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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1880)
88 The west shore. March, 1880. A MEXICAN MINING TOWN. Mr. A. D. Temple, writei the following inter, eeting letter to the New York Sunday Courier : To the mining man acquainted with the sage brush covered land deaerta, and bleak, snow capped peaks characteristic of the silver pin riucini reiionsof Nevada and Utah, the vrdnr oovered mountains and ahady (uetradat of San Dimas are a moat agreeable change. Along the banks uf the rushing, noisy stream that gives motive power to the haciendas in which the rioh ores of the distriot are worked, are numerous orange ami banana plantations, wheie the light green of the broad-leaved banana plants aud the iloep green of the orange show in enticing oonraat to the ripe golden fruit. Nestling in the shade of their taller companions may be seen the bright scarlet blossoms of the pomegranate aud the ripe fruit as well, looking almost like waxen imitations. White limes and guavas abound on every side in such profusion as to almost destroy their market value. Here and there are to be seen trees bearing the alli gator pear, with a pulp remindiug one in taste aud appearance of beef marrow. Farther up, just below the extremu lower limit of fro.it, the far-famed cheiromoya attains its greatest per fection. Up the mountain side above the stream are soattered at short intervals numbers of small corn lielda usually cultivated by some independ ent proprietor who, secure in having abundant rains to bring his crops to maturity, lies lazily under the grass thatched roof, smokes his corn shuck cigarette, chews a huge pieoe of the roasted stalk of the maguey, or dozes away the day supremely and serenely indifferent to the latest quotations of Mexican bonds, the next candidate for President, or the highest ruling rate for Mexican dollars in San Krancisoo, while his wife griuds corn of last year's crop iuto tor tiltat (the Mexican staff of life), and the brown skinned babies, naked and unheeded, play and tumblu about with the dogs on the floor. Flocks of green parrots wheel and circle over head with ceaseless chattering, while occasion ally a aquad of harsh-voiced macaws, gorgeous in red heads, yellow bills, blue wings and groen tails add their discordaucy to the general diu. A species of black pheasant apparently, known as "chiohalaka," calls to its mate from the heavy shade of a wild tig tree with a voice forcibly reminding one of the grating of an tin greased windlass. The black vultures flap lazily ... .1 HaMnilirt fur narpii.it mil u.1..... I.......I minimi n. ..1. g iw. , mm wvu union, light on the trees around with the business-like iravity of undertakers aud the judicial so lemnity of a ooroner's jury. A " kelela," that curious link between the eagles and vultures, llrst described, I believe, by And.. I on, is perched in a tree by the side of the trail, waiting Micawber-like for something to turn up. His yellow beak and white head causes him at tint sight to be mistaken for our representative bird. Frightened by the clatter ol horses' hoofs, a doe with her two fawns darts from the edge of the creek across the narrow trail and diaappears in the heavy brush on the other side. Wild life is abundant, and it is with surprise that rounding a aharp turn we see San Dimas but a tew hundred yards ahead. Built on a steep declivity with its lower buildings abut ting on the creek, and ita upper ones extending up towards the top of the spur of the Sierra Mad n- that towers 4,(100 feet above, San Dimas has the appearance of having slid from some more lofty altitude to ita present position, and being only prevented from going lower by the abrupt cliffs that hound the west side of the creek, on the summits of which the wild goats and dear show themselves feeding undisturbed, and apparently within eaay rifle shot A mole train ii slowly passing through the main street as w ride up, loaded with silver ore for tome of the several haciendas, that we can aee below us; on ahead ridea a dark-akinned miekaeho astride of the old bell mare, and be hind straggle along the pack animals, stopping a oooaaion offers to pick up a banana peeling or an old straw hat that they munch with the keenest appreciation as they again start along, oblivious to the objurgations of the arrieras, whose epithets if translated would excel in searching and earnest eloquence the most im passioned accents of a fish woman. Each mule is carrying at least a carga (300 lbs. Spanish), and to every five mules there is an arriero to tfnd thrtl, and refaSten the sacks in case they get loose from the network of rawhide ropes that fastens them to the pack saddle. On either side of the cobble paved street we have a view of the mixed assortment that forms the stock of a Mexican storekeeper. A sack of dried red pepper and a bale of sun-dried beef lie on the floor under a roll of French calicoes, and some unbleached sheetings that are manu factured in this country. Cans of Blue Point oysters and Columbia river salmon jostle against liordeaux sardines and English sweet biscuits. Spanish wines, French brandies and cordials, English "Old Tom," gin and Mexican "mescal" (a fiery but pure liquor distilled from the juice of the century plant), and American bitters stand side by side on the shelves. The dry goods are all of European make save the coarsest cotton goods. With the exception of blaok, which is the chief favorite, the colors are of the brightest, red being very popular. American fabrios are conspicuous by their ab sence, which is certainly strange taking into consideration the geographical position of the two countries, and the reputed enterprise of the i ank.ee manufacturer, American firearms, however, and ammuni tion are fully appreciated to the almost total exclusion of all other makes. Winchester re- Gaters and Colt's six shooters are more fami r to the Mexican ranohero