Mining—Ancient workings—Precious metals found—Copper deposits—Iron ores—Treatment of ores in England—Difficulties of transport—Some deceased authorities—Mines in operation—Butters\' Salvador mines—History of undertaking—Large profits earned—Directorial policy—Machinery and equipment—Butters\' Divisadero Mines—Butters\' cyaniding plant.

Tradition points to the fact that the whole of the Central American States were more or less mineralized, while some of them, such as Honduras and Salvador, have long been known to contain great mineral wealth. The geological conditions of Salvador, as may be inferred from the physical facts which have already been set forth in these pages, show that precious metals have been found in some of the Departments. There are on record considerable operations in connection with the different Salvador mines of Tabanco, Sociedad, and others in their immediate vicinity and lying in the north-eastern part of the Department of San Miguel, on the confines of Honduras.

These mines have been extensively worked, and have in their time yielded very profitable results. About six miles distant from Tabanco are the goldmines of Capitalis, once believed to be of great richness, and the group of silver-mines known under the name of Minas de Tabanco, and where is found silver in common with galena and sulphurate of zinc. In times past these mines have been worked with very[182] little difficulty, and they have yielded from as little as 47 to as much as 2,537 ounces to the ton. The most famous producer among these was the Santa Rosalía, and a great part of these ores were formerly shipped direct to England. Old archives of this concern show that in the year 1830 an attempt was made to work the mines on a large scale by an English company, which sent out a whole corps of Cornish miners for the purpose. The machinery which was despatched at the same time was so heavy, however, that it was found impossible to transport it from the coast, which difficulty, combined with others, entirely broke up the enterprise. Had the organizers of the company, as a preliminary, constructed a good cart-road, which was quite possible, and had then sent out the machinery in parts, which could have been packed separately on mule-back, as is done in Colombia and other mountainous countries, the undertaking might never have been a failure.

That mining paid, and paid well, in Salvador in olden days is proved by the record which has been left by Mr. R. C. Dunlop, in his "Travels in Central America." This writer tells us that "five leagues north of San Miguel are a number of mines of silver; among them is one called La Carolina, which was worked by a Spanish empresario about thirty years ago [Dunlop\'s book was published in 1847]. He invested his own property, borrowed $100,000 and, after getting his mine into order in less than six months, was able to pay his obligations; and although he died before the end of the year, he left $70,000 in gold and silver, the produce of the mine. After his death the ownership was disputed, the works fell into ruins, and the mine became filled with water. The mines of Tabanco[183] yield more silver than those in its vicinity, and when worked yielded upwards of $1,000,000 annually, although operated in a rude manner without machinery. The principal one yielded $200,000 annually to the proprietors."

I fear that the late Mr. Dunlop somewhat exaggerated the value of these mines; for while I was in the country, and in the particular district referred to by the author, no one seemed to have any recollection of any such values having ever been obtained.

The same doubtful authority is responsible for the statement that "nine leagues from Santa Ana are some rich mines of iron which produce a purer and more malleable metal than any imported from Europe. The ore is found near the surface, and is very abundant, while there are extensive forests in the immediate vicinity which serve for making charcoal." Another authority on Salvador, long since gathered to his fathers—viz., John Baily, R.M.—who published a book upon Central America in 1850, assures us that some of this iron which was sent to England for the purpose of examination proved to be "a very valuable variety suitable for the manufacture of fine steel, approaching very nearly in this respect to the celebrated Wootz of India."

The mineral veins of Salvador present themselves principally in the rocks of the mountain chain, or Cordillera, which extends into Honduras and Nicaragua, and forms the richest mining districts of those countries. Generally speaking, the veins run parallel with the direction of the ranges—that is, from east to west—but they are often found to be very much broken and interrupted by the action of upheaval. In the eastern parts of the Republic, deposits of gold, silver,[184] copper, and lead are found, while in the western are the rich iron-ore deposits. Coal is found in the valley of the River Lempa. Although it is rather difficult to obtain full and accurate returns of all the mines in operation in Salvador to-day, roughly speaking they may be put at between 180 and 200. The table on p. 185, which has been compiled by the head of the Salvadorean Bureau of Statistics, and which shows the number of mines of each Department and the minerals which they possess, will be of some interest.

The labour question is, however, one which must be carefully gone into; but here again the local (State) Government could, and no doubt would, help the enterprise considerably, for so closely are the authorities in touch with the people that they can at most times influence a good and continuous flow of peon labour when their assistance is invoked. General shortage of labour has been responsible for a great number of the mining returns not being satisfactory of late, especially in connection with the Butters\' Salvador Mines, of which fuller details are given.

TABLE COMPILED BY SE?OR DON RAFAEL REYES, CHIEF OF THE SALVADOREAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS, SHOWING NUMBER OF MINES IN EACH DEPARTMENT, AND THE MINERALS THEY PRODUCE.

A Building Stone.
B Gypsum.
C Silver and Lead.
D Tin and Lead.
E Rock Crystal.
F Marble.
G Tin.
H Lead.
I Iron.
J Limestone.
K Quicksilver and Antimony.
L Gold.
M Silver.
N Silver and Gold.
O Copper.
P Coal.
Q Silver and Copper.
R Total.
Departments.     A      B      C      D      E      F      G      H      I      J      K      L      M      N      O      P      Q      R
San Salvador    1    1    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    2
Santa Ana    -    -    -    1    -    -    -    -    8    -    -    -    10    -    4    -    5    28
Ahuachapán    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
La Libertád    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
Sonsonate    5    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    13
Cuscutlán    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    8    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
Chalatenango    -    1    2    -    1    1    1    2    1    2    1    1    6    5    3    1    -    28
Caba?as    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    5    -    -    -    9    -    3    -    17
San Vicente    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
La Paz    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
Usulután    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
Morazán    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    1    -    -    -    1    4    84    -    -    -    90
San Miguel    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -
La Unión    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    2    -    -    -    2
Total    6    2    2    1    1    1    1    3    9    15    1    2    20    100    7    4    5    180

The Salvadorean peon, like his Peruvian brother, is a very tractable kind of labourer, and can be successfully handled by kind treatment. He is, moreover, naturally free from that taint of dishonesty which so strongly distinguishes the Mexican and the Colombian peon, and which renders it impossible to leave anything of a portable nature in their way. The native labourer of Salvador is usually able to earn an easy livelihood by means of husbandry, and he takes to mining from choice rather than from necessity. This fact renders it all the more important that fair treatment should be extended to him, and upon most of the foreign-owned mines this is certainly the case. The late[185]
[186] manager of the Butters\' Salvador Mines, Mr. Garthwaite, whose death occurred last year, was entirely sympatico to the men employed upon the mines, and his kindness to them and to their families was generally acknowledged and deeply appreciated.

That the industry of mining has considerably improved in Salvador during the past decade is sufficiently evidenced by the subjoined figures, which trace the industry in its progress from January, 1901, to the first half of the year 1910:
               Total Amount of Trade
Period covered.              (U.S Gold $)
Year    1901         $183,760.00.
"    1902         114,585.20.
"    1903         814,733.88.
"    1904         652,854.33.
"    1905         768,677.60.
"    1906         1,296,666.00.
"    1907         1,223,565.00.
"    1908         1,318,224.00.
"    1909         1,116,717.00.
"    1910 (half-year)         560,570.00.

These figures refer to all the auriferous silver, copper ore, gold bars, gold and silver ore, lead ore, gold slimes, gold and copper slimes, gold and silver slimes, and lead, which had been mined in the country during the period mentioned.

I should say that modest fortune............