quality.  The imperfect modes of separation and
reduction employed by the ancient owners of the mines have
left immense deposits which, under the advances latterly
made in metallurgy, will release vast quantities of wealth.
The unlimited abundance of the ores here is another great
feature of value. The San Patricio mine alone would furnish employment for a one hundred stamp mill. And the
character of the ores makes them cheaply and easily minable and reducible.
Water Power.-The Yaqui River, a strong and rapid
stream-the largest in Sonora, if not the only one deserving
the name-runs through this property for eight miles.  A
few hundred yards below where it enters the property
is a canion or natural gap through the mountain, with
high perpendicular walls. A dam here, of 8 feet hight
and 400 feet width, at a cost of say $25,000, will furnish
water-power for several hundred stamps. Cheaper waterpowers can be built, at several points below on the river.
This is probably the only mining property in Sonora or
Arizona where the supply of water is abundant and inexhaustible, so as entirely to avoid the necessity for steam, and
yet keep the mills in constant operation.




Timber.-At least one thousand acres are thickly studded with heurigo trees from 3 to 8 feet in diameter, 80 to
120 feet high, and straight as an arrow. Besides this, mesquit, cotton-wood, ash, willow, walnut and sycamore trees
cover some five thousand acres. The forest of heurigo timber-the only one known to us in the State-is very valuable. The wood is light, of finer grain than mahogany,
susceptible of a beautiful polish, and as indestructible as
cedar. It may yet become a source of considerable profit.
The mesquit makes superior charcoal, burns long, and gives
an intense heat.
Farming Lands.-The River valley on this property,
hemmed in by mountains, has some 5,000 acres of rich
bottom land, formerly cultivated and highly productive.
Wheat, corn, peas, beans, sugar cane, cotton, tobacco and
many other products are all successfully raised in the neighboring settlements. The corn is equal to the best grown in
Ohio, while the wheat is very superior, and yields from 100
to 250 bushels for each bushel sown. All the fruits of the
tropical and many of the temperate zone thrive here. Pasture exists all the year round, and very nutritious in quality.
Thus we will be home producers of all agricultural supplies.
Neighboring Mines.-There are many mines of great
wealth within a circuit of 60 miles or more, which are so
deficient in water, water-power, and timber, as to be to a great
extent dependent upon our property for the beneficiating of
their minerals. They must bring no inconsiderable proportion of their ores to us to be stamped and rendered
marketable.
Surface Specimens of such of the minerals and woods
as were allowed to be brought through the military lines,
are now on exhibition in the cabinet of the Association.




8
Government, &c.-The withdrawal or retirement of
the Imperial forces from Sonora, followed up by the Liberals,
is steadily restoring some degree of order and quite to the
country, and will thus remove the most serious difficulty to
early and successful mining. We propose to be pioneers of
the great American wave of miners that will flow in by the
ocean from San Francisco, or roll down from the segregated
mines of Arizona to the great fissure mines of Northern
Sonora.
The contrast between the small mining properties of our
country-with lodes only a few hundred feet long, valued at
half a million to millions of dollars, and annually exporting
an aggregate of $20,000,000 of silver and $50,000,000 of
gold-and our own, will exhibit in formidable proportions
the San Juan del Rio property; with its numerous rich lodes
extending miles in length and thousands of feet in depth.
But with all the latent wealth of this large and valuable
property, and the practicability of making it available, your
Committee, in the light of experience in mining generally,
would earnestly recommend the employment of men not only
of practical and scientific ability, but who will, beyond a fixed
living salary from your limited working capital, be satisfied
with a liberal percentage of what it is reasonable to expect
may be set aside as a dividend within tw o years.
Confiding in the integrity of the special report of the
Messrs. CHERRY, as to the numerous extensive and rich veins
of gold, silver, lead, copper, &c., and the practicability of erecting a dam and machinery during the year, and the reasonable amount of outlay to reach a producing point, it is not
extravagant to say that, before the close of two years, the
net products will be equal to at least two thousand dollars
per day, exceeding a half million dollars annually.
Five per cent. of such profits, added to a fixed moderate
salary, will greatly exceed the salary paid to any manager




9
of ninety-nine in a hundred of the largest mining and
manufacturing companies of this country. To expend your
working capital in large salaries before reaching a productive point, will not only foolishly exhaust your means,
but destroy confidence in your management, and prevent
capitalists from uniting with you in furnishing means. The
mutual success of capital and skill requires mutual confidence
in results; the one hesitating defeats the other. You can
alone hope for the bountiful rewards of nature from a liberal
expenditure of skill and labor, with a prudent outlay of money.
In the difference between receipts and outlays consists your
profits, and only as you are watchful of these will this property pay. The policy we recommend is the only one that
is mutual, as well as just and protective to stockholders;
and now, on the eve of inaugurating an enterprise that may
be made a perpetual institution, yielding annually from fifty
to one hundred per cent. dividends on your stock of One
Million of Dollars, is the time to require skill, economy, industry, and honesty, in all your operations, induced by a
liberal remuneration from the property itself, and all conducted in a business-like manner, disallowing of the least
indebtedness beyond your available means. This policy, of
a liberal interest in the net profits, will stimulate managers
to realize more than any certain yet large salaries, especially at a point distant and impracticable for the stockholders
to visit, and is the strongest guarantee of a wise administration of their interests.
Your mining agents can readily appreciate and confide in
this plan for compensation; and hesitancy on their part might
well create doubts about your ability to long continue to pay
salaries at all. By a firm adherence to this policy, we are
confident you can raise $200,000 from the sales of your reserved stock, with which to make your mines certainly productive, and your stock, within twelve months, worth par.




10
Our confidence in the Report of Messrs. CHERRY is greatly
increased from the fact of their assenting to its publication
at an early day, endorsed with their reputation for truthfulness and ability, and encourages us to hope for the above
results.  We may reasonably expect they will, as stockholders, and as discoverers and locators of your mines and
property, unite with you in this policy, and arrange to be
your Managing Agents. We recommend, in addition to a
fixed salary, that you pay them each five per cent. of such
sums as may be set apart annually or semi-annually for dividends. If you can thus arrange with them, we recommend
an immediate organization of a Stock Company of One Million of Dollars, in shares of one hundred dollars.
The Geological and Mining Report of your Agents, Messrs.
CHERRY, is probably the most scientific and reliable now to be
obtained of Northern Mexico, and fully confirms the unanimous record of historians and explorers for hundreds of years,
that North-eastern Sonora is richer in the precious minerals
than any other known territory. The difficulties surmounted
by them, resulting from the present war iu Mexico and the
presence of the contending armies, coupled with their final
success in securing what is probably the finest mining property in Mexico, gives us great confidence in their future
management in its development, under the policy here
recommended.
WM. T. PERKINS,
EDGAR CONKLING,
RICHARD H. COLLINS,
WILLIAM WOOD,
JOHN R. WRIGHT,
JACKSON SLANE,
Committee.




11
OFFICE OF PITTSBURGH AND BOSTON MINING COMPANY.
PITTSBURGH, July 7, 1865.
CUMMINGS CHERRY, ESQ., Dear Sir:
Mr. Carpenter called yesterday to see me in relation to
your qualifications to serve his Cincinnati friends in their
projected enterprise in Sonora.
I stated to him that for the last twelve or fifteen years
you had been absent from Pittsburgh, and employed in the
mining regions of the West, where I had no doubt you had
acquired much valuable information in relation to the geological and mineralogical character of the country.  That
your knowledge was no doubt rather of a practical than
scientific character, acquired from observation and experience
amongst the rocks, more than from the study of books.
That in the summer of 1845 you had been employed to explore a tract of land belonging to this Company, in the then
new field of mining enterprise on the southern shore of Lake
Superior. That your operations were conducted with skill
and good judgment, and were eminently successful, resulting
in what has since been known as the " Cliff Mine," and from
which there has been extracted between six and seven millions of dollars worth of Copper. That your business relations with the Company during the brief period you were
in its employ had been in all respects satisfactory. That
while I had known but little of your business history during
your absence, I had heard nothing to your prejudice in business ffairs, nor as to your loyalty to the Government.
Yours respectfully,
THOMAS M. HOWE, Sec'y P.' B. M. Co.
C. F. HUSSEY, President.
I. CHIILDS, One of the Board of Directors








GEOLOGICAL REPORT
BY
CUMMINGS CHERRY.
To the Members of the Cincinnati Mining t Land Association
of Sonora, Mexico:
GENTLEMEN:
In the Articles of Agreement entered into the thirteenth
day of July, 1865, it was desired that in locating lands under the grant therein described, I should have special regard
to the greatest concentration of minerals, together with
water, fire-wood, timber, salt, water-power, and accessibility
to market   In my April report from Sonora, I remarked
that 1 had determined upon securing the San Juan del Rio
Ranche, for the reason that "among all the lands owned,
operated or abandoned, which I had seen in my tour of investigation, I believed the lands which would be comprised
in a survey of this property, contained the greatest concentration of the advantages which were deemed requisite to a
location of your grant." In after investigations, I saw no
reasons to induce me to change this conclusion; and that it
was not arrived at hurriedly, or without due investigation,
you will understand when I inform you that before determining it, I visited the minerales of Iermosillo and vicinity,
(Ubarbold, El Aguaje and Subiate,) of San Miguel, San
Jose de Gracia, Babiacara, Ieupaca, Banamachi, Babicano
ra, Cumpas, San Juan Bautiste, Oposura, Tepache, Lam Pa
sos, Promontorio, San Juan del Rio, Valenzuello, Nacosari.
Fronteras, Bacuachi, Cananea, Santa Cruz, Planchas de




14
Plata, Sarique, Magdalena, Santa Theresa, Agua Priets, Cajon de la Brisca, and very many others whose names I could
not ascertain; that, in fact, I visited every section of Northern Sonora wherein I was informed or imagined there existed mineral veins or deposits. I afterwards succeeded in
securing this San Juan del Rio property for you, as you
will perceive from my General Report, and the documents
herewith accompanying.
LOCATION, EXTENT AND TOPOGRAPHY.
The lands of San Juan del Rio, which comprise those of
the ancient Ranche of this name, are situated on the Yaqui
River, the river coursing through the longitudinal centre of
the tract —in latitude 30~ 40' North, and longitude
109~ West. They are 5 leagues North of the Mexican
town of Oputo, about 15 leagues South of the Arizona line,
and 20 leagues West of the Chihuahua line. The distance
from the port of Guaymas is 90 leagues.  The official survey names the extent of lands, as designated by the boundary monuments which were erected, to be slightly less than
four square Mexican leagues, though by accurate measurement there are undoubtedly six leagues or more.
The topographical features of the lands are parallel mountain ranges, the intervals between which are plains having
a gradual descent from the sierras into a valley of bottom
lands of considerable extent.  The plains are not always
regular, being cut up by creek beds and tributary canions,
or broken by occasional low spurs or ranges of the loftier
sierras, and forming in their intervals almost isolated valleys
and plateaus; thus giving to the face of the country a
mixed or corrugated appearance.
The main mountains are the first steppes of the Sierra
Madre, west, lying parallel with the river and forming respectively the East and West limits of these lands.  They




15
rise to a hight of 5000 to 7000 feet and are dissimilar in
topography to those parallel ranges yet further West, which,
as they approach the California Gulf, become more irregular
and broken in their appearance, or those of the North West,
which form isolated peaks or detached groups.
ANCIENT HISTORY.
This property forms the centre of a very ancient mining
district, whose " mines were legion and ores unsurpassed in
richness."  Being among the first spots selected by the
cultivated Jesuits for the building up of a future home, they
quickly brought into subjection the luxuriant wildness of
its valleys, and developed the veins of wealth buried in its
rugged mountains, until, in the language of those who lived
and wrote in those days, it became the "most delightful
spot in Mexico." Even at this late day, when we view the
evidences of the former existence of a large and flourishing
community, in the ruined haciendas and smelting furnaces,
and stumble over the dilapidated acequias [irrigating canals]
and among the tangled fruit shrubberies, mounds and tumulis, with lines of earth-works, and find fragments of pottery
upon every ridge, and note, in all these ruins, a finish and
design bespeaking for their projectors a higher grade of
civilization than has since visited this unfortunate country,
we can imagine how it were possible to make it worthy of
even such extravagant encomiums.  On March 5th, 1742,
when prosperity was at its hight, and the towns were teeming with people and wealth, the Apache Indians made a descent upon it; and in a few hours the settlements of Oputo,
Tren, Nori, Toapatz, Terras, Joriquipe, Cherunivava, Pinal,
Garrigon, Rel Viejo, Aguaje, Huacal, Nacosari, and Pefia
were laid waste.  The people of Toapatz, Tren, Nori and
Joriquipe were all massacred, and there were very few survivers from any. A few venturesome spirits repopulated




16
Cherunivava; but two years after the real was again attacked,
and its people killed and houses destroyed. Since then no
effort has been made to settle these old reals. In 1800, or
shortly after, the mines of the Sierra Valenzuello were discovered by gambucinos, the first who had ventured thus far
since the depopulation, 60 years before. So productive were
the mines that their fame spread to the southern towns and
neighboring State, and soon, a considerable mining population had gathered.  The mining real of San Juan del Rio
was quickly built up, forming a large town; reduction furnaces were erected, and prosperity and activity again ruled.
Had this activity been permitted to continue, but a short
time would have elapsed until the long abandoned mines of
the Jesuits would again have been made to yield their tributes of riches to the adventurous; but the Apaches again
swarmed in on the almost defenceless people, and being emboldened by the slight resistance shown, they attacked the
town, and but few survivors were left to tell the result. Oputo,
5 leagues below, has lately been repopulated; but none of the
native inhabitants except an occasional party of gambucinos
have ventured farther North.
GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY.
Geologically the formations of San Juan del Rio differ
very materially from those of the more westerly ranges, and
particularly, of the North West, (for a description of which
see General Report); and in proportion to this diference is
the increased degree of mineral wealth.  The main ranges
consist principally of the granitic and metamorphic rocks,
the leading crests being capped by a compact gray sienite,
having a crystalline base of amphibole, greenish in cast,
scattered through which are grains of orthoclase (glassy
feldspar), and crystals of actinolite.
I have seen the orthoclase form the main compound, ac



17
companied by hornblende in elongated crystals, though these
are exceptions. Gneiss and slates are rarely found on the
flanks of the sierras, though in the Western (Nacosari)
chain they begin to make their appearance; and in the San
Juan Bautiste range are found the slates of the pa!aeozoic,
sedimentary beds, strongly metamorphosed and twisted and
curved until it is almost impossible to trace their relation to
other rocks of the formation. On the lower hills is an amorphous hypogene-a cellular black rock, usually in contact
with a reddish wacke. The quaternary deposits, stratified
and composed of the detritus of the underlying formations,
are found only on the mountain flanks, and seem to be the
outer edge of that vast area of quaternary deposits which
stretch away to the Gulf coast, and to the Colorado River.
The lacrustine deposits of the Bacuachi, Cucurpe and Santa
Cruz sections are almost wanting; as are also much of their
metamorphosed sandstones and limestones. On the valley
plateaus, but never extending up to the main crests, are the
stratified conglomerates which form so great a part of the
surface formations of the country; they occur in strata of
variable texture and thickness, but composed of the quartziferous and feldspathic porphyries of the sierras. In some
instances these conglomerates are capped with trappean or
basaltic rocks, which form the mountain flanks. The great
feature of this section, however, and that which gives it
merit above others, is its porphyries which are pre-eminent.
ly metalliferous.  These are of different varieties, though
they are principally quartziferous, and not solely hornblendic as some writers have affirmed.  The prevailing character is a diorite porphyry, a compact crystalline with a dark
greenish cast, and where exposed, discolored through atmospheric action upon the hornblende contained in it; it is particularly distinguished by albite replacing the oithoclase.
This is the only locality in which I have seen this diorite
(2)




