aging $274 per ton. In the district near Castaños copper has been mined. There is also a great coal belt, which is thought to extend into Texas, and up into Missouri. Jalisco and Michoacan have likewise been well known for their productive mines. Guerrero has been truthfully called one extensive crust of silver and gold; the renowned Tasco mines are in its territory.[1] In 1803 Tehuilotepec, Sochipala, Cerrodel Limon, San Estévan, and Cuautla only produced 495,000 ounces of silver annually.
The state of Hidalgo is one of the wealthiest in Mexico for mines. The famous districts of Pachuca, Real del Monte, and Moran are in its territory. The original owner of the Viscaina mine, after spending in 1760 about $2,000,000 on it, took out over $15,000,000 at small cost. For his donations to the king, he was made a count. From 1781 to 1819 the production was $10,000,000. It is asserted that the mine has produced in 300 years $200,000,000. An English company who worked it from 1824 to 1848 lost money. From 1849 to 1865, according to a partial record, there were 552,277 tons of ore taken out of the Rosario, yielding a clear profit of $12,057,490. The states of Mexico, Puebla, and Vera Cruz likewise possess valuable mines. Lower California has several mining districts, the chief being Real de Santa Rita, Mulejé and Triunfo. Aguascalientes possesses mining wealth.[2] Campeche has none at all. Chiapas has some productive salt mines. The state of Colima is yet undeveloped.[3]
The country is rich in deposits of other metals; namely, sulphate of silver in the districts of Guanajuato, Pachuca, Zacatecas, and Zacuálpan, in the state of Mexico; light ruby silver, red antimonial ore, in
- ↑ Tasco, Pachuca, Tlalpujahua, and Zultepec were the four mines first worked by the Spaniards.
- ↑ The Asientos district was famous in 1714. Gamboa, Comentarios sobre las leyes de min. de N. Esp. The mines were worked by the Jesuits 1712-67.
- ↑ Extensive information may be found in Dahlgren's Hist. Mines. Mex., 20-220; Busto, Estadist Rep. Mex., ii. 2d pt, 28-364, and 5th pt, 371–83, 42-7, 31; Ramirez, Riqueza Minera Mex., 295-618; El Minero Mex., no. ii. 135.