or miner than to the average New Yorker. The stores are variety stores in the most lib eral sense of the word, aud it is impossible in a short article to give more than the merest hint of the various warea that make up their assort ment At the lower end of the street is the plaza, the only piece of level ground in the town, and containing perhaps one-sixth of an acre. Around it are built the court-house, jail and church. I write them in their order of merit, for the Mexi can priests are, as a rule, to put it mildly, "a hard lot" Back of the ulaza on the mountain side be neath a dilapidated shed, is a crude attempt at a refining furnace known as a vam. In appear auce it is half way between a blacksmith's forge and an old-fashioned bake oven, euoh as they have in ' 'Ole V irginnv. " Here the concentrated tailings aro brought from the various haciendas and the gold ami silver extracted by a process which, though thorough, is rather expensive. A crowd of Mexicans are usually gathered around it, watching the operation which is ear ned on by two men, one in lieu of an engine acting as motive power of the bellows, and the other being expert aud general manager of the business. The airy costume of the loungers, if intro duced in New York during the dog days, would undoubtedly become popular could some mem bers of the Knickerbocker olub be induced to set the fashion. Ita intrinsio merits are cheap ness, coolness and simplicity. The items are leather sandals, wide cotton drawers cut "sailor fashion,'' supported at the waist by a red or scarlet aaah, calico shirt with very abbreviated tails worn outside of the drawers, allowing a free paaaage of air, a broad-brimmed palm leaf hat; aud a breech clout called a "cotenaie" com pletes the outfit Total value, about $3. 50. Up the eonfon behind the iyim winds a ser pentine trail fit only to be traveled by mountain-bred annuals. Far above ua a cloud of dust shows that another pack-train is coming, probably loaded like the drat with ailver ore, as most of the mines, with the prominent excep tions of the Soledad and Candelaria, are situated on the other side of the mountain. The sun is beating down vigorously, and we will take shelter beneath the oool portal of our friend Don Antonio, amok cigars equal to the best Havanaa, drink cool lemonade and, while our horses are resting and feeding, make our plans for starting to visit the celebrated mines of Tecolole and Promontorio, that are now lying idle, in the early morning before the sun shines on yonder high peak to the westward. Till then, adiot. NEW INVENTIONS. m We publish descriptions of the following new inventions, obtained through Dewey Co., Mining and Scientific Prut Patent Agency, San Francisco: Revolving Fire-arms. Alfred Swingle, No. 114 and 124 Spear street, S. F. Patented Feb. 17,1880. No. 224,742. This invention relates to an improvement in fire-arms or guns of that class known as "revolving breech-loaders." All the movements necessary to charge and dis charge the arm are positive, and none of them depend upon any spring except the hammer and trigger, which are actuated in a manner similar to those in other arms. The arm consists of very few simple and strong parts, which are easily dismounted or assembled. Each car tridge in the magazine, as it reaches a position in line with the barrel, is forced into the cham ber of the barrel by a plunger which is caused to reciprocate in line with the barrel by mechanism. The plunger has two steel hooka attached to its front end, top and bottom to serve as an extractor, and when the plunger ia drawn back it will be seen that the rotation of the magazine will carry the flange of each shell into a position between these nooks and the head of the plunger. When this plunger ia forced forward it carries the cartridge into the chamber of the barrel, and when it is drawn back it brings the shell with it, so that it again lies in the magazine ready to be carried aronnd to the point of discharge by the rotation of the magazine. The advantages claimed for this in vention are as follows: It is strong and yet simple, capable of standing hard servioe with little liability of getting out of order. It can be loaded and fired with great facility, and for durability and penetration is equal to the best arm in use. The magazine being so constructed that the cartridges are side by side instead of being in line with each other, with the primer of one resting on the point of the preceding one, there is no danger of premature explosion. The machinery working with positive move incuts, there is no liability of ita failing to per form service. It can be used as a single breech loader or repeater. The principle can also be applied to pistols, shot-guns, rifles or machine guns. Paving Tin Wm. J. Mitchell, S. F, Pat ented Feb. 24, 1880. No. 224,938. Thia in vention relates to certain improvements in tiles and blocks which are employed for paving par poses, and it consists in the formation of a block, ao that its npper half will project be yond the lower half upon two adjacent sides, said projecting portions being provided with dovetail depressions and interlocking projec tion. By this construction the projecting upper half of each block will rest upon the cor responding proieotions of the lower halves of the two blocks lying next te it upon these two sides, and each block thus supports two others, and is, in turn, supported by two others. It is usually preferable to lay the tiles with oement, ao that when it has set the whole bed will be solid. Miasdriiio Faocbt. Wm. M. Sack, Oak land, Cal. Patent No. 224,108. Dated Feb. 3, 1880. Thia device relates to certain Im provements in faucets for automatically measur ing liquids; and it consists in certain details of construction, especially a connecting air pipe be tween the two measures, by which the air ex pelled by the liquid entering one is transmitted to till the spaos m the one being emptied.