18
make its appearance. Another class of porphyry, a cor
pact, gray quartziferous with numerous crystals of opaque
triclinic feldspar plates of mica and specks of magnetic ore,
is prevalent. Higher up are the trachytic porphyries. In
contact with the diorite is an amygdaloid, quartziferous and
containing delessite with numerous crystals of triclinic feldspar. These rocks are the true metalliferous rocks of the
Sierra Madre, and their non-appearance, or the lateral disturbances to which they have been subjected in some places
in Western and North Western Sonora, accounts in a degree for the uncertain and irregular nature of veins in those
places.
I note, in this connection, the absence in this region of
the volcanic peaks, which are so numerous in the North
Western fields, and, in consequence, no indications of lateral eruptions which in those other sections have curved, twisted and metamorphosed the differing formations into one conglomeration. I do note the occurrence of a few faults fracturing the surface rocks, but I find they are confined to
them and do not affect the relations of the lower strata.
They may be accounted for by tension and shrinkage; and
it is not difficult to ascertain the amount of their displace.
ment, since stratified rocks of dissimilar character are thus
brought into contact. The mineral veins and even the trap.
pean dykes occurring in the formation have all a general
parallelism to each other, from which we must infer that
here there has been but a single period of eruption, and that
to this period the veins of San Juan del Rio owe their ori.
gin.  Not so, however, in the disturbed ranges of the West
or volcanic region of the North West, where-as is shown in
my General Report-we have anomalies of geology at every
step, primitive rocks capping tertiary, conglomerates carrying sections of quartz veins, mineral veins thrown long distances from their "mother " formations into those directly




19
antagonistic, or cut off by a plutonic, quaternary cutting igneous, and granites, basalts, and amygdaloids inextricably
mixed among sandstones, limestones and quaternary, or
fused together in a confused mass; all tending to prove the
occurrence here of many epochs of dislocation, and of lateral eruptions following the first grand upheaval of the Sierra Madre above the ocean. The mineral veins in such dis.
turbed sections are found running parallel with the cleavage
planes of the formations in which they occur; while those of
the San Juan del Rio are found at the junction of formations of dissimilar geological character-as for instance between the diorite and amygdaloid, or the diorite and feldspathic-or occur across the cleavage of the plane.
MODE OF OCCURRENCE OF FISSURES.
It would, perhaps, be difficult to determine with accuracy
the geological epoch during which the successive chains of
the Sierra Madre were uplifted. I have inferred from the
geognostic position of the strata that this event took
place during the tertiary period.  That the East and West
parallel ranges were conjointly upheaved with the mother
sierra is evident; though, from the overthrow in the
tertiary strata forming a feature of the flanking ranges
of the great central upheaval, it would appear that the
period of convulsion continued during a considerable aftertime. That the fissures-which have since been filled with
mineral matter-were either formed in this epoch or in the
eruptive ones following is without doubt; though the determination of the particular epoch in which they were formed,
bears very pertinently on their value as repositories of precious metals.  The forces-imprisoned gases or vaporswhich tended to cause the upheaval, would also operate to
rend apart the solid strata as a means of escape. Near the
axis these forces would naturally seek the surface from their




20
imprisoned depths, rending their way vertically or nearly so,
and against the plane of cleavage of the superincumbent
strata, or seeking the junction of formations where less resistance would be encountered. Such was the nature of the
action which formed fissures in the parallel ranges of San
Juan del Rio, and the veins which have been formed in these
fissures are true fissure veins-in other words "veins of
great linear extent and indefinite depth, filled with an aggregation of mineral matter, with metalliferous ores differing
in character from and posterior to the walls in which they
are encased."  On the outer arc of the circle of upheaval
fissures would also be formed, but rather from the vibration
from the great disturbance, which vibration we must suppose would disturb, shiver and crack the outer-crusts from
the surface downward, without, however, penetrating to great
depth; or they may be first called into existence from the
settling of the disturbed upheaval, much on the same principle which causes cracks in clays from shrinkage, or in other words from a force of tension, rather than eruption.
Such openings are naturally superficial and irregular, and in
volcanic ranges where lateral eruptions have occurred, are
interrupted in their continuity.
SEGREGATED MINERAL VEINS.
A segregated mineral vein never can possess permanency,
and no large mining enterprise based upon such a vein can
be of a legitimate character, or prove successful  Without
enlarging on this fact, its-Correctness is proven in the very
many stupendous mining enterprises, eventually failures, of
Mexico and Arizona, established upon such mineral occurrences, and supported by American and European capital.
Veins of a segregated and gash origin are usually richer in
metals near the surface than are true veins; and our mining
associations or their agents-who have, perhaps, never beheld




21
a metalliferous vein before, and cannot recognize the precious metals unless they bear Uncle Sam's stamp, and, assuredly, know nothing of their ores-become blinded by the
glitter of surface wealth, and ignore the fact that such veins
are liable to be contracted or terminate altogether at no
considerable depth below the surface, and cannot be depended on as a source of wealth;-else they are unscrupulously
speculative. While a segregated mineral vein may give fair
remuneration to two, three or four individuals of the " bone
and sinew " class, who have sufficient stamina to go upon
them, and themselves labor in removing the ores, which being so near the surface may be advantageously done by
pick and shovel, and extract the metals in the simple but
slow methods of the country; to a large mining association
whose members are at a distance, and must depend upon the
industry, economy and foresight (practical knowledge) of a
salaried agent for the success of their enterprise, they will
ever prove most disastrous failures. They will not warrant
the erection of machinery upon them, or for the reduction
of ores, the employing of miners, and making of improvements; by which I mean the erection of such adobe huts as
may be needed for shelter, and the payment of a superintendent, without mentioning the kid glove officials, photographists, telegraph operators, astronomers, artists, authors
and philosophers, whom some mining associations have
deemed very essential to success.
TRUE VEINS, AND THEIR MODE OF OCCURRENCE.
True fissure veins are the grand repositories of the precious metals.  Their fissures are regular and permanent,
and their ores are ever more numerous and evenly disseminated throughout the vein matrix. This will more readily
be appreciated by looking into the mode of occurrence of
the ores of true veins. Fissures, after being formed in the




22
manner I have explained, naturally become channels for the
percolation of water, which in passing through different
strata of formation, become charged, more or less, with various metallic and mineral compounds. This fluid while
highly heated and under intense pressure of the immense
superincumbent mass-for it penetrates to great depthsand probably already holding in solution acidiferous sub.
stances, becomes a solvent in different forms of all the elements entering into the structure of the encasing rocks.
Such solution, passing through an almost interminable fissure
and coming in contact with different strata, may be so influenced by the electric chemical action thus aroused as to
combine directly with and gather the metalliferous particles
previously existing in the rocks, and upon passing into a
different circulation of currents, or coming in contact with
a compound differing in nature, slowly deposit the metallic
substance upon the walls of the fissure; and the result is the
formation of a true mineral vein in which the chemical pro.
cess of formation and the dissemination of mineral will have
been complete in proportion as depth below the antagonism
of the elements is attained. Though in the Western and
North Western portions of Sonora the greatest number of
the veins are segregated, I could not with justice rank
them all as such; there are true veins apparently isolated.
In the parallel ranges occurring in the San Juan del Rio
property, however, are the only systems of true fissure veins
I have seen in the country; and in this fact is one of my
pertinent reasons for preferring its lands over others. I had
in view your desire, expressed verbally, to secure only such
property as you could fearlessly and honestly represent as
property of merit and permanent value.
I have spoken of the ancient history of the San Juan
del Rio property, and immediate vicinity. I have seen no
locality in all my investigations wherein are equal evidean




23
oes of a former extensive mining prosperity. I was prepared to see indications of old mines, but not in such surprising frequency and extent.  From  the river banks,
pack-trails wind in labyrinthian folds up and down mountains, through canons and over precipitous ridges, until they
arrive at ancient workings, where one would least think of
searching for them. We find these old workings crumbled
in and filled with debris, and grown over with dense thickets
of mesquit, giving evidence of the great lapse of time during which they have been undisturbed, and making it
almost impossible to discern them, were it not for the debris
banks in their vicinity. Near them are the crumbled walls
of their reduction haciendas, immense heaps of scoria from
their furnaces, and decayed towns.  As if these were not
sufficient for the wants of this ancient mining community,
we find on the river banks within the space of a league, the
ruins of four other towns seemingly of former extent, and
other reduction works and slag heaps, all, too, grown over
with mesquit and other trees 6 inches to 2 feet in diameter.
TOAPATZ MINES.
Half a league back of the ruins of Toapatz are numerous
rubbish banks and nearly filled openings, the only existing
evidences of a series of rich and profitably worked mines.
So long, however, have they been abandoned, and so very
few were the survivors of the Apache descent upon them,
(none, it is believed, escaped from Toapatz and neighboring
towns,) that the names by which they were designated are
now unknown, and tradition can give no particulars beyond
the fact that they were extensive and rich.  I could determine only from the debris and encasing rocks, and from appearances at the slight depth I could attain in the openings,
that their veins were well defined, with even and striated
walls. I examined the debris banks for specimens of the




24
ores, but they had been so carefully culled over by the
gambucinos that I could find none.  From the furnace
scoria, and also from portions of vein matter which I secured
from the best preserved openings, I could determine, however, that the ores were principally argentiferous (smelting ores)
-the resultants, in part, of the decomposition of sulphurets,
occurring in ferruginous earths, though from certain appearances of " azogue" ores (black and gray sulphurets) in
debris from the most extensive workings, I should conclude
that the zone of decomposition is not great. The veinsare
a foot to five feet in width, and show evidence of an increase
with depth below the surface.
SAN JUAN DEL RIO MINES.
South West of the old town of San Juan del Rio, and in
its vicinity, is another ancient mining section, with equal
evidences of numerous old mines and extensive workings,
also unknown, except that "its mines were successfully operated contemporary with those of the Toapatz; and abandoned with the extinction" of its people by the Apaches.
The remarks concerning the ores, etc., of the Toapatz are
equally applicable to these. In late years, armed parties of
gambucinos have visited these mines on several occasions,
and secured considerable ores from their dirt piles, and, also,
from the best preserved openings, which they have packed to
Oputo upon their backs, and there reduced by smelting;
in this manner securing 2 to 3- marcs [8 dollars] to the
arroba [25 pounds.] These ores are highly valued by the
miners, because of the ease and simplicity of their reduction.  I formed a favorable opinion of these abandoned
mines of Toapatz real and vicinity.




25
VALENZUELLO MOUNTAIN.- MINERAL OCCURRENCES.
The most celebrated, because the most recently worked
and best known, of the mines occurring in the San Juan del
Rio property, are those which occur in the Valenzuello
mountain —so called from its principal mine. This mount dn is in the north-east corner of the property, and located
as laid down in the chart of survey. It occurs at thte foot
of the main mountain, surrounded by others, and entirely
encircled by arroyas [creeks,] which meet and discharge
themselves at the south-east end, in a canion connecting with
the river. It has a rounded appearance, gradually tapering
at either end, and rising to a hight of over 600 feet above
the creek beds. In geological features, it agrees with the
statement I have already given. The mountain is about a
league long, and half a league wide, or perhaps wider, and
it contains th3 most complete system of contemporaneous
metalliferous veins I have seen in the country. They are
eight in number, six of which have bold and regular outcrops, while the others show surface indications of their existence and course. There are occurrences of the surface
rocks which would have me form the belief that even more
metalliferous veins than those which I have recognized, occur in the mountain, and, with a little attention, may be discovered. The veins have a course N. 17~ E., and pass diagonally through the mountain from arroya to arroya, and
disappear in the adjacent ranges; thus giving to them a
linear extent of nearly a league, in which they present bold
outcrops, with neither fault nor irregularity visible. Tradition and record have preserved the names by which six
of them were designated. They occur from east to west, in
the order in which I give their names, viz.: Valenzuello,
San Juan, San Patricio, Santa Helena, San Nicholas, and
San Filepe. The occurrence of encasing rocks, vein matrices
and ores in the mines, and in all the veins occurring in this




26
mountain, is so nearly identical, that a description of one
may, with equal correctness, apply to all.
VALENZUELLO MINE.
The Valenzuello is the most ancient of these mines, and,
seemingly the most extensively worked. It was first discovered by a Mexican named Valenzuello, and worked by
him for a period of two years: during which, from his and
others' statements, he extracted metals which yielded him
over two millions of dollars. In his prosperity, he erected
a church at Oputo, which is yet standing, and made a custom to take his stand upon its roof, and throw handsful of
money to the scrambling crowd below.
Through the removal of the pillars of support by the in.
evitable gambucino and the action of time, portions of the
encasing rocks and rubbish had fallen into the openings,
nearly filling them. I believe, however, from the linear extent of the old workings, and the limited quantities of rubbish at any single point, that work was prosecuted along the
vein, rather than down upon it; and, in consequence, its
lower workings have not attained great depths, not more,
perhaps, than 120 to 150 feet. I took advantage of the
deepest existing excavations, to descend some 40 feet below
the surface. The vein occurs across the cleavage of the
plane of formation, a diorite with a heavy, blackish green cast,
and of a compact crystalline texture, with triclinic albite,
having a bluish opalescence, and crystals of thulite epidote.
These encasing rocks are strongly defined, regular and
striated; the vein is nearly vertical, with a matrix of quartz,
ferruginous, and comby, within the zone of decomposition,
and below, a compact crystalline; its thickness at the surface is six feet, which, at the lowest depth I could penetrate,
had increased to ten feet, and was, seemingly, continuing to
widen with depth. The original ores are the "azogue " and




27
"patanque" of the Mexican miners, changed to the "colorados," or smelting ores, near the surface. Chloride and
chloro-bromide (embolite) occur in the ferruginous gangue;
in the quartz is the black sulphuret and polybasite, accompanied by blende, and a little lead. Native silver occurs in
the comby parts of the vein, and particularly at the junction
of the chloride and sulphuret. The ores seemed very
thickly and evenly disseminated throughout the vein; and
in the bottom of the excavation in which I examined, the
sulphuret and antimonial ores, with their accompanying
minerals, seemed to form an almost solid mass from wall
to wall.
SAN PATRICIO.
The San Patricio vein outcrops very boldly; its crest ores
stand ten to twenty feet above the surface, and thus
continue up the mountain sides and the summit ridge without break, interruption, or irregularity in its course. It is
a surprisingly well defined vein. The outcrop shows vitreous stains of copper, and specks of silver glance. Excavations had been made upon the vein from the arroya where
it intersected it. I could determine nothing of their extent,
as they were filled in with the rubbish, washed in during
high water; and the greater part of the debris from the
mine had been carried away through the same cause. On
the extreme summit peak of the mountain-over 600 feet
above the arroyas-and where the vein crosses, an excavation had been made, partially in the quartz gangue, and
partly in a syenite, here overlying the diorite. I could
not determine, correctly, the width of the vein from this
opening, as it exposed but one of the walls, though, from
the appearance of its outcrop, I concluded it was not less
than 20 feet wide. All the varieties of ores which are
found in the Valenzuello, occur here; though the chlorides




28
and chloro-bromides are found only near the junction of the
vein matrix with the encasing walls, and are necessarily in
very limited quantities. This vein has undergone very
slight changes through decomposition from its original form,
and, as a result, the sulphuret ores occur at, or very near
the surface; and this may account for the fact that it has
not been so extensively worked by the ancients as the Valenzuello and other neighboring ones. The ores have an increase in blende and galena over those of the Valenzuello,
and occurrences of stromeyerite, (silver-copper glance); the
matrix is not so heavily charged with them, and they would
require to be assorted-though it is doing injustice to judge
of this class of ores, which require a reasonable depth to
complete their chemical formation and distribution, from surface specimens.
The matrix of the San Juan shows blue and green carbonates of copper, with black manganese and specks of
silver glance in the surface outcrop. The Santa Helena,
San Nicholas, and San Filepe, have a number of old excavations which are now hardly discernible. They were,
seemingly, confined to the decomposed ores, and were of
linear extent rather than depth. This will apply also to the
other veins whose names are unknown. Their matrices and
distribution of ores are identical with the Valenzuello, and
differ in a similar ratio from the San Patricio. The vertical
extent of the ferruginous gangue and its accompanying
chloride and chloro-bromide ores I imagine to be a medium
between the two above described. As metalliferous veins,
they are equally as promising and worthy of attention. The
vein of San Juan is five feet wide, Santa Helena eight feet,
San Nicholas five feet, and San Filepe four feet; the other
veins are each three to six feet in thickness on the surface,
and, like the Valenzuello, are liable to widen with depth.




