Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/borderstatesofnne01hami BORDER STATES OF lEXICO. FOR SAl-E BY ALL NZ'^VS DEALERS PRICZ. C::Z DOLL.-.? II HAS THE LARGEST CIRCULATION "SAN FRANCISCO CHRDNICIiE BUILDING THE LEADING I'APER OF THE PACIFIC COAST; epiyc JS3}B[ aqi uioij ooixajv Jo sajB^g japjog aqj jo dBp\[ b uopip? ll^qs a^i -Eouauiv \enu3j puE ooixajv jo auipno ;seo3 aqj jo ;j3sui 3^ -iggi '^s "u^f JO anssi ue ui pajEaddE SuiAEq auiEs aq; 3DspuEi^ UEg aqj uoissiuijad aq^ q;[M JO paqsijqnd si dE j\[ siqx ir=?r=< «8nW i^o epag "• m a m mjaoi^qv^vj JlNV330«3iMI aaSOtlOyd •ennriMindmnMinniiD SOVOyilVy C13SOdOMd in HAS THE LARCiEST CIRCULATION. % ptraiiwion »"°'^"„'"!"""1. This Map i« pnblUitd wilh the j„„n»l of Comiii««." in i»" °' J»-,"• »';• »i" ,h. «m. h«Lg >PP.-<> " 13. .0 give . g-^l »nd C.ntnJ America. "^'J: of Ih.. Cout outline of Muioo "'''"''Ij^ -uWi.h i„ a folu.e from the lalclVlificuT i- .^:^™ , «,„ „( ,hc Border Stales of Meiico HA A "Journal of Commerce," Y rjt to give a general view also publish in a future -Tvevs. BORDER STATES OF MEXICO: SONORA, SiNALOA, CHIHUAHUA AND DURANGO. With a General Sketch of the Republic of Mexico, and Lower California, Coahuila, New Leon and TamauliDas. A COMPLETE DESCRIPTION OF THE BEST REGIONS FOR THE Settler, Miner and the Advance Guard of American Civilization. The Mining Districts and Mines, the Agricultural and Grazing Regions, Cities and Towns, Location and Distances and Prin- cipal Business Men, Factories, etc., Exports, Imports and Productions ; to which are added, Resources of Mexico, Duties, the Trade with Mexico, How to acquire Property in Mexico, Rail- roads AND Traveling in the Republic, Collected from all the Works extant on Mexico, and Reports of Travelers, Official Records, and Reports of Mining Experts and Old Residents, with Information up to date ; the whole making A Complete Guide FOR TRAVELERS AND EMIGRANTS. BY :: • LEONIDAS HAMILTON. - San Francisco: --.-.--U.^^';;-' BACON & COMPANY, BOOK AND JOB PRINTERS, "' Corner Clay and Sansome Streets. i88i. in the year 1881, by Entered according to Act of Congress, LEONIDAS HAMILTON, Congress, at Washington, D. O. In the Office of the Librarian of \ '.'I Introduction Believing that a more complete description of the northern part of our sister Republic will conduce to the advancement of the mutual interests of the United States and Mexico, the author submits the result of Careful investigation of the four northern states of Mexico to the public. We respectfully acknowledge our indebtedness to Ex-Governor Monteverde, of Sonora, and Benjamin R. Rountree, John A. Robinson, Don Celedonio Ortiz, L. Gilson, and I. Thannhauser, of this city, and E. C. Hoffman, of San Jose, and many others, for much of the informa- tion contained in the following pages. We have aLo availed ourselves of the valuable and almost inaccessible work of Mr. Ward on "Mexico in 182'7," from which we have taken everything of interest applicable to the subject-matter; and the valuable work of Mr. Mowry on Sonora and Arizona, and the impartial Span- ish work of Francisco Velasco on Sonora, and translated into English by Mr. Wm. F. Nye, in this city, in 1861, and the work entitled "Travels on the Western Slope of Ihe Mexican Cordillera," by Cincinnams, and Mr Ruxton's work on "Ad- ventures in Mexico," and the late work of Antonio Garcia Cubas on " The Repub- lic of Mexico in 1876," translated by Mr. Geo. E. Henderson, in Mexico, and (jfficial records and papers, and numerous other works, including pamphlets both in the English and Spanish languages. We have also been rendered valuable assistance by the Mexican Consul aiid the Honorable Ex-Judge of the Supreme Tribunal of Sinaloa and Lower California, Carlos F. Galan, now practicing law in this city, and many other American and Spanish gentlemen, who have kindly ren- dered us every assistance in their power. We have endeavored to give only the facts as we find them, without unnecessary embellishments or fanciful description; the object being to make the contents of value for refei'ence as well as interesting to persons desiring to travel through or emigrate to those portions of Mexico to which we have given our attention, for the purpose of engaging in mining, agriculture, or stock-raising; or for persons desiring to make profitable investments in those four states. We have availed ourselves of every data that we could obtsiu, in order to give a complete descrip- tion, together with routes of travel and distances, cities and towns, the principal business men, the resources of Mexico, etc. We have also included, in a con- densed form, a general view of the Republic of Mexico, and the territory of Lower California, and the border states of Coahuila, New