29
LAS PLOMOSAS.
To the west of the Valenzuello mountain, are two mines,
which may not properly be classed with those occurring in
its limits. I could not learn their names, except that they
were "Minas las Plomosas" (the lead mines), nor secure
any reliable information as to the period in which they were
worked; though, I imagine, from their excavations, they
were operated during both periods of activity which have
visited this section. I will describe the principal one. The
vein occurs in a grayish feldspathic granite, coarsely crystaline; the matrix is quartz, and the ores are an argentiferous
galena, which, near the surface, is found changed to a carbonate of lead. It averages six inches to three feet in thickness, and is otherwise well defined. It has been extensively
worked, though recent cavings deterred us from exploring
its depths, which are not very considerable-I should think
150 feet. The neighboring mine has a similar occurrence
of encasing rocks and ores, though it has not been so extensively worked. These mines have also been resorted to in
late years by gambucinos, who packed the ores to Oputo
upon their backs, and there reduced them, securing 1to 3 marcs of silver per arroba. They tell of finding
masses of silver in its native state, near the surface; they
were the resultants of decomposition-the metal having become separated, and concentrated into dendritic bunches.
They also tell of the existence of several labors in good
ores in the principal mine, but which they can not now
reach, because of recent cavings.
In locating the San Juan del Rio property, my object
was not only to secure the great concentration of mines ard
metalliferous veins which it presented in itself, and which
alone made it superior to others, but also, to encompass
within its limits the essentials of successful mining, viz.:
timber, water-powers, agricultural lands, and road facilities,




80
so that, if desired, the rich mines of the Nacosari range to
the north and north-west might be within its control. In
this purpose I was successful.
JORIQUIPE PLACERS.
Following the Joriquipe canon-which enters the Yaqui
River in the north-west corner of the San Juan del Rio
property-for a distance of 1- leagues west, we enter a
quaternary, which was formerly worked extensively for its
placer gold. Before the abandonment of the country, and
when the neighboring mines were being worked, several
hundred miners gathered at these placers every season.
The evidences of their success are visible in the many heavy
excavations made in the diluvium, and in the ruins of a
large mining real-Joriquipe Pueblo. These placers were
only available during the rainy season-from June to November. On the elevated flats, the surface of the deposits
are generally covered with a reddish loam, mixed with small
gravel; while on the bed rock, and above it, is a stratum
containing bowlders and gravel, in which the gold is found
in coarse flakes. It was no uncommon thing to find nuggets
weighing from one to five ounces. These placers are extensive, and, during the rainy season, may be profitably
worked.
SAN PEDRO.
Continuing west from Joriquipe, a distance of 3 leagues
brings us to the San Pedro mine and real, abandoned since
the Apache descent in 1742. The mine, which is on the
side of a mountain, first attracted me by the immense quantities of rubbish which had been thrown from it. The ancient works consist of an immense open cut, up and over the
mountain, and continuing into other elevations, the length
of which can not be less than a mile. This cut varies from




81
3 to 15 feet in width, and is open in places to a depth of
50 feet, but with rubbish in the bottom, which would indicate that it had been deeper. Here, as elsewhere in this
section, I found that the banks of waste had been so
carefully culled over, that I could scarcely find a sufficient
vestige of the ores to determine their character. The
mountain formation is a fine grained quartziferous porphyry
with quartz crystals and pyramidal pink crystals of orthoclase. The parting from the vein is not smooth, and, in the
portions which have been worked, masses of the quartz
gangue of the vein yet remain attached to them. The vein
is, however, strongly defined, and a true fissure vein. Its
ores are argentiferous galena, containing. heavy percentage of silver, and chloride in the more ferruginous and decomposed veinstones.  Native silver accompanying the
chloride is very frequent. Tradition and documentary evidence are eloquent in speaking of the extreme richness of
the ores of this mine.
One hundred yards north of the San Pedro, and in the
same mountain, is another vein running parallel. It has
been worked in a number of places to a considerable extent.
The vein matrix is 3 to 5 feet thick, and the ores are similar to those of the San Pedro.
On the south side of the mountain is an ancient mine,
having three openings, connected by a taho, or open cut
upon the vein. This taho is about 150 yards in length; its
depth was not great, but portions of the encasing walls and
of the rubbish on its edges had fallen, and been washed into
it. Two of the mouths or openings were closed; the other
was partially open, into which I descended thirty feet to
where it had caved. ThQ ores do not differ from the San
Pedro varieties. The old real of San Pedro, in the immediate vicinity, had been large and substantially built, and
the immense heaps of scoria visible show to what extent
the ores of the neighboring mines had been worked.




82
HUACAL.
Scarcely half a mile from the San Pedro, is the Huacal,
of which tradition speaks as being a mine of nearly pure
silver. Immense dirt heaps high up on the mountain side,
are the first evidences we have of the existence of this mine.
There are a series of excavations along the course of the
vein, some to a depth of one hundred feet. What is supposed
to be the main opening is pointed out; it is now covered
with debris, and tradition has it that it was designedly
closed by the former owners when obliged to abandon it.
However this may be, it is very evident that this mine has
been rich, and profitably worked. The encasing walls are
similar to the formation of the San Pedro mountain, except
that there is an appearance of petrosilex. The vein is
strong and well defined, almost vertical, and with an easy
parting from the walls; its quartz gangue is a soft, decomposed crystalline, through which the ores are thickly and
evenly disseminated. Its ores are argentiferous, accompanied by native silver. In the rubbish from the openings
I found antimonial sulphuret of lead and silver (frieslebenite) and black sulphuret occurrences, which would have
me believe that in the deeper workings these ores were
making their appearance. The width of the vein is abovr
five feet. The ruins of the ancient real of Huacal, with the
ever accompanying scoria piles, are at the'foot of the
mountain.
EL ROSARIO.
Yet a mile further west, and situated high up on the
southern face of a lofty mountain, is the El Rosario mine,
which has been very extensively worked. An open cut
follows the vein a distance of several hundred yards; there
are several nearly vertical openings, the principal one of
which may be descended to a depth of 200 feet. It is ap



83
parent that at this depth excavations have been made a
considerable distance in the vein, though cavings have
occurred which will not permit them to be explored. The
encasing formation is a compact gray porphyry, containing
triclinic mica and quartz crystals. The vein is exceedingly
well defined and is nearly vertical. The predominating ore
is a chloro-bromide, accompanied with argentiferous galena
and blende, the latter barely distinguishable. The vein has
been worked to a width of 6 to 10 feet, and it is evident
that in its workings a superior system of mining to that
which has generally been followed in this country was adopted. It would appear that this mine has been one of superior
merit.
On, the northern face of the mountain are several
workings, all of extent. One of these is supposed to be a
continuation of the Rosario; the others-two in number —
occur on veins; one three and the other five feet wide.
Their formations and ores are identical with those of the
Rosario.
DON EDUARDO.
South-west of the San Pedro but a short distance is the
Don Eduardo, which has seemingly been little worked. A
shaft sunk on the vein outcrop on the side of a ravine had
partially caved, leaving the opening about 20 feet in depth.
The rubbish from the. excavation contained a few samples
of the ore, which I found to be a bromyerite (bromic silver),
accompanied by small crystals of a beautiful azurite (a blue
carbonate of copper, differing from malachite in containing
a hydrated oxide in conjunction with the carbonate), occurring in a matrix of silicious clay and comby barytes. I think
if put to a careful test the gangue will be found to contain
small particles of both silver and copper, in their native
state. The vein is well defined, occurring in a feldspathic
(3)




84
granite, with triclinic amphodelite of a dingy red, and prismatic mica. It can be traced by its outcrop a distance of
a mile or more. It is evident that its class of ores sWere
not understood by the native-miners.
CHERUNIVAVA.
In the midst of mines whose riches occasioned astonishment, the Cherunivava was the mine par excellence of the
Jesuits. It occurs about three leagues north-west of San
Juan del Rio, and the amount of work done upon it is certainly immense. The vein ores average six feet in width,
though in many places they have been worked to a width
of twenty feet. It is now impossible to determine the depth
of the openings, as the walls of the extensive open cut following the vein along the mountain side have in many places
caved, covering the deeper openings. Even where such
caves have occurred, however, the cut remains open one
hundred feet in depth. Though I here again made diligent
search in the waste banks, I could find no pieces of the ore,
so carefully had they been gathered; and I could only form
conclusions from what was exposed in the bottom of the
taho. The wall formations are a diorite, the quartz gangue
is an opaque white variety, and the accompanying ores are
the chloro-bromide, with native silver and gold-*very rich.
The vein can be traced into the ravine and the adjoining
elevation. Indications of the walls which once surrounded
what are supposed to have been the main openings into the
mine, and also of the ore houses and quarters of the guard
placed over them, are yet visible.
On the northern end of the hill is a taho quite as extensive as the one already described, but in as dilapidated a
condition.  It is upon a parallel vein, and in appearance
and character is similar to the main mine.




85
PINAL.
The Pinal, between San Juan del Rio and Cherunivava,
and two leagues from the former place, occurs-as do all
mines in Mexico-on a mountain side. The course of its
vein is north-west and south-east; it has four openings, the
deepest of which is now 130 feet, though the inevitable
caving has here again taken place. The encasing formation is similar to that of the Cherunivava, with a well defined and strong vein six feet wide. I had the usual success
in my search for specimens of the ores, though I determined they were the chloro-bromide and argentiferous galena, with native gold and silver; the ores contain a heavy
percentage of gold, which is seemingly the predominating
metal of the mine.
GARRIGON.
Half a league nearly due west of the Pinal are the Garrigon mines, a number of excavations of extent, occurring
on nearly parallel veins. The principal workings are in the
form of open cuts upon the veins, with an oceasional vertical opening following the metals down. These mines have
suffered severely through the depredations of time, and but
little can be determined concerning them beyond that which
we can see in their present existing workings. The veins
are three to six feet in width, and are regular and strongly
defined, and their ores are similar in character to those occurring in the Cherunivava. The invariable accompaniments-a ruined mining real and banks of scoria from the
once existing reduction furnaces-are here; and in their
existence is ever presented a reliable evidence of the former
richness and prosperity of their mines.




86
TAHO AND SAN NICHOLAS.
Continuing west, a distance of two leagues from the Garrigon mines, brings us to the equally ancient mines of Taho
and San Nicholas. The first named is, as its name implies,
a mountain cut, though I was not prepared, even by the
very full traditional particulars concerning this mine which
I had listened to, to witness such an astonishing, and, I may
say, stupendous mining work. Did we not know from the
heaps of rubbish everywhere in the vicinity, that this was
the work of man, we would conclude that n iture had cleft
the mountain in twain, forming a huge rent 500 feet deep
from the summit ridge, and extending nearly 400 yards in
length and entirely through the mountain. There are no
means of determining how far below this cut the ancient
workings extended, for here also the walls have in places
caved, filling the bottom of the cut with debris.
The San Nicholas is perhaps a league distant, and was almost as extensively worked by open cut, the outcrop of the
vein occurring high up on the mountain side; it is in a more
dilapidated condition, and it was with great difficulty that I
could determine the occurrence of its ores to agree in many
particulars with those of the Taho. The veins have a course
nearly east and west, occurring in a feldspathic porphyry,
fine grained, and with peroxide of iron visible.  The avidth
of the veins is five to eight feet, though in some places they
occur ten feet wide. They are strongly defined, with quartz
gangues containing chloride and chloro-bromide ores, accompanied by native silver, and, in places, argentiferous
galena, having only a trace of blende. In the San Nicholas
is a considerable percentage of gold, and there are evidences
that the workings have extended to the black and gray sulphuret ores. I found traces of antimonial sulphuret of
lead and silver. At the ancient real of San Nicholas are
the ruins of fifteen arrastres, which would indicate that




37
when abandoned the more complex ores were being produced
from the mine.
CINCO SONORES.
About two leagues from the San Pedro is the Cinco Sonores mine, occurring on the eastern face of the Nacosari
mountain, and 700 feet above its base.  The vein has
a course almost north and south. It was first opened upon
by the ancients for its chloride ores, and the original ores
were thus exposed within a few feet of the surface. They
are the most surprising deposit of ores of the kind, because
the most extensive I have ever seen. Where stripped of
the chloride, they show a compact metalliferous mass, 38
feet in width and 400 feet in length. The ores are principally the gray copper (fahlerz) and red oxide of copper,
accompanied by chlorides, occurring near the encasing walls
to a thickness of six inches to twelve inches, and zinc
blende in considerable quantities. Yellow sulphuret of copper occurs in conjunction with the red oxide, and the fahlerz is'particularly notable for the heavy proportion of silver
which it carries. This occurrence of ores must undergo a
change in greater depth, either altogether taking the form
of a tetrahedrite, or a yellow sulphuret, of which red oxide
is the decomposed resultant. The red oxide now predominates, and this would have me believe that yellow sulphuret
of copper will prove the vein ore, though the proportional
relations of the present existing ores may at any point have
a change, and the fahlerz become the predominating ore.
DON JUAN AND LA PLOMOSA.
The Don Juan mine, to the south, is a continuation of
this vein, and was also anciently worked for its chloride
ores. It presents a similar appearance to the Cinco Sonores, the only difference being that its ores contain a heav



88
ier proportion of iron and zinc. The encasing walls of this
vein are a highly cuartziferous porphyry.
Four leagues from San Juan del Rio, in a course a little
south of west, is the mine known as La Plomosa, occurring
in a conical mountain. A number of openings occur on the
south side of the mountain, and upon the opposite side are
others, and from the occurrence of their ores and encasing
formations I have to conclude that they are upon one vein.
This mine was a frequent resort of the miners from Cumpas,
who packed the ores away upon their backs, until,' through
the death of some of their number by Apaches, the hazardous venture was abandoned.  The mine opening penetrates
to a depth of 150 feet below the surface, though a portion
of it is now filled with rubbish. I am informed by those
who visited it when its openings were in repair, that extensive excavations were made in the vein upon either side.
The ores are argentiferous galena, and have yielded those
who worked them two to three marcs per quintal (of 100
pounds), besides a valuable grata for the more complicated
ores. The vein of ores is in some places but six Inches
wide, in others three feet; its average width is not over a
foot, though it is well defined.
I have only mentioned above those ancient mines whose
traditional histories were so complete that I could readily.
recognize them. In the San Juan del Rio property and
its neighborhood, however, are many isolated mines of which
we have no information beyond that supplied by their own
dilapidated excavations-in some cases almost indistinguishable-rubbish banks and scoria piles. These mines present
every indication of former prosperity and present merit,
though I have refrained from particularly describing each.
The country is also checkered with surface appearances of
mineral veins yet undisturbed, though carrying the metalliferous particles even in their outcrops, and showing as favor



89
able surface indications of mineral wealth as did those
which have proven so productive through development.
ADVANTAGES FOR OPERATING.
The mines which I have above described are all eminently
well situated for extensive development and economical
working.  Steam power for hoisting and pumping is superfluous. I have remarked that the veins occurring in the
Valenzuello mountain appear in the arroyas on either side,
and by running a tunnel upon any of them it would develop
them at a depth of 600 feet below their summit outcrop,
or, which I believe would be preferable, a tunnel run into the
mountain from its south-west terminus would cut the Valenzuello vein in a distance of 150 feet, and, in succession, all
the others 300 to 600 feet below the summit outcrop. The
three veins of the San Pedro mines may be cut far below
their old workings by a tunnel 200 to 300 feet in length.
The Rosario could thus be opened, by a tunnel following the
vein, 200 feet below the old workings; the Iuacal 350 feet
below its mouth; the Cherunivava and Pinal by following
their veins, perhaps 200 feet; the San Nicholas and Taho
a considerable distance below the supposed terminus of their
old workings, and the Cinco Sonores 400 feet below its outcrop. And so, I believe, without exception, with the other
mines and mineral veins occurring in the property and vicinity.
SULPHURET ORES.
From the fact that in the heaps of slag which we find at
every mining real we have the evidences of the mode adopted by the ancients in subduing their ores, and from the nature of the mine openings, it would seem clear that they had
contented themselves with removing only the superior grades
of the decomposed ores-those which had undergone a




40
chemical change through action of the atmosphere, looking
unfavorably upon the more complicated ores occurring below
the zone of decomposition, either through ignorance of the
process for the extraction of their silver, or-what seems
more reasonable-from the impossibility of securing the
quicksilver necessary. We learn that about the time of the
operation of these mines quicksilver rose so high in price
($150 to $170 per hundred pounds) as to virtually place an
embargo upon its use. In future operations the grand
source of wealth must necessarily be the more complicated
because less altered ores (which, however, in the advances
made in metallurgy, have, to us, lost their complications);
from which will be released riches at least equal to those
taken by the Mexicans from the chloridized ores of the surface; though it may be supposed that even in the older and
more extended workings, but particularly in the veins which
have yet been comparatively undisturbed, there are quantities of the simpler ores which may be cheaply and profitably
worked.
An important element of value in these mines is their abundant ores, which, when it occurs (as in the Valenzuello
mines), more than commensurates for medium lays, on the
principle that many tons of$1 00-ore will prove more profitable
than a single ton of that which may yield $200 to $300. A
mine with a limited supply of ores can never prove profitable to a foreign company. The supply here will be limited
only by the worling capacities for its treatment. The San
Patricio would alone be capable of furnishing employment
to a 100-stamp mill.
WATER POWERS.
The water powers comprised in the San Juan del Rio
property are superior to any others I have seen in Sonora,
and the only ones in Northern Sonora which may be made




41
available in mining enterprises. A water power of sufficient
volume is one of the elements necessary to success in mining
enterprises in Sonora.  Where steam power and its necessarily complicated connections must be called into play,
with its attendant expense, I do not hesitate to say that
the enterprise-runs nine chances of failure to every one of
success. And I am borne out in this statement by the
widely known career of many affairs here and in Arizona.
Complicated machinery is ever liable to get out of repair, to
breakage and other mishaps, which, in a country where the
machine shop and foundry is next door, causes only a momentary delay; but here, when even the slightest repair is
called for, it cannot be made short of San Francisco, and
causes a suspension of two, three or foar months in operations; and this alone is ruinous. And, again, the expense of
getting complicated machinery into the country, (for it must
be cast in segments and packed on mules,) the risk of having
it broken or portions stolen or lost in the transportation, the
need of a practical engineer to attend solely to it, at a heavy
salary, and the many other attendant expenses and drawbacks known only to those who have tried the experiment,
all will be likely in the end to prove disastrous.  The only
safe rule of procedure is to use the smallest possible amount
of machinery, and have that so simplified in its nature that
it may ever be repaired at the mining hacienda, and require
only the care of an attentive work-hand. These results, in
so far as they relate to a motive power, can only be attained
through the application of water power.
The river Yaqui is the largest stream in Sonora, and perhaps the only one which may be deservedly termed a river.
It takes its rise in the mountains near the Arizona boundary, and flows in a southerly course through the San Juan
del Rio property.  It here contains more water than at
Oputo or further south, until it reaches Buena Vista, where




42
it again becomes a strong and rapid stream. During the
rainy season it forms a very considerable stream.  At the
time of our last visit to the property we saw it after months
of drouth and when at its very lowest stage, when it formed
a rapid running stream of forty feet wide and three feet
deep.  In its course through the property it falls rapidly,
often passing over little falls, and is enclosed in banks or
the valley lands. At any point a water power with sufficient
head and fall to drive the most extensive machinery may be
secured, by damming the stream and carrying the water in
a ditch over the bottom lands, or in a flume along the foot
of the hills, to any desired locality.  Four or five, or even
more, of such water powers could thus be secured. There
is one principal site with very superior advantages. The
northern boundary of the lands was located with a view to
controlling the entire waters of the stream. At it, the
mountains come close up to the river, forming a narrow and
precipitous canion several hundred feet in depth, through
which the waters of the stream take their way. By placing
a dam at the lower terminus of this canion, where the channel is most contracted, bolting it to the cliffs on either side,
and to the bottom, a compact cement or concrete impervious
to water, a fall of any needed extent may be secured; and,
if properly erected, there need not be the slightest danger
of the dam being carried away. On either bank of the
river are numerous favorable sites for the erection of beneficiating works and mining haciendas.
Besides the waters of the river the lands are plentifully
supplied with smaller streams and springs.  The water occurring immediately at the Valenzuello mine is impregnated
with mineral, though it is not unwholesome; in its immediate vicinity is a mountain spring of very excellent water.
The stream of Heurigo canion is crystal clear and cold, almost ice cold.




48
TIMBER.
A valuable element in mining enterprises, and one which
the western and southern districts of Sonora are very deficient in, is timber of such quantity and quality as may be
desired for building purposes and fuel. The timber and
lumber used in the erection of the beneficiating and other
mining works of most of the American enterprises in Sonora
and Southern Arizona, have been necessarily brought from
San Francisco, and conveyed to the mines at heavy expense.
I have avoided a need for this, in securing within the San
Juan del Rio property all of the heurigo timber tract, undoubtedly the most noted and valuable in the State.  It is
in a valley near the southern terminus of the property and
west of the river, and, except to the north, is surrounded by
steep mountain ranges.  This tract covers an extent of
1,000 or more acres, all of which is thickly studded over
with a growth of magnificent trees, three to eight feet in
diameter, and gradually tapering in their upward course,
until they attain a height of 80 to 120 feet, without perceptible crook or twist. This timber is a species that I have
seen in no other part of Mexico, and in fact, nowhere out
of Northern Sonora; and though in some of the surrounding
canons are a few trees of it, this is the only tract of extent I
know or have been informed of. It has some resemblance
to bay mahogany, but is of a finer grain and susceptible of
a beautiful polish; it is light, pliable, and indestructible as
the best varieties of cedar. In late years it has been eagerly
sought after for the manufacture of doors, window frames
and sashes, the better grades of furniture, and the ornamentation of e!urches and the private residences of the
wealthier classes, and for these purposes has been conveyed
to the extreme southern precincts of the State. No stronger
evidence of its value and adaptability to the many uses of
timbers need we have, than the means adopted in getting it




44
to the southern towns; it being necessary to drag the logs,
cut to a length of eight to ten feet, and attached to oxen,
over the steep mountain trails of. the country. I consider
this an exceedingly valuable timber for all purposes in which
timber and lumber may be required; it is eminently suited
for the frameworks of large structures, for the beds of machinery and stamp batteries, for the building of dams, and
any use which may require heavy and indestructible timber,
and it will make a superior class of lumber. In the present
condition of the mountain trails, it presents some difficulties
in transporting it from the valley in which it occurs to desired localities; these difficulties are not, however, of a serious nature. During many months in the year, the stream
finding its way through the very precipitous heurigo canion
contains a large volume of water; and by the expenditure of
a small sum in removing drift from its channel, the logs,
cut to any required length, may be floated down to the river
and secured, from whence they may be conveyed with ease
to the desired points. Or a wagon road may be made, with
small outlay, from the timber to Joriquipe canon (from
where there is a good wagon road to the river), there being
but a single hight to ascend, after which the road follows a
gradually descending plateau.
The lands are abundantly supplied with other timbers.
On the river margins, cottonwood, ash, willow, walnut, and
sycamore of good size and quality abound. On the bottom
lands-the lands formerly cultivated —is a dense forest of
mesquit, so thickly matted that we were, in places, obliged
to cut paths through it. I was surprised to find many of
these trees three feet in diameter, as, in other localities,
they seldom attain a diameter of more than six or eight
inches; and with one exception, this was the most extensive
forest of these trees I had seen. In the tributary canfons,
and on the hillsides they also occur in numbers, but smaller,




45
This mesquit timber can not be too highly appreciated as a
fuel; it burns long and fiercely, and give an intense heat.
It is pirticularly valuable for charcoal, which I pronounce
a superior article. On the hills are several varieties of oak;
and on the higher mountain peaks, two or three leagues
distant, are heavy forests of pine.
ARABLE LANDS, AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.
At the southern boundary of the lands, as at the northern,
the mountains come up to the river; thus enclosing the bottom lands which stretch between them, and extend out on
either side of the river, forming a valley of good extent. I
have spoken of the indications which here abound of the
former cultivation and productiveness of these lands. This
river bottom contains 4500 to 5000 acres of the finest
agricultural lands, all of which are so favorably situated,
that they may be abundantly irrigated from the river with
scarcely an effort, and placed under the highest cultivation.
And, in this region, favored with every needed element to
success, it is impossible to estimate the variety and value of
the crops it is capable of producing; we find, here, the
most valued products of the temperate zone, with the most
needed of those of the tropics. Two crops are raised from
off the same land in the year, and their yield is so abundant, as to occasion astonishmeat to those who are unacquainted with the productive nature of these soils. The
rainy season sets in early in June, and continues to October,
though occasional showers fall until March.  Corn, and
other products which require rains to bring them to maturity, are planted in June; and in the latter part of November,
or in December, wheat and other hardy products follow;
though where, as on these lands, irrigation may be resorted
to, the crops, however planted, are ever sure. The wheat
of Sonora is very superior in quality; its yield is one hun



46
dred to two hundred bushels to one bushel sown, and it is
not uncommon to get two hundred and fifty to one. Corn
yields large crops; the native variety is a white flint, and
may be advantageously replaced with our American Yellow,
and other varieties. Peas ever produce three abundant
crops in the year. Beans are the favorite food of the
people, and, as they grace alike the table of rich and poor,
surprising quantities are consumed. I saw neither rice nor
barley, though both may be successfully cultivated. These
lands are eminently adapted to the cultivation of sugar cane,
cotton and tobacco, which are raised in the nearest settlements with excellent results. From the sugar cane, a coarse
kind of sugar, called panoche, is made by the natives; it is
a favorite article of consumption, and finds ready sale at
$25 to $40 the carga of 300 pounds, which leaves a handsome profit to the cultivator. Cotton is one of the most
profitable products of the soil, and is becoming extensively
cultivated. The staple is shorter than our cottons, though
of good quality; it is manufactured by the native women
into articles of wearing apparel. Tobacco also yields well:
it is a profitable crop, and is becoming extensively cultivated.
Besides these, Chile pepper-a capsicum of great pungency,
and one of the necessaries of life with the natives-onions,
garlic, melons, and sweet potatoes are produced, and our
common potato and vegetables may be successfully introduced. Fruits of excellent quality could be grown, especially sweet and sour oranges, figs, quinces, and peaches; and
the grape could not fail to be a decided success. Besides
the valley lands on the river, are those of the heurigo valley comprised in the timber tract already spoken of; they
are exceedingly fertile, and may be irrigated from the creek
which courses through them. Back from the river are several plateaus of rich soils, containing in all, perhaps, 500
acres, which, while they are too elevated to admit of irriga



47
tion, would produce abundant crops of corn in the rainy
season.
The only farming implements of the country are a pointed
stick-serving for a plough-a hoe, and a sickle; and where
such grand results are attained with these, what would not
be the results of the introduction of our improved agricultural implements, and the application of farming knowledge?
PASTURE LANDS.
The pasturage, though not so abundant as is found to the
north-west, is yet very superior. The higher lands, unfit for
agricultural uses, but covered with a growth of nutritious
grasses, are adapted to cattle and sheep ranges. There are
three varieties of grasses upon the lands-the mesquit
grass, confined to the ranges of the mesquit timber; the
sacatom, a coarse species found on the higher ranges; and
the grama [crondosiun] occupying the plateaus and less
elevated hills. The latter variety has much the appearance
of dry, curled whittlings of pine wood, is very nutritious,
and was greedily eaten by our animals. Throughout the
entire year the cattle graze upon the hills, there being no
need to preserve the grasses. Northern Sonora is, without
dispute, pre-eminent as a stock raising country.
ROADS.
The roads are principally the simple pack trails of the
country. From Guaymas, the port of entry, a good wagon
road passes by way of IIermosillo to Ureas and thence up
the Sonora river to Arispe, twenty leagues from your property, which distance is traversed by a good pack trail. A
very excellent wagon road from Guaymas, passes through
San Marcial and Matape, and with very small outlay, may
be opened almost to San Pedro, by way of Oposura and
Cumpas. From San Pedro a pack trail crosses the moun



48
tain range to Joriquipe Pueblo, a distance of three leagues,
from whence a natural wagon road continues to the property.
I think, however, that packing may be altogether avoided,
and a wagon road found to connect San Pedro and Joriquipe,
by using a mountain pass a little farther north, which, it is
said, was used by the Jesuits for this purpose. A road
could be opened, though at considerable expense, from Oposura to Granadas, on the Yaqui river, from whence a good
road continues north to the property. A road could also
be opened from the mouth of the Yaqui river; though the
preferable route of all, because the shortest and least expensive. is that by way of Oposura, Cumpas and San Pedro.
In the meantime, the pack trails connecting the property
with the lower towns could be materially improved by the
expenditure of a few hundred dollars. A wagon road for
the transportation of ores from the Valenzuello mines to any
desired point on the river, may be made; also one from the
heurigo timber tract to the river, as I have already remarked. The natural wagon road up Joriquipe creek may,
I think, be connected with the Cherunivava and Pinal mines;
and, if continued through the pass mentioned above,
with the other mines spoken of in this report. The pack
trains and wagons conveying bullion, agricultural and manufactured products, etc., to Guaymas and the southern towns,
would return laden with salt, quicksilver, and other needed
supplies.
LABOR.
The substitution, in toro, of white labor for peon, would
not, during the existing rates of compensation, be advisable.
The Mexican labor, though, under the most favorable auspices, of no very high standard, may, when properly superintended, be used advantageously, though, to render it controllable, the system of peonage must be continued.




49
More, however, depends upon proper management in this
matter than, perhaps, in any other connected with operations in this country. The Oputo Indian labor is preferable to Mexican, being more pliable. These Oputo people are
docile and intelligent, have wonderful powers of endurance,
and make good miners and laborers; and withal, they manifest a strong feeling of friendship for the whites, in which,
they are diametrically opposed to the Mexican, who, on
every safe occasion, shows treachery and deceit. Strictly
speaking, the Oputos form the producing population of
Northern Sonora. The price of labor is governed here, as
elsewhere, by the demand; the pay of miners and laborers
rarely exceeds fifty cents per day.
SUB-DIVISION AND COLONY.
The lands of San Juan del Rio may be advantageously
sub-divided into several or more tracts, each having waterpower, arable lands, timber, pasturage, road facilities, mines,
mineral veins, etc., to make it, in every sense, independent
of the others.
They are also eminently adapted for a colony or colonies,
having every needed element within their boundaries to support and give employment to a considerable population. In
consequence of the abundance of water power, fuel, and
arable lands, it is a favorable site for manufacturing establishments, cotton, flour, saw, and sugar mills, etc. The
manufacture of cotton goods and woolen fabrics could not
fail to be a success, as in the northern towns such goodsof which a supply is never to be had-find rapid sale at
100 to 300 per cent. over the ruling prices in Guaymas
and IHermosillo, which, in their turn, are 50 to 100 per cent.
higher than their cost to the merchants. And the same
rule applies to all manufactured articles.
The climate of this portion of Sonora is truly delightful,
(4)




50
the thermometer seldom rising above 80~ or falling below
50~; and its healthfulness, serenity, and equalibility, surpass
those of any other spot I have ever visited.
APACHE AND CIVIL WAR FEARS.
The success of myself and assistant in traveling, with but
two servants-whom we were obliged to watch-through
almost every portion of the Apache country, and in carrying our investigations into sections which have not before
been visited for half a century, or more, is, I think, an ample proof that the Apaches will not be a serious obstacle to
an extensive mining establishment on the San Juan del Rio
property. I would not wish to infer that there are no dangers, or that it would be advisable to adopt a course of
action which we were forced, through circumstances, to follow; that would be extremely hazardous, and the result almost positively fatal. It is true, however, that nearly every
disaster that has occured through Apaches, may be traced
to recklessness or a criminal neglect to adopt such precautionary measures as common sense would dictate. The
principal dangers are those which are encountered in traveling from point to point; and even these may, in a degree,
be avoided by caution. An active mining est blishment,
when taking common precautions against surprise, incurs no
danger from even the strongest party of Apaches; it is only
when vigilance is relaxed, and there is supposed to be no
danger, that it really occurs. The cunning strategy, and
even courage of the Apache must not be despised; and on
the other hand, he must not be feared. When met with
his own safeguard-which is an ever active watchfulnesshe is conquered.
No interference from the contesting parties in Sonora, Liberal and Imperial, need be apprehended, while your representatives strictly confine themselves to their duties, and do