Leon, and Tamaulipas. In addition, we have referred to the most important land laws restricting American citizens from acquiring real estate in any of the border states. With the good, opportunities offered in those states, we have also attempted to point out the unfavorable features, in order to give an impartial work to the pub- lic. We have necessarily been compelled to condense much of our information, in order to biing the work within the reach of all, and at the same time give the most important data to the public. In some instances, we have found it exceed- ingly difficult to give as complete information as we desired, and we have, there- fore, been careful to state positively only those facts that could be verified. Respectfully submitted. The Acthor. ;; OOITTENTS. Page Introduction 3 Physical Features of the Republic op Mexico 7 Political Divisions and Population of Mexico 7 National and State Governments. 8 Education, Colleges, Libraries, Museums, Fine Arts, Etc 10 Resources of Mexico 13 Lower California 16 SONORA o , 17 Boundaries and general description ; climate, soil and pro- ductions; Guaymas — location, harbor, streets, public buildings, plaza, principal business men, mint, distances, Sonera Railroad, population, importance of Guaymas, commerce, Alamos, Altar, stage connections 25 Hermosillo—Cerro de la Campana, aqueduct, vineyards and orchards, public buildings, hotels, beautiful plaza, ladies celebrated for their beauty and fecundity, Paris fashions, business houses, haciendas, water and wood in abundance, factories, mints leased, stage lines, Sonora Railroad. ... 29 Ures—capital, picturesque environs, alameda, elegant resi- dences, commercial houses, haciendas. Las Delicias, scor- pions 34 Santa Cruz—beautiful valley, haciendas, Santa Cruz River, Spanish explorers, Tumacori, fertile lands 35 Bacuachi—rich mineral region, climate, etc. ; Fronteras, Bapispe, Bapepito River, Arispe, hacienda of Las Deli- cias, Sonora River, Moctezuma, Sahuaripa, roads, etc. river Papigochi, Altar mines, La Libertad 36 Rivers Yaqui and Mayo, course and length ; fertile lands, irrigation, high water, flour mills, oyster beds, settlements divers, sharks, Mayo—narrow valley, settlements ; pearl whales, mantua or blanket fish 40 Presidio of Buena Vista, attempts to survey Yaqui lands, immense government grants, transportation on theYaqui, San Pedro de la Conquista 42 Indians and presidios, character of the Yaqui Indians—Ve- . Page lasco gives them a bad character ; Mayos ; Ceris, their character, location, pelican-skin dress ; Opatas, anecdote " of the Opatas, Papajos ; " Pitaya-syrup Apaches, war- like, personal appearance, habitations; comparative peace 44 Discovery of Gold — a natural phenomenon ; gold every- where 48 Mines of Sonora » . 49 Old mines abandoned, warning to American capitalists, " Gambucinos," ruined mines, Mr. Mowry's word of cau- tion, bona fide owners, no mine abandoned as long as it can be worked, owners alive to the value of good mines, no partnership desirable, the mines to buy, safest means to obtain a mine, an instance to the point, " Santa Ger- trudis," paying mines as a rule not for sale, exceptions, fair offer has to be made to purchase a valuable mine . Mining Districts — Location and description of mines of Sonora 51 Alamos, location ; Minas Nuevas, Aduana, San Ildefonso de la Cieneguilla, San Francisco, Mulatos, San Xavier, San Antonio de la Huerta, Cieneguita and Haracarbo ; Babiacanora, Cucurpe, Santa Teresa de Jesus, Nacameri, and Batuco districts ; Rio Chico el Aguaje and Suaque Haygame, La Trinidad, Bacuachi Cajon, Barroyaca and Cerro Prieto, San Jos6 de Gracias, La Cananea, La Basura, San Perfecto, Quitovac, Alamo Muerto, Los Palomos, El Zone, Caborca, La Barranca, Bellas de Plata, Babiacora, San Juan Bautista, Nacosari, Churuni- babi, Tonbarachi, San Pedro, Virguillia ; concluding re- flections ; Santa Clara coal fields of Sonora ; quicksilver, graphite, marble, copper, lead, coal, iron, etc ........ 52 SiNALOA. ... 86 Plains, valleys, mountains, rivers, and towns ; Fuerte and Sinaloa and distances by stage from Guaymas to Mazat- lan *.....•... c 86 Mazatlan — coast, harbor, streets, wholesale and retail houses, description of houses, streets, government build- ings, composite architecture, public plaza, market place, principal trade, Mazatlan River, rich merchants, hacien- da of Piastla, principal business men of Mazatlan, hotels, trade with Boston, Philadelphia, New York, and San Francisco ; iron foundries , . « „ 92 Rosario—town located in a ravine, Rosario River, excellent roads, distances, the great Tajo mine a source of wealth to the city 98 ; Page Culiacan—capital of the state, productions of this locality, cotton factory, stage road, principal