51
not interfere with the social and politicarinstitutions of the
country. The only annoyance you may be subjected to,
are vacillation and delay in business matters, and petty
tyrannies in passing through their army lines; and patience
and civility, marked by firmness, will, in a majority of cases,
overcome these. A show of strength, and determination
to deal severely with offenders, will be sufficient to check
marauding parties.
ORE SAMPLES.
I was subjected to one of the annoyances above named,
in not being permitted to take with nie, through the army
lines, specimens of the ores of the mines I have above described. On my first visits to them, I carelessly gathered a
few specimens of ores from the debris banks of several of
them, without reference to their merit, as sample specimens,
and carried them to Guaymas, expecting, however, on my
return, to collect ample specimens from all the mines. This
I was deterred from doing through the above prohibition.
GENERAL CONCLUSION.
In describing the ancient mines of the San Juan del Rio
property and its vicinity, I have confined myself strictly to
the results of my own investigations, which were conducted
without listening either to suggestions or explanations from
any one. It is now but simple justice to remark that these
mines have a fame, through tradition, and from the statements of the best people in the country, for former extent
and richness, which is scarcely equalled, assuredly not surpassed by any in Mexico. When it is remembered that a
great part of these mines have not been worked for over
120 years, that all have been abandoned for 60 years, and
that but few who were acquainted with them were survivors
of their activity, it might readily be supposed that however




52
great their fame, it would, long since, have been forgotten.
This is not so. In the most distant part of the State their
worth is remembered, and the most respected citizens testify to their superior richness, in terms of the most unqualified praise. And-a fact by no means frequent in Mexicothe statements of all whom I have heard speak of these
ancient mines, are strongly corroborative, which would indicate that the information from which they speak, is drawn
from a reliable source I would, perhaps, place but little
credence in the traditions of the extent of these mines and
richness of their ores, or in any of them, were not their
truthfulness in many'instances established through my own
investigations. In fact, these traditions, and the statements
I have heard, display a wonderfully correct knowledge of
the extent of the workings, richness, and nature of the ores,
and other minutia; and if so correct in these, are they not
likely to be equally so in the matter of their former yield?
And I simply agree with them, without desiring to do so,
when I remark that the results of my investigations into
these mines, have impressed me with the belief that they
are exceedingly valuable, have every required facility connected with them for extensive and successful operation, and,
if placed under proper management, can not prove otherwise than profitable.
I consider any single mine of those I have named, sufficiently extensive and meritorious in itself to warrant the
careful and sole attention of a mining association.
I was disappointed in not finding among the archives of
the State, the government reports of the condition and yield
of these San Juan del Rio mines during their operation.
Before their removal from Arispe, the former State Capital
these returns, and indeed a great part of the documents,
were pilfered or destroyed, it is supposed, during one of the
many internal strifes. Several worthy gentlemen who saw




53
the returns, inform  me, however, that the yields, as represented, were immense-too large, perhaps, to bring credence
with them at this late day.
I present, herewith, certificates from a number of responsible gentlemen, and some documentary extracts.
Very Respectfully,' CUMMINGS CHERRY,
Geologit, tand Mining Engineer.
JAMES CHERRY, Assistant Geologist.
PITTSBURGH, PENN., August 13, 1866.
[TRANsLATION.]
MOCTEZUMA, May 12th, 1866.
Having stated voluntarily to the Sefior CHERRY my belief that the
lands of San Juan del Rio were very important lands, I give in this
such positive and admitted truths as are known. They are situated
on the margins of the Yaqui river, and present a beautiful valley,
with lands of a superior quality, and well adapted for agriculture.
In the main valley are extensive timber tracts, of the classes following, viz: Mesquit, in great abundance; grand groves of the timber
known by the name of Heurigo, and extents of other woods and
shrubberies, of large growth and valuable, which stretch from the
river to the highest sierras. They have excellent waters, abundant
pastures of the best varieties, to the loftiest points, and their soils
are very superior. Respecting the minerals, they are the most
abundant of any I know. The principal ones are those of the sierra
known as " Valenzuello." The sierra immediately to the north east
of it has not been explored, but, according to the information we
have of it from the ancients, it contains many rich minerals. All
of the hights on either side of the river have numerous and exten



54
sive mines, excavations and openings upon them, which were made
by the old inhabitants.
With respect to the ranche of Nacosari, which is the most immediate to this pueblo, it is situated in a canon well supplied with
water. This canion presents bottom lands suitable for agriculture,
and very excellent. On either side of the caflon are extensive pas.
tures of very superior quality; the lands are spacious and very
beautiful. A sierra to the east of the cafion has large tracts of pines,
and the lower lands also possess good timber tracts, and in great
abundance, such as fresno (ash), alizo (alder), alamo (poplar) and,
in various parts, heurigos.  In respect to the minerals, they are
abundant. To the east and ntrth-east is the mineral (district) of
San Pedro, the mine of the Rosario, and many others whose names
are not now known; to the west is the grand mine of Cinco Sonores,
the mine of San Juan, and others whose names are not known; to
the north, and in the neighborhood of the ranche, is the real of
Cherunivava.
All these mines and the ranches have been abandoned for so many
years that they have ceased to have owners, and the houses which
were on the ranches have crumbled into ruins.
These ranches (San Juan del Rio and Nacosari) are the most valuable we have in the District. Such is my belief and the voice of
the people in general.
[Signed]                        AUG. MA. MONGE.
NoTE.-Notwithstanding I, the priest and Cura of this parish of
Moctezuma and its surrounding pueblos, have affirmed to the above
without having personally seen the lands, yet the above declarations
are the unanimous belief and expression of the people. To which
I affirm.                        [PRIVATE SEAL OF CURA
of Moctezuma District.]
And we certify that the above statements and descriptions are
truthful and correct, and annex our signatures.
RICARDO REVERE, [Alcalde of Cumpas.]
JESUS DURAZO, [Judge of Moctezuma District.]
ANTONIO TIMBRES,)
ROMAN PERALTA,          Former Liberal Officials.
JOHN   EGLESTON, 
I, Commissioner Municipal, certify to the truthfulness of the
statements in the above letter.        ANTONIO HOYES.




55
ANTONIO TERAN Y BARRIOS, Sub-Prefector and Military Commandant of the District of Hermosillo.
I certify in truth and power of my office that the declarations in
the above letter of the Sefior Cura MONGE and other subscribers are
very positive and correct in all their statements relative to the mentioned lands of San Juan del Rio, etc., and for the use of the interested I make this affirmation, on the date, in this city, May 21st,
1866.                               TERAN Y BARRIOS.
The document from which the following extract is taken bears
date 1764, and is one of a collection of documents written by the
Jesuits between the years 1634 and 1774, and relating to the mines
and missions of Sonora. These documents were compiled by Friar
FRANCIsco FIGUERO, and published in the City of Mexio in 1792,
and it is from this work that I make the extract. I have translated
it from the Spanish in which it originally appears:
" Fourteen leagues to the north of Cumpas is the ancient real of
Nacosari, which from being very rich has been reduced by the hostilities of the Apaches to little more than one resident, with a few
of his armed people and some Oputos. It has numerous and rich
mines in all directions, but their working has been much interfered
with because of the dangers to which the laborers were ever exposed
from the Apaches. To the north there were two other reals and
that of Oherunivava, five leagues distant, with a mine of the richest
character of both gold and silver; the lay of gold is not heavy; the
yield of silver is three to four marcs to the arroba (of 25 pounds),
the dirt heaps yielding this amount after the abandonment of the
mine, which occurred on the 5th of March, 1742, on account of the
Apaches having assaulted the neighboring real of Aguaje. This
real was afterwards maintained until 1744, when being a second
time assaulted by the Apaches, who killed a number of its people
and burned its houses, it has remained abandoned until the present
day. So, also, has the old real of Nacosari since 1742, for the same
reasons, and the real of Pena, about two leagues south-west of Nacosari, and that of the Hacienda Vieja, a similar distance to the
east. Four leagues north-west of Nacosari is the real of Garrigon,
with mines of gold and silver nearly pure, which were all abandoned




56
some years before, because of the cruelty of the Apaches, and not
from want of ores, which the mines of this district have with large
lays. I am assured by Vasquez, above mentioned, that many of
these mines gave-75 marcs of silver per 100 pounds of ore, and,
among others, was that of the Pinal, of silver and gold nearly pure,
and that of the Huacal, though they are somewhat distant (from
Cumpas, and consequently nearer San Juan'del Rio).  Not far distant from the Pinal was formerly the old town of Toapatz, afterwards the mining real of San Juan del Rio, depopulated because of
the same enemy, with another near Oputo, called the Nori."
GAMBOA S CATALOGUE OF MINES.
I have not now within reach the catalogue of the mining districts
in Mexico, compiled and published in connection with commentaries
upon the Spanish mining laws, by Gamboa, under the royal favor,
in 1761; tlough I remember very distinctly that he awards to the
mining district controlled by your property as great commendation
as that given to any other district in Mexico.
COL. BOURNE S REPORT.
Colonel BOURNE, an English gentleman, journeyed through Sonora
in 1826 and 1827, with a view to examine into its mineral features,
and secure reliable information of its mines. The following is an
extract from his report:
In traversing these mountains (Nacosari and San Juan del Rio)
you meet with many excavations, but the principal mine, called San
Pedro de Nacosari, is a phenomenon. The vein runs east and west,
and is laid open from the surface more than one thousand varas to
the depth of seventy varas; the breadth of the aperture is about
two yards, but on each side are immense quantities of rubbish
thrown out.  Much dirt and sand have washed in and covered the
vein; but general report says that the mine has no water in the interior, and that the ores were so rich that the best yielded from 25
to 30 mares of silver for 25 pounds of ore.
The mines of Cherunivava, Pinal, Huacal, Aguaje, and many
others, are situated to the north and north-east of Nacosari, at no
great distance from San Juan del Rio, built upon a stream which
falls into the Yaqui. These minerals are equally rich with those




57
already described. Pinal contains a greater proportion of gold than
silver. It is recorded in the archives of Arispe that the former
owner, a lady, by name Maria Quijada, lent at one time 700 marcs
[about $60,000] of gold for the use of the Government.
Cherunivava is a very old mine, worked in the same way as San
Pedro; as indeed are all the mines in this part of the country. The
direction of the vein is east and west, the breadth two varas. The
last persons who undertook to work these mines were three men by
the names of Esealante, Vasquez and Caulla. They cleared away
the rubbish at one end until they found a pillar left to support some
of the old workings, from which they took ores that produced
$70,000, and yielded seventy marcs of silver per carga of 300 lbs.
Not immediately finding the principal vein, they divided the money
and discontinued their works. The mine is laid open from the surface 400 yards in hight. Tradition says that the first discoverers
found the vein of virgin silver half a vara in breadth; that it was
abandoned in the Apache war, with the vein, as described above, two
varas, and ores of seventy marcs per carga. The richness of these
ores appears almost incredible, but when we consider the great quantities of bars of silver that Sonora has produced without the aid of
quicksilver, the metals must have been very rich and abundant.Ward's Mexico, pp. 578-9, vol. 2.
WARD S MEXICO.
The most authentic work published concerning the mines of Mexico is undoubtedly that entitled "Mexico in 1827," by H. G. WARD,
British Charge d' Affaires in that country during the years 1825,'26 and'27, from which I take the following. Mr. WAaD had occasion to travel, in the discharge of his duties, over a large portion
of the country, during which he secured invaluable data concerning
the mines of Mexico and their former product, not attainable before
or since:
" That the great mineral treasures of Mexico commence exactly
at the point where Humboldt rightly states the labors of the Spaniards to have terminated (about latitude 24~), is a fact now universally admitted by the native miners, although hitherto but little
known in Europe.
" In order the better to illustrate it, I shall beg to subjoin some
details, which I was enabled to collect during my journey into the




58
interior, premising that I have the evidence of registers of produce
and official documents for every fact that I submit to my readers
(some of the least voluminous of which I subjoin), and that I have
adopted nothing upon mere verbal report.
"The States of Durango, Sonora, Chihuahua and Sinaloa contain
an infinity of mines, hitherto but little known, but holding out,
wherever they have been tried, a promise of riches superior to anything that Mexico has yet produced. These districts are distinguished not less by the superior quality of their ores than by the
circumstances of their beginning to be productive within a very little
distance from the surface (usually from ten to fifteen yards); whereas the Veta Madre of Guanajuato yields little or nothing until the
depth of eighty yards is attained. The metals seem to increase in
richness as you approach the north; insomuch that in the real or
district of Jesus Maria, in that great branch of the Sierra Madre
which separates the States of Durango and Chihuahua from those
of Sonora and Sinaloa to the north and west, the ores of the mine
of Santa Juliana, which does not exceed seventy yards in depth,
appear, by a certified report from the Deputation de Mineria now
before me, to average seven and eight marcs of silver per carga of
three hundred pounds, which is the average produce of ten cargas
of good ore in Guanajuato; while ores of the best quality yield as
much as from four to ten marcs per arroba of twenty-five pounds, or
forty mares per carga." —Pp. 124-8, vol. 2.
" Without entering into similar details respecting each of the other
districts mentioned in the table of northern mines, it will be sufficient to state that, with some few exceptions, they all possess, in a
greater or less degree, the same advantages-richness of ores and
veins productive almost at the surface; that few have been worked
to any extent; and, consequently, that the risk of making the necessary experiments there is trifling in comparison with the immense
outlay required by the old mines of the southern districts, which
have, in general, attained an enormous depth."-P. 131, vol. 2.
" I must, however, remark generally, that Mr. GLENNIE'S (an experienced English mining engineer) views with regard to the riches
of the Sierra Madre (which he terms one mine from Guarisamay to
Jesus Maria) coincide entirely with those entertained by Colonel
BOURNE; and that the opinions of both are confirmed by all the
Mexicans who have visited the internal provinces; by the official
documents frequently alluded to in the foregoing books; and by the




59
unanimous evidence of a number of most respectable individuals
whom I had an opportunity of c nsulting myself upon the subject,
at Durango and elsewhere."-P. 606, vol. 2.
In mentioning the mines on the San Juan del Rio property and
controlled by it, he remarks that they are
" In a position possessing great local advantages-a fertile country, the vicinity of two large rivers, and a communication by water
with the Pacific. The mines themselves were formerly celebrated
for their riches, and the capital required to bring them again into
activity is very small. The specimens which I have seen of the ores
extracted from them almost induces one to adopt the theory that the
proportion of silver contained in the ores increases as you advance
toward the north-a theory which is very generally believed at
present in Mexico, and which is certainly confirmed by the superiority of all the northern ores to those of the richest districts in the
south."-P. 136, vol. 2.
Again he remarks:
" The most noted are the mines of San Juan Bautiste de Sonora
(situated upon a mountain eight leagues to the north-west of Oposura, which is crossed in different directions by fourteen veins, all
distinctly pronounced,) and those of San Pedro, Nacosari and Cherunivava (to the north and north north-west of Oposura).
"In all these districts the depth of the mines is inconsiderable,
their former riches acknowledged, and the causes by which their
working was interrupted known. The advances necessary in order
to bring them into activity are small, for in fact it is more remittances and mining stores (which must be sent around Cape Horn to
Guaymas) than money that is requisite.
" I am aware that many of the statements contained in this and
the preceding books, respecting the mineral riches of the north of New
Spain, will be thought exaggerated. They are not so; they will be confirmed by every future report; and, in a few years, the public, familiarized with facts which are only questioned because they are
new, will wonder at its present credulity, and regret the loss of advantages which may not always be within its reach."-Pp. 599600, vol. 2.




60
WILSON S MEXICO.
The following extracts are taken from "Wilson's Mexico," published in 1856:
"Chihuahua and Sonora are the States or departments to be affected by our Pacific Railroad.  Sonora is the most valuable of the
two, not only on account of its inexhaustible supplies of silver, but
also on account of its delightful climate and agricultural resources.
It is like the land of the blessed in oriental story. California does
not surpass it in fertility or in climate. With industry and thrift it
could sustain a population equal to that of all Mexico. The tablelands and the valleys are so near together that the products of all
climates flourish almost side by side.
" But it is the remarkable abundance of silver which distinguishes
it above all other countries except Chihuahua. I have described in
a former chapter the long and laborious processes by which silver is
produced from the ore in the southern mines, and also the great
depths from which it is raised. In Sonora silver is most commonly
extracted from the ore by the simple process of fusion. If we should
adopt the theory that veins of ore extend through the entire length
of Mexico, then I should say that they "crop out" in Sonora, or,
rather, that the silver lodes which are here above the surface dip
toward the City of Mexico and also northward toward Calfornia."Pp. 383-384.
"A hundred years have passed since the once formidable Apaches
swept over Northern Sonora like a deluge, blotting out forever the
hopes which the Spanish Court had conceived of retrieving the fallen
finances of their empire from this El Dorado. But Providence had
ordered it otherwise. The Spaniards had done enough to demonstrate its inexhaustible wealth, and then they were driven away from
this "creation of silver," and the whole deposit held for a hundred
years in reserve for the uses of another race, who were destined to
overrun the continent."-P. 389.
" Such is Sonora, a region of country which combines the rare attractions of the richest silver mines in the world, lying in the midst
of the finest agricultural districts, and where the climate is as attractive as its mineral riches.  But its richest mineral district is
near its northern frontier."-P. 388.




HISTORY OF TITLE.
CINCINNATI, AUGUST 20, 1866.
7o the Members of the Cincinnati Land and Mining Association of
Sonora, Mexico:
GENTLEMEN:-Before buying of Mr. CHARLES DENMAN the
Grant of Four Leagues of Land issued to him in 1857, by COMONFORT, the then President of the Mexican Republic, I secured the
legal opinion of my Attorney in New York city, that the Grant was
a valid one, and binding on any subsequent Government of Mexico.
Soon after that, in 1858, I visited Ex-President COMONFORT and
his Secretary when in New York; and they assured me that it was
issued for a valid consideration, and was binding on the Government of Mexico.
On September 30, 1860, my said Attorney made further and
direct inquiry of the Mexican Government, through its Consul at
New York, Mr. J. M. DURAN, as to its validity; to which the Mexican Minister of Relaciones [Secretary of State] replied by official
letter to the Consul, " That the Grant made to Mr. CHARLES DENMAN is good, since at the date on which it was made the Government of COMONFORT was in power (dictatorial.)"
Soon after purchasing it I forwarded a true and certified copy to
Gen. LEWIS CASS, then Secretary of State of the United States, to
be filed in his Department, as will appear by the Official Copy of
the same, certified to by WM. HUNTER, Acting Secretary of State,
of June 7, 1865, published herewith.
In July, 1865, at your instance and for your account, I gave a
Power of Attorney to Mr. CUMMINGS CHERRY, to locate the Grant.
In January, 1866, he presented the original papers to Governor
PESQUEIRA, present Liberal Governor of the State of Sonora where
it was to be located, for his decision as to its binding force. He
pronounced it valid; and said if the Maximilian Government should
refuse to recognize it, his Government, when again in power, would
recognize it; but advised, as Maximilian's Officials were in power
in Sonora, that he locate the Grant by their authority. This
has been done promptly, and without the least exceptions to
it; as will fully appear by the report of their official action
(translations) herewith published-the originals thereof, in all cases,
being upon stamped paper and duly sealed.
EDGAR CONKLING.




62
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE.
To all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting:
I certify, That annexed is a true copy of papers transmitted by
Mr. EDGAR CONKLING on the twenty-ninth of September, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, and received on the day following at this Department, where they are yet on file; and that the
certificates thereto in the Spanish language, with seal attached, are
to all appearances genuine originals.
In testimony whereof, I, WILLIAM HUN-,r-BUS8         TER, Acting Secretary of State of the United
/ck*?teh-^^        States, have hereunto subscribed my name
and caused the seal of the Department of
State to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this
seventh day of June, A. D. 1865, and of
the Independence of the United States of
America the eighty-ninth.
W. HUNTER.
Ministry of Fomento.
Colonization, Industry and Commerce,
of the Mexican Republic.
After presentation to His Excellency the PRESIDENT OF THE
REPUBLIC, of your solicitation, asking a concession of Four Square
Mexican Leagues of untitled Lands that may be found in Sonora,
he has been pleased to grant the same, with the understanding, that
it shall be for your account to ascertain and designate the place
where said Lands exist. You to cause the same to be measured,
and the boundaries drawn, by a competent surveyor, who shall form
its corresponding plan and description.
That after this being done, it shall be sent to this department, in
order to obtain the corresponding Title of Ownership. According
to the order of the Supreme Government, I advise you for the corresponding effect as the result of your above mentioned solicitation.
God and Liberty I   Mexico, March 27, 1857.
SILICEO.
Mr. CHARLES DENMAN.




68
The undersigned, 1st Chief Clerk of the Ministry of Foreign
Relations:
I hereby certify, that the signature at foot of foregoing official
document is that of MANUEL SILICEO, Minister of Fomento, Colonization, Industry and Commerce of the Mexican Republic, and the
same used in all documents that he authorizes. Mexico, April 22d,
1857.
LUCAS DE PALACIO Y MAGAROLA.
REPUBLICA MEXICANA, DEPARTMENT)
OF STATE AND FOREIGN RELATIONS. 5
Official.
LEGATION OF THE UNITED }
STATES IN MEXICO. 
The undersigned, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States to Mexico, hereby certifies, that the
foregoing is the signature of LUCAS DE PALACIO Y MAGAROLA,
Chief Clerk of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Mexican
Republic.
JOHN FORSYTH.
Numo~ 158. Regdo. d      CONSULADO MEXICANO on N. YORK.
fl 31 del Libro respo.
Dros $5 (cinco.)      Certifico: que las anteriores copias lo son
a la letra de los documentos originales presentados a este Consulado, y los cuales han sido traducidos del
idioma Castellano al Yngles por el que subscribe.
Y para que conste espido el presente certificado en Nueva York,
a 28 de Sete. de 1858.
J. M. DURAN.!    SELLO. }
Know all men by these presents, that I, CHARLES DENMAN, Of
the City of New York, in consideration of the sum of Twenty Thousand Dollars to me paid by EDGAR CONKLING, of the City of Cincinnati, and State of Ohio. have granted, bargained, sold, and
assigned and transferred unto the said EDGAR CONKLING, all my
right, title and interest in and to Four Sitios (or Leagues) of Land,
situate in Sonora in the Republic of Mexico, to be selected by my
said grantee, out of the untitled lands of said Republic, in the said
State of Sonora, in conformity with the grant of the said four
leagues of land made to me by the said Republic of Mexico, bearing
date the twenty-seventh of March, 1857, of which the following is
a c py, the original being hereto annexed, viz.:




64
" Dada cuenta al E. S. el Presidente de la Republica con la solicitud de V. contrahida a que se le concedan cuatro sitios de ganado
mayor-de los terrenos baldios que haya en Sonora se ha servido
acordar de conformidad, bajo el concepto de que sera de cuenta de
V. sefialar el lugar donde existan tales baldios, destinandolos
judicialmente y midandolos por medio de un perito que fo lne el
piano y description correspondiente. Que concluidas estas dilgencias
las remita a esta Secretaria para que se le cspida el titulo de propriedad
correspondiente. Lo que de orden Suprema digo a V. para los efectos
correspondientes como resultado de su mencionada solicitud.''
Dios y Libertad! Megico, Mzo. 27 de 1857.
(Signed)                             SILICEO-Rubrica.
And I, the said CHARLES DENMAN, do also assign, sell and
transfer to the said EDGAR CONKLING, the grant above recited, and
authorize him and his legal representatives in my name or otherwise, to locate, select and take possession of the lands in said grant
mentioned, and to receive all proper deeds, patents and grants
therefor, and to hold said lands to his own use forever; and to
convey the said lands with like effect as I could do had I located
the same, and these presents had not been executed; with power
also to my said grantee to assign the said grant and to substitute
his assign as my attorney for the purpose of locating and conv
ing said lands.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at the
city of New York, the ninth day of March, in the year of our Lord
one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
CHARLES DENMAN. {           A  }
Sealed and delivered in the J) P. WINoATE,
of              }*CHAS. T. MORSON,
p'resence of            CHI': A. RAPPALLO.
United States of America, 
State, City and County of New York.  ss.
Be it known that on the ninth day of March, in the year
one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, before me CHARLES
A. RAPPALLO, a notary public duly commissioned and sworn in
and for the State of New York, dwelling in the City of New York,
personallypappeared Mr. CHARLES DENMAN to me personally known,




65
and he executed the foregoing instrument in my presence, and in
the presence of JONAH P. WINGATE and CHARLES T. MORSON, the
subscribing witnesses, who signed their names as witnesses in my
presence.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal
of offi;e the day and year last above written..
C-r-s A. Rapa-o,                CHARLES A. RAPPALLO,
{  otary Public,
Charles A. Rapplo,                          Notary Public.
New York.
MEXICAN CONSULATE      )
IN NEW YORK.        }
s0o. 127.
Regisd at p. 28     I hereby certify that the signature of Charles
of oorrespg book  A. Rappallo, who it appears authorized the
Fees $2.     present document, is that of a notary public of
this city; and that the same, as well as the accompanying seal, is
entitled to full faith and credit.
In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand and seal of office,
in the city of New York, this (10th) tenth day of March (1858)
one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.
-— ~ —~-                              J. M. DURAN.
L Consulado' Y e.Fxicano
in   f, New York.
CONSULADO MEXICANO EN N. YORK.
No. 159.
Regdo. fl 31       Certifico: que las anteriores copias lo son a
del lib~ respo  la letra de los documentos originales presentados
Dros 5$ (cinco.)  Ia este Conalado, y los cuales han sido escrupulosamente comparados y trr i,, s por el que subscribe del Castellano
al Yngles, la parte que lo re  ria.
Y para que consto espido el presente certificado en Nueva York,
a 28 de Sete de 1858.
J. M. DURAN.
(5)




66
Principal Office of the Department oJfSonora,
No. 2621, 2d Class.-3d Seal-50 cents. Qualified for 1866 and 1867. URES, JANUARY 1ST OF
1866.                   Francisco N. Lopez.
Seior SUB PREFECTOR OF THIS DISTRICT:CUMMINGS CHERRY, a native of Scotland, Citizen of the United
States of America for thirty years, and resident in Sonora for two
months, appears before you, and, in the customary form, says:
Because of a concession decreed by his Excellent Sefior, the President of the Republic in office on the 27th of March of 1857, and
other documents thereto annexed, and the Power of Attorney which
I return, showing that I am entitled to own four square leagues of
the public estate of Sonora, I have chosen-in accordance with the
terms of my concession, and have found abandoned and desertedthe lands which were comprehended in the ancient ranche of "San
Juan del Rio," and I make of these proper denouncement according
to law, and have measured the same as follows, viz.: Commencing
at and running easterly from the junction of " Joriquipa" caiada
with the River a sufficient distance to include within the measurement the "( Valenzuela" and " San Patricio " Mines; and thence runniag from this point southerly and westerly, a sufficient distance to
include within the measurement the " Cation de los Heurigos," this
measurement to accommodate itself in form so as to include the
desired lands.
In the duties of the office in your charge, you will order the
publication of this denouncement in the Official Periodical of the
Department, to the end that if there are any persons who have just
claims to the lands which I ask for, they may present themselves to
prove the same within the legal period of time which you will
designate; and if no claimants appear, nor no legal claims to the
property be presented, in the legal period of time, I ask that the
above described lands be awarded to me, as a step prior to the
Official measurement and other procedures legal and proper to give
me title in accordance with the conditions of my grant; consenting
to pay such necessary costs and expense as may be incurred in
placing me in possession of these lands.
Through right of property, and not from malice, I do that which
is necessary, etc.
CUMMINGS CHERRY.
Moctezuma, January 31, 1866.




67
Imperial Mexico.   }
Sub-Prefectura of Moctezuma,
FEBRUARY 5th of 1866.
For the presenter and claimant I transmit a copy of the original
denouncement to the Senior Editor of the " Periodico Oficial" of
the Department, in order that, if it pleases, it may be inserted in
its columns, to the end that any persons who have just claim to the
land denounced may present it as evidence before this Sub-Prefectura, within the period of thirty days; in the knowledge that if
they do not benefit by this, I will adjudge the expressed lands to
the denouncer, as a prior step to other legal and proper procedures.
The Sub-Prefector of Moctezuma in this manner determines, and
affixes his signature. 
GREGORIO MORENO.            SEAL 
Imperial Mexico.
GREGORIO MORENO, Sub-Prefecto of the District of Moctezuma,
Certifies in correct form, that on this date is concluded the
period of time for the announcement in the "Periodico OJicial," for
the benefit of those interested in the lands of Nacosari and San
Juan del Rio, denounced by the foreigner, CUMMINGS CHERRY, who
is now present, for a decree to him of his just claims. I certify,
also, that to the lands of San Juan del Rio, there is one opposition
for the Senora Dona JOSEFA TINOCA, residing in Ures, inserted in
the "Periodico Oficial."  Concerning the lands of Nacosari I have
received no opposition; neither has there been presented any titles or
just claims to the lands of Nacosari and San Juan del Rio. Finally,
by desire of the Senor CHERRY, I give this certificate in Moctezuma,
the 16th of March, of 1866.
GREGORIO MORENO.         i    }
Imperial Mexico.
Sub-Prefectura of Moctezuma.
MOCTEZUMA, March 16, 1866.
The American citizen, CUMMINGS CHERRY, by concession of the
General Government, in the time of the Sefor COMONFORT, for four
leagues of the public estate in such locality as the interested might
select in Sonora, and in accordance with the conditions thereof, denounced before this Sub-Prefectura the lands of "Nacosari" and
" San Juan del Rio " in this District, and requested the publication




68
of these denouncements in the Official Periodical of the Government, to the end that such persons as might consider themselves possessed of just title to these lands, might present them as evidence
to this effect, before the Sub-Prefector within such reasonable period
of time as might be settled upon.
I decreed upon these denouncements, in conformity with the request of Seilor CUMMINGS CHERRY, an order to the interested in
the denounced lands, to appear within thirty days, and present and
prove any rights which they may claim to possess; and during this
period of time, the notices were published three successive times in
the " Periodico Oficial."  At the expiration of the decreed time,
but a single opposition had been made, viz.: to the lands of San Juan
del Rio, by the Sefiora TINOCA; but no title of property was presented, because she declared it had been lost; but she had appealed
to the Minister of Fomento, in Mexico, accompanied by the documents concerning her claim to the mentioned lands, to the end that
she might have presented to her the respective titles. On the termination of the period of time granted to those interested to present themselves, the Sefior CHERRY demanded possession of the respective lands successively, from the reason that no documents evidencing claim or title to them had been presented, nor had any person
disputed verbally, and he took exception to the protest of Sefiora
TINOCA. This Sub-Prefectura, in view of the Government decree,
issued by his S. M., the Emperor, on 8th November of the preceding year, is ignorant of any of its articles comprehend in their
conditions, the concession extended to the Sefior CUMMINGS CHERRY;
and that all may be proper and correct, he begs permission to leave
it in the better judgment of your Excellency, that, if it pleases, you
may give him explanation and direction what is his duty to do in
this proceeding. The interested party will present to your Excellency the documents relating to his denouncements.
God guard your Excellency many years!
The Sub-Prefectura of Moctezuma,
GREGORIO MORENO. {a}
Sefir. Superior Prefector (Governor) of the Department, Hermosillo.




69
Imperial Mexico. 
Superior Political Prefector of the
Department of Sonora.  J GUAYMAS, April 11th, of 1866.
With date 27th of March, of 1857, the Minister of Fomento
resolved on a solicitude of CHARLES DENMAN, of which resolve the
following is a copy:
[See Original Grant, ante pp, 62 and 64.]
And the petition of the claimant I return to you, for your attention; and in order that you may take the necessary steps for the
legal measurement and demarkation of the lands, and the carrying
out of the conditions of the concession copied above.
The Superior Prefector (Governor) of the Department,
J. M. ASTIASARAN.       f{
Sefior Sub-Prefectura of the District of Moctezuma.
I certify the above is a true copy of the original.
P. A., Secretary of the District, The Municipal Commissioner,
JOSE ZUBIAS
Imperial Mexico.  )
Sub-Prefectura of the District of Moctezuma.  J                April 21st, of 1866.
The Senor CUMMINGS CHERRY has placed in my hands a communication relative to the official measurement and designation of
the lands denounced by the said Sefior CHERRY. I can not carry out
the order ofthe Superior Prefector in the present condition of affairs, as I am ordered to march immediately with the garrison of
this place to where my Chief Superior may order.
The Sub-Prefector and Commandant,
ANTONIO TARAN Y BARRIOS. {EA}
Imperial Mexico.  )
Sub-Prefectura of Moctezuma. 
April 29th, of 1866.
In order to give possession of the lands, viz: Four Leagues of
Public Lands, which the American Citizen CUMMINGS CHERRY has
solicited before this Sub-Prefectura, by virtue of the concession, of
which a copy accompanies this, I hereby appoint you the Official
Surveyor, that you may conduct the measurement of the lands indicated, form the plans and descriptions corresponding, and remit
these respective documents to this office for acceptance. If you




70
determine to accept the appointment, proceed with the measurement without delay, accompanied by the interested party, and the
necessary assistants.
God guard you many years I
The Sub-Prefector of Moctezuma,
ANTONIO TARAN Y BARRIOS. {,           }
Sefior Don VICENTE PROVENCIO, Granadas.
I certify that the above is a true copy of the original.
P. A., Sec'y. of the District, Municipal Commissioner,
JOSE ZUBIAS.
Moctezuma, May 12th, of 1866.
YEAR OF 1866.
COPY
Of the official returns of the measurements of four leagues [or
sitios] of the Public Lands, as near as practicable, by the official
Land Surveyor, Don VICENTE PROVENCIO, at the place named San
Juan del Rio, in the District of Moctezuma, in favor of the American Citizen, CUMMINGS CHERRY.
GRANADAS, May 2d, of 1866.
No person having presented any interest or claim legally to hold
right to the lands denounced, I proceed to the measurement and
marking of boundaries corresponding.
VICENTE PROVENCIO, Official Surveyor, specially appointed by
the Sub-Prefectura of the District, in order of 29th of the preceding month, as resolved and appointed in the ordinary form.
I Attest,
VICENTE PROVENCIO.             }.Attest-JESUS DURAZO,                              SEAL.
JESUS PROVENCIO.
OPUTO, May 3d, of 1866.
When about to proceed to the measurement of the lands denounced in " San Juan del Rio," and when in their vicinity, I sent
a notification to the Citizen, ANTONIO MIRANDO, only heir that is
known to the Ranche designated by the name "Padre Diego," and
entered a copy of the same in my book. He, in reply, said, that in




71
truth he was the heir, but did not have the evidences of title, nor
know the extent or limits of what they called for. This he said,
but did not sign, not knowing how to write.
So say I, the Official Surveyor, with my assistants evidencing.
VICENTE PROVENCIO. {3A}
Attest-JESUS DURAZO,
JESUS PROVENCIO.
On the same day, and at the same place, in accordance with my
duty, I appointed the necessary officials to assist me in the measurement solicited. I nominated, as accountant, the Citizen JOSE DURAZO, and as marker and pointer, the Citizen VICENTE Rios, and as
chain bearers, with others of this class, ANTONIO OCHOA and JOSE
Muvioz.
VICENTE PROVENCIO, Official Surveyor, as resolved and appointed
in the usual form.
VICENTE PROVENCIO.         f- 
Attest —JESUS DURAZO,                             JS
JESUS PROYENCIO.
AT THE RANCIIE OF SAN JUAN DEL RIO, ON THE 3D DAY OF THE
MONTH OF MAY, OF EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SIXTY-SIX.
I, VICENTE PROVENCIO, Official Surveyor, appointed to measure
these lands, in company with Mr. CUMMINGS CHERRY, Citizen of
the United States, and with the officials appointed and named in the,
preceding certificate, and with my assistant and witnesses, with the
object of measuring and marking the limits of the four leagues of
public lands denounced by the accompanying Senor, proceeded to
make careful view and recognition of them; and from my examinations, I formed a description, viz: That on either side of the Rio
Grande (or Yaqui) are bottom lands of extent, and highly adapted
to cultivation, and a supply of water sufficient for any purpose required can be brought upon them from the river, at a small cost.
These bottom lands are abundantly timbered with such classes as
are common to the country, viz: Mesquit, Chinos (live Oaks), Alamos (Poplars), Fesetas (Iron wood), and others. Besides the River
Grande, the lands are plentifully supplied with other strong streams
of water, and permanent water springs. The Cafion of the Heurigos abounds with timber of this name and species. The lands en



72
closing the river bottoms and the valleys arc mountainous, and nearly
impassable. There are different varieties of grass, though on the
higher points the pasturage is poor.
Previous to the inspection of the lands, I received from the officials appointed, the usual affirmation to discharge faithfully and
justly their respective trusts, and, in continuation, delivered to the
official measurers a tape, formed of wire, of the most improved invention, containing fifty English feet, which I measured, and found
to be equal to eighteen and a third Mexican yards (varas), and
which, in my measurements, I allowed it to be.
I commenced the measurement on a red crest, below which, the
River Grande breaks through the rocks, and in the vicinity of, and
on the same side with the mouth of the Cafiada of " Joriquipe; "
and having taken observations of the courses with an instrument or
compass, whose needle traversed perfectly, I took the direction to a
point North of East, forming an obtuse angle at the North-West
corner, making the line marked on the map of the survey as " No.
5," from the letter "A," and found it to run in a course eighty
degrees to the East. In this course I measured ten thousand Mexican yards, passing between and beyond the "Valenzuello" mountain, and another-a red mountain-to the North of this, and
coming to a termination on a crest of a "sugar-loaf" mountain on
the other side, where I erected the monument designated by the
letter B.
From here I took a course South, and carefully measured five
thousand Mexican yards, running to a crest of "Paiaas Blanca"
(white mounds) on the brow of a high mountain, where I erected
the monument designated by the letter C.
From here I continued the line in a course twenty-two degrees to
the West, and measured eight thousand eight hundred and forty
Mexican yards, terminating at a mountain of lofty crown rocks or
table crests, designated on the accompanying map by the letter D.
From here I took a course fifty-four degrees to the West, and
measured five thousand five hundred Mexican yards, to a mountain
which is at the foot of a loftier one, and beyond the canion of the
Heurigos, on which I erected the monument represented on the map
by the letter E.
And, in conclusion, I took a North course, with twenty-four degrees to the West, and measured ten thousand six hundred and sixty
Mexican yards, which terminated at the point from which I started.
By this conclusion I have completed the measurement, and have,




73
as a result, the figure represented by the dark lines of the accompanying map, within which is contained an area or superficies of
ninety-seven million seven hundred and sixty-nine thousand square
Mexican yards. Adjacent, on the South, is the "Padre Diego"
Ranche, and on the North-West and East are unoccupied lands.
And in conjunction with the possessor, the officials who accompanied, and my assistants, I affirm,
VICENTE PROVENCIO,
CUMMINGS CHERRY,
Attest-JESUS DURAZO,             JOSE DURAZO.
JESUS PROVENCIO.
SAN JUAN DEL RIo, May 6th, of 1866.
Having concluded the measurements, and designated the limits of
his land, I notified Mr. CHERRY; and in effect said that the measurement I had made, did not quite contain the one hundred millions of
square Mexican yards, which corresponded to the four leagues conceded; and if he agreed to accept that which I have measured, to
manifest it by signing with me and my assistants.
VICENTE PROVENCIO.
Attest —JESUS DURAZO,            CUMMINGS CHERRY.
JESUS PROVENCIO.
MOCTEZUMA, May 11th, of 1866.
Having concluded the measurement, and marked out the limits
of the lands of the denounced, and completed the statement of the
same, and the description of the lands and the matters connected
therewith, I remit them to the Sub-Prefectura of the District, for
the final disposal.
VICENTE PROVENCIO, Official Surveyor, so concludes and affirms
in the usual form.
VICENTE PROVENCIO.         { SEAL }
Attest-JESUs DURAZO,
JESUS PROVENCIO.
Note.-In six leaves of writing of utility, I remit these statements of proceedings to the Sub-Prefectura of the District for final
disposal.




74
DESCRIPTION      OF PLAN OF SURVEY.
A-Obtuse angle to the North-West; on a crest, below which a
Rio Grande (the Yaqui) breaks through the rocks, and in the vicinity of, above, the mouth of the Cafiada of "Joriquipe."
B-Acute angle to the North-East, on a "sugar-loaf" mountain,
marked with a crest facing the upper terminus of the Valenzuello
mountain, and running nearly in the same course, and overlooking
the crest of the San Patricio vein, and in view of the Valenzuello
vein, which is at the base of the mountain of this name.  It has,
to the West, a mountain with a peculiar red, velvety appearance.
This monument mountain is of the same color.
C-Obtuse angle to the East, on a white crest, "Pefia Blanca,"
which is on the brow of a high mountain.
D-Obtuse angle to the South. On a mountain not very high,
crowned by a peculiar occurrence of rocks, or round crests.
E-Acute angle to the West. On a mountain, at the base of a
very elevated one, beyond, and overlooking the "' Calon de los Heurigos." The monument is erected on a mound of loose rocks, and
the sides of the mountain are composed of loose rocks.
RESUME:
No. 1, Trapezium..-______ —---------          55,687,500
No. 2, do. -_ ____ —------------------ 34,555,250
No. 3, Triangle — -----------------  -----— __  _ 8,278,750
No. 4, do.          _____ —--------------------- _1,277,500
No. 5,  do.  ----------------   ------- _ __    2,970,000
Total sum of square yards _-_-_-___97,769,000
VICENTE PROVENCIO.          { sEAL. }
MOCTEZUMA, May 11th, of 1866.
Secretary General of  }
the Department of Sonora. f
URES, May 19th, of 1866.
I certify that the within is a copy of the original statement of
proceedings in San Juan del Rio, by order of the Sefior Political
Prefector Superior of the Department of Sonora.
The Secretary General of Sonora,
Y. SEPULVEDA.       { SEAL 




IBWAP IITSTR[ATL  Tfl{E 1IJEP(ORT OF S URvEYOROF TH[E RBIAVM WSAQJJYAl BERI@o
_Escalc de mil' 1 lcl
luB  \  5,,   _000, vs._ C
_,A
1.,,.   _   _  _,








75
Administration of Taxes of the Department of Sonora.
2d Class-4th Seal-12~ Cents-No. 767.   Qualified for 1866 and 1867, in conformity to the Supreme Order of 29th of November of 1865. URES,
JANUARY 20TH OF 1866.
Francisco N. Lbpez.            Manuel Tera&n.
Imperial Mexico.      }
Commissioner Municipal of Moctezuma. 
JOSE ZUBIAS, Commissioner Municipal of Moctezuma, etc., in conformity to law,
Certifies: That in the absence from the District of the Sefior SubPrefectura, Don ANTONIO T. Y BARRIOS, and his substitute, Don
YGNACIO SOTO, and in virtue of my appointment by the latter as
his substitute to the charges of the Sub-Prefectura of this District,
I have received from Don VICENTE PROVENCIO, Official Surveyor,
the papers of proceedings of the measurements ordered of the lands
of San Juan del Rio and Nacosari, in favor of the American citizen
CUMMINGS CHERRY; and as said party possessing asks to convey
these documents of proceedings to the Superior Political Prefector
of the Department, this Commissioner-substitute, in the absence of
the Sefior Sub-Prefector, in conformity with the Article 31st of the
law of November of 1865, regulating the Administrative Department, and by the party concerned, remits the indicated papers of
proceedings to the Sefior Superior Prefector for his final disposition.
MOCTEZUMA, May 12th of 1866.
The Commissioner Municipal,           { 
JOSE ZUBIAS.          SIAL. 
VICENTE PROVENCIO, Official Surveyor appointed, certifies, in
the legal form, as follows, to-wit:
I am acquainted with and have made measurement, as ordered, of
the lands of "San Juan del Rio" and "Nacosari."  In relation to
the first named, it has been abandoned more than twenty-five years,
for which reason its houses have almost entirely fallen to ruins. The
mines of "l San Patricio" and'" Valenzuello" have been abandoned
perhaps a little more than a year. The last named, I am informed,
and the public say, has been abandoned over sixty years. The new
real of the same name, " Nacosari," from what I understand, has
been shortly abandoned. And in order that this may be used to the
benefit of the party concerned, I present it in Moctezuma, the 12th
of May of 1866.             NTE PRO
VICENTE PRQVENCIO.          \ SEAL.




76
Secretary General  1
of the Department of Sonora.     URES, MAY 19TH OF 1866.
I certify that the preceding are correct copies of what they profess, each folio having been marked with my seal.
The Secretary General of Sonora,               --
SEAL. 
Y. SEPULVEDA.'     fJ
Imperial Mexico.  }
Commissioner Municipal >
of Moctezuma.           MOCTEZUMA, MAY 12TH OF 1866.
By request of the American Citizen CUMMINGS CHERRY, as
owner and proprietor of the lands of San Juan del Rio, you will
notify the inhabitants of the pueblo not to trespass upon, nor carry
away any of the elements of these lands measured in favor of the
American Citizen CUMMINGS CHERRY, for they are the property of this
Senor. The elements of which I speak are the water, lime, timber,
and others, which are placed in the charge of Don JUAN AVAREZ
by the proprietor.
God guard you many years!
By the acting Sub-Prefector of the District, The Commissioner
Municipal of Moctezuma.
JOSE ZUBIAS.          S SEAL. }
SeHor Commissioner Municipal of San Ygnacio, Oputo.   -
Imperial Mexico.  )
Superior Political Prefector
of the Department of Sonora.)
URES, MAY 19TH OF 1866.
MOST EXCELLENT SEiOR:
I remit to your Excellency two proper measures of denouncements of lands located in this Department. The one of San Juan
del Rio, in the District of Moctezuma, is denounced in accordance
with the concession made by the Government in March of 1857, of
four leagues of the public estate, wherever found by the concerned
party. This concession was granted to the American, C. DENMAN,
who conceded his right to EDGAR CONKLING, who has empowered
the American, CUMMINGS CHERRY, the denouncer. All this appears
in the original documents in English and Spanish, which I have the
honor to remit your Excellency.
It is manifest from the publication of the denouncement in the
" Periodico Oficial," in which it appears in the same form as the
original accompanying, that the same conforms to law. There is a




77
single opposition to the land of San Juan del Rio, by the Sefiora
TINOCA; but she did not present any title of property, nor appear
before the political authority-as he represents-to make her protest
or prove her rights, butcontents herself with saying that she has lost
her title and has occurred to the Minister to recover the title corresponding. Your Excellency will better determine what is convenient
and proper in this particular.
As the concession granted to Sefior DENMAN expresses and orders
only that the measuremements be taken, in order to have the title corresponding made out and remitted without further delay, they are
herewith remitted to your Excellency.  The party denouncing
has paid the just expenses of the survey, with the other corresponding ones that were incurred.  In case the title is extended, your
Excellency willplease issue it in the name of Mr. EDGAR CONKLING,
who is the actual owner.
With respect to the other Ranche of Nacosari in the same District,
it also was denounced by the Sefior CUMMINGS CHERRY, American
Citizen; as public land, under the same concession. The publication of
denouncement requisite was made corrcetly. The documents relating
to the matter and the denouncement expresses being made under the
terms of a concession of the Sefior COMONFORT of 1857. He has no
such concession to place upon it, the denouncer informs me; but it
was denounced solely as a matter of precaution by the Sefior CUMMisas CHERRY. I owe it to remark to your Excellency that this
Prefectura labors in complete obscurity in so far as relates to the
legacies of your decrees. The recent laws and others which yet
remain in force have been lost in the many revolutions, and during
which many important documents have also been taken away. For
this reason I remit all for the consideration of your Excellency.
Accept, Your Excellency, my respects.
The Prefector (Governor) of Sonora,      -
MARIANNA SALAZAR.           B    }
Most Excellent Sefior Minister of Fomento, Mexico.
Imperial Mexico.
Superior Political Prefector      URES M       H  O 
of Sonora.                 URES, MAY 19TH O0 1866.
The Sefior CUMMINGS CHERRY is bearer of a sealed package of
papers, relating to certain lands in which he is the party concerned,
addressed to the Minister of Fomento; and in virtue of the peril of




78
the transit, I entrust them to him for deposit in the Post office of
Guaymas, or other place which he may consider most sure or to the
purpose, so that they may not be lost.
The Secretary General of Sonora,
Y SEPULVEDA.       {SE
Post Office of )
Guaymas. 5
The expressed Sellor CHERRY has delivered at this Office for
certification and franking a letter parcel for the Most Excellent
Sefior Minister of Fomento, the which to be despatched with care
by the "Almirante," which sails to-day for Mazatlan.
The Post Master General of Interior,
JUNL. MORALES.
Guaymas, June 9th of 1866.
GUAYMAS, JUNE 10TH OF 1866.
S. Don JOSE SALAZAR YLARREGUI, Mexico.
VERY DEAR FRIEND:
Some days ago I addressed a long letter to you, which called to
my memory many recollections of our old time friendship. And
now I take the liberty to recommend to you by this note, Mr. CuMMINGS CHERRY, who has in hand business of importance with the
Government concerning land concessions in this Department.
The Sefior CHERRY enjoys the best reputation, and his acknowledged ability and industry will nake him productive of great
benefits to the country and to the lands which he solicits, and which
now remain uncultivated and abandoned.
I anticipate to give you thanks for the protection and support
which I beg you to extend to this gentleman, that he may have the
opportunity to carry into effect his very excellent designs.
I repeat myself ever your affectionate friend and servant,
J. M. ASTIASARAN.
Most Excellent Sefior Minister of Government,)
S. Don JOSE SALAZAR YLARREGUI,
Mexico.




MINING ESTIMIATES A1VD STATISTICS.
MININ~G S1IJMIATES A3D STATISTICS.
CINCINNATI, 0, Aug. 20, 1866.
To the Members of Cincinnati' Sonora Mining Association.
GENTLEMEN:You desire items of expense in mining operations in the Nevada (Virginia City and Gold Hill) silver mines,
as compared with those which will be incurred on your property
in Sonora.
When Superintendents of mines in Virginia City and vicinity,
stamping and amalgamating of ores cost us $25 per ton; labor
$4 per day for miners, and $5 per day for mechanics; lumber
$80 to $120 per thousand feet; timber 80 cents per square foot;
freight from Sacramento 6 to 8 cents per pound; hauling ores
to mills $3 to $5 per ton. The average yield of ores was $42
per ton.
In your mining operations, if governed by practical and experienced managers, the reduction of ores by water power will
cost $6 to $8 per ton, labor 50 cents to $1 per day, and hauling
ores to mill $1 50 to $2 per ton.  The present rates of freight
from Guaymas are 5 cents per pound; and timber is upon the
ground, for all purposes. Food and forage can be procured on
the ground.            Respectfully,
CUMMINGS CHERRY,
JAMES CHERRY.
ESTIMATE OF EXPENDITURE
Necessary to place the San Juan del Rio property of Cincinnati' Sonora Mining Association on a producing basis.
Opening Mines,__ -— $ - --------- - -------- $20,000
Making Roads to Mines, —------------------—, 4,000
Erecting Dam and Flume, -,_ _ _ _...._ —__ ----- 40,000
Erecting Mill and Beneficiating Works, -... —----- 80 30,000
Building Houses, -5__      _  __,,  6,000
Total in Gold,. —-... —---—. —--.-. — $99,000
This estimate is placed at outside figures.
CUMMINGS CHERRY,
JAMES CHERRY.
Cincinnati, Aug. 20, 1866.




80
PROFITS OF SILVER MINING.
Two facts-and " facts are stubborn things " —are very conclusive as to the profitableness of silver mining Companies:
1. At the mining stock boards in the great commercial cities
of the East and Europe, although hundreds of gold and copper
and lead and coal mining stocks, are bought and sold, and
gambled in, the stocks of well managed silver mining companies are seldom, or never offered. The reason is, it pays better
to hold them-so astonishingly large are the dividends; declared
monthly, and in gold coin. Such stocks do not often change
hands, and are the choicest investments that can be made.
2. The New York Evening Post, of August 14, 1866, has
advertisements as follows:
DIVIDENDS-AUG UST, 1866.
Yellow Jacket Silver Mining Company, -____ —_- $50 per foot.
Hale & Norcross "  "      "    ----— _  $75   "
Savage         "   "      "    ----     $50   "
Imperial       "   "      "    ---— _ —$ 6 per share.
All payable in gold on 15th August, by Lees & Waller, 33 Pine Street, or
Eugene Kelly & Co., 24 Nassau St.
These are the very latest monthly dividends. The following
table gives the product of bullion from 14 mines in the Washoe
District, Nevada Territory, during about five months immediately preceding May 1, 1865:
"Gould and Curry," _ —__ —— _ $477,183 98
"Yellow Jacket,"-__ —-------   720,107 54' Savage," --- -  -__     __-  605,233 40
"Chollar," ---------- -----    440,000 00
Belcher," ------   -— 8 —-   314,130 00
"Potosi," -— ___ —  ---- ------- 308,120 92
"Imperial," ------- -------    201,344 55
"Empire," --— _ -----------    119,208 49
"Confidence," ---------  -----  89,042 10
"Ophir," ----- — ~ —-- ----     57,712 20
"Eclipse," -- -------------- 55,568 05
"Challenge," __ —------------------ 51,799 44
"Bacon," -—, —-- ---,- ----   41,989 07
"Crown Point," —----- ---  ---- 36,331 00
The average yield of these 14 mines for the five months, is
$251,269 34, or at the rate of $603,046 44 per annum each, in
bullion, worth in United States currency on the 22d of August,
1866, $826,173 62.




81
The total yield of the " Gould and Curry" mine, to July 1,
1865, was $14,500,000.
The "Savage Silver Mining Co." paid in 1865 a net profit of
43 per cent. per month on its actual capital paid in for development and improvements.
The " North Star," in five months of 1864, paid a net profit
of $240,000 in silver, from a 10-stamp mill, an average yield
of $160 for each stamp. In 1866, the "Savage" is yielding
$1400 per day in silver from a 10-stamp mill, an average of
$140 per stamp. The ores on the San Juan del Rio property
of the Cincinnati and Sonora Co. will enable them to make at
least as good an average, which with the proposed 20-stamp
mill, will reach $3,000 per day, or $900,000 per year. But the
water power of this Company is so unlimited, and the ores so
rich, so abundant and so easily mined, that 100 stamps can be
erected and worked with comparatively small increased cost. If
the Valenzuello mine, on this property, when last worked, alone
yielded $1,000,000 per year, with inefficient reduction processes
that failed to abstract a considerable portion of the precious
metals, it is readily seen that $2,000,000 to $3,000,000 per year
of bullion can be extracted from  this property.  Several
mines in Nevada have 20-stamp mills, and one is doubling that
number.
The latest sales of the shares of the stocks of these Silver Mining
Companies at San Francisco on July 27th, 1866, were at the
following extraordinary rates:
Gould and Curry -— $-_______ __$ —740 per share or foot.
Yellow Jacket___ —5 —-- _ —-—,, — 675  "  "
Savage ---— _ —— _____ —-— _- 980         "
Chollar _ —-_ —-— 1 —- -_ _-__-  180  "   "
Imperial ------------------— _ 92    "     "
Empire   __ —------- --------  120   "
Ophir —-----------— __ —--- 245      "    "
Hale and Norcross _ —-- ------ 1600        "
The San Francisco "Alta California" newspaper of July 7,
1866, in its commercial leader, says:
The late discoveries of ore in the Hale & Norcross have
(6)




82
disclosed a vein 30 feet wide of $50 ore, and extending 160
feet. The receipts of the month will be $100,000, against
$65,000 for the month of May.
The developments of the Savage are better, and the June
product $130,000.
The Crown Point also improves, and the receipts are $105,000 for June.
The Gould & Curry gives for the month of June $146,000.
The yield for six months has been $36 90 per ton, at a cost of
$12 12 per ton-$7 56 for mining; six months' yield, to June
1st, $908,119.
The Imperial reports better prospects, and the receipts for
June $61,000.
The Yellow Jacket product of bullion for June is estimated
at $260,000.
Thus these six mines give at the rate of nearly $10,000,000,
per annum; and the expenses less and more regular than last
year.
ASSAY OF SURFACE ORES.
Assay of three specimens of the ores gathered from the surface, or from rubbish heaps, of the San Patricio mines, by Mr.
CHERRY, assayed by Prof. E. S. WAYNE, Analytical Chemist,
Cincinnati, August 30, 1866:
No. 1-1,264 oz., 2 dwt., 12 gr., $1,672 16, gold value, per ton of 2,000 lbs.
No. 2-  16 oz., 12 dwt., 12 gr., 22 03,  "  i     It
No. 3- 123 oz., 16 dwt.,  166 00,  "      "       "
These results are their values in gold; or, in United States
currency, about $2,475, $32 50 and $245 respectively.




83
SILVER MINES IN MEXICO.
Senor Zambrano's two mines in 24 years yielded $55,000,000, or
per year,         ---------- $2,291,667
The "San Dimas " in 25 years yielded over $25,000,000, or per
year, over -------------— __ -   -______ ---------  1,000,000
The " Pavilion " yielded $20,000 per day, and divided per year
over ----   ----     -        ------------------   6,000,000
The "Gallego"' in 6 years yielded $11,000,000, or per year. —-.- 1,833,334
The "San Avasco" in 3 years divided $54,000,000, or per year-_ 18,000,(00
The "Santa Eulalia" in 32 years yielded $56,9f9,760, or per year 1,748,742
The "Semprerate" paid in 7 months $5,000,000, or at the rate
per year   -----------—. —---       ---------- 8,571,429
These statistics are from the mining records of Mexico, and
many of them     are from   the revenue tax or "King's-fifth"
reports, and calculated from the tax actually paid-a reliability
that will not be disputed in these days. This tax has long since
ceased to be assessed.
The following statements of the yield of quartz mines are from
the " Semi-Annual Mining Report of California," published in the
"Mining Index," New York, August 23d, 1866, clearly showing
the results of working thin veins of ores, of low value:
QUARTZ MINING IN THE SOUTHERN COUNTIES.
Beginning at Clear Creek, the most southerly point in the State
at which the business is at present carried on, we find here a great
number of ledges, many of them narrow, varying in width from
one to six feet, but so far as opened giving evidence of decided
richness. This district, though not settled above two years, contains
a population of several thousand; has ten or twelve quartz mills
now running, with a number more, some of them of large capacity,
in course of erection. The number of ledges already located at
that section of country exceeds 500, though but a very small proportion of these have been at all developed. Some of the quartz is
extremely rich-the aggregate yield under the stamps approximating $40 to the ton. Surrounding this district is a number of others,
some of them believed to contain numerous valuable ledges, a few
of which have been sufficiently tested to settle that point in their
favor. Near White Creek, and also at various points along Kern
River-streams to the North of Clear Creek-there are a number
of small quartz mills, and quite a good many arastras, mostly




84
driven by water, all of which have for several years past been doing
a thrifty business, running on rock obtained from the rich but narrow quartz veins that abound in the neighborhood.  At all the
points, new mills, generally of greater capacity than the old ones,
are being put up this summer; and the prospect is that they will
all make money for their owners.
THE MIDDLE, OR CENTRAL DISTRICT OF THE STATE.
Among the more productive and profitable mines in this quarter,
the Soulsby, near Sonora, and the Hayward, in Amador County,
take precedence-the net earnings of the latter being from $30,000
to $40,000 per month. Its entire yield since 1853, when it was
first opened, has been nearly $7,000,000, and although now being
worked at a point 1,200 feet beneath the surface, it fails to evince
signs of impoverishment or exhaustion.
ALLISON RANCH MINE.
The yield of this mine for the half year under notice has been
$40,000 per month-a total of $240,000, more than half of which
may be set down as clear profit.' This was extracted from some two
thousand three hundred tons of ore, the average yield being $104
per ton. This vein is now being worked at the depth of five hundred feet, at which point it is three feet wide, and exhibits a compact and well concentrated body of ore, uniformly of high grade.
This Company runs a twelve-stamp mill, capable of crushing only
about one hundred and twenty-five tons per week.
THE NORTH STAR,
Universally conceded to be a mine of extraordinary. merit, and
undoubtedly one of the most valuable about Grass Valley, has the
further advantage of having been developed in a thoroughly scientific and substantial manner. It is opened by a main incline six
hundred and sixty-five feet long, and having a vertical depth of two
hundred and fifty feet.  The vein, which lies quite flat, and varies
in thickness from one to six feet, averaging about two and a half,




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has been exposed in the lowest level some four hundred and twentyfive feet easterly from the main shaft, and six hundred and forty
feet in the same direction in the next level above, securing for it a
very thorough exploration.  From these lower levels very little ore
has been raised, and between the bottom level and the two levels
above, the length and average width of the vein being carefully ascertained by actual measurement, it is thought that ten thousand
tons of ore can yet be extracted, worth $35 per ton; and in the virgin ground, which extends to the surface above these three lower
levels, and varying in length from four hundred to six hundred feet,
it is estimated that twenty thousand tons may be taken, worth, say
$28 per ton. In other words, with the developments now made
from the bottom of the shaft to the surface, thirty thousand tons of
ore still remain untouched, valued at over $900,000. The great
wealth of this mine will, however, probably be found in sinking
still deeper, inasmuch as the lode has shown a steady improvement
as descended upon. For the past five years this claim seems to have
been worked with reference to the future, rather than for consideration of immediate benefit. Although dividends have been declared
at irregular intervals since 1852, the real prosperity of the mine
dates from 1861, and during the past four years a net profit of $500,000 has been realized, of which sum fully $125,000 was expended
in various improvements, such as the construction of a drain tunnel half a mile in length, new hoisting and pumping apparatus, and
in the erection of a new and very substantial mill, capable of crushing at least thirty-five tons of ore per day, leaving $375,000 for actual dividends. All this was accomplished with a six-stamp mill,
running in 1862 and 1863, and since then by one of nine-stamps.
The returns for the first five months of the present year reach nearly $90,000, extracted from some two thousand five hundred tons of
ore. The average yield of the rock has been about $35 per ton for
several years past, that more recently crushed running up to nearly
$40. This valuable property, including the new sixteen-stamp mill,
was not long since purchased by several capitalists of San Francisco, for $450,000, but it probably could now be resold for a much larger sum.
EUREKA MINE.
The gross earnings of this mine for the eight months ending May
31st, were $284,000, their expenses having meantime been $103,000,




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leaving a balance in their favor of $181,000. During the month of
June last the product of this mine was $73,000, besides sulphurets
valued at $2,500, estimated expenses being meantime $13,000. The
average yield of the ore during that month was at the rate of sixty
five dollars per ton.  The yield during the last three months of
1865, was at the rate of thirty-three dollars and eighty-seven cents
per ton, while the lot crushed during the first five months of the
present year gave an average of forty-two dollars and sixty-seven
cents per ton, showing how uniformly but very materially the ore
increased in value as the mine was developed downward. The present lowest level in this mine is three hundred feet beneath the surface. The cost of mining and milling this ore was about thirteen
dollars per ton, this being about the average cost at Grass Valley.
THE OPHIR,
Another of the rich and promising mines of Grass Valley, though
for a time under a cloud, is now enriching its owners. The claim is
well opened, and the Company have just finished one of the most
superb mills ever erected in the State, built at a cost of $125,000.
It runs thirty stamps, and has a capacity to reduce over sixty tons
of rock daily. The Ione Company possess a ledge of good size and
unquestionable richness, which they have lately been subjecting to
a rigid exploration. The earnings of their mine, though not yet
worked to any great depth, have sufficed during the past few months
to pay current expenses and defray the cost of a ten-stamp mill. The
Hueston Hill Company, owning a six-inch vein, have been able to
divide among themselves $8,000 per month since January last. The
Norambagua, one of the mines of the Forest Spring Company, has
been doing well, and at this time is probably in a more promising
condition than for several years past. The aggregate production of
this claim has exceeded $1,000,000, and it is thought that regular
dividends can be made hereafter, under judicious management.