Show tear up streets of san luis potosi for silver citizens excited by metals return to favor washington slivers silvers return to popularity in the united states has caused great excitement in san luls luis potosi mexico A the city Is built on tailings and refuse from nearby near by mines and now thrifty are eagerly ripping up their streets for the silver in the pavement san luls luis potosi Is the capital of a state of tho the same name situated north of mexico D F r mexico city says a bulletin from the national geographic society it is built on oil a high plateau over a mile above sea lavel the rough peaks of the sierra madre protect it on three sides bides and the climate Is cool and dry but never too cold boomed deserted revived when cortes and his men first pushed their way westward san luls luis was an insignificant indian village lured by the promised wealth of the famous zacatecas Zacate cas mines beyond the spaniards paid the village scant attention as they passed through soon after came franciscan monks the mission of san luls luis was founded and stiver silver and gold were discovered in the san pedro hills in the hope that the town might rival its famous namesake in bolivia it was christened potosi this optimism was not unfounded the mines were rich but poorly worked in 1622 the largest mine caved in san luls luis potosi became a deserted mining camp until years later when new mines were opened many of f the cites churches and public buildings date from this seventeenth century era of prosperity the original village was in the S san an pedro hills twelve miles from the modern city lack of water caused it to move evidently the water supply now Is satisfactory for it has the reputation of being one of the cleanest cities in mexico above its spotless streets rise the domes of its many churches whose bright blue white green and yellow tiles gleam in the sunlight source of spanish sliver silver san luls luis potosi has had little complaint P abat from its business men it Is the distributing center for a large agricultural region and lies at the crossroads of mexican traffic in the old days long mule trains hound bound north or west met there now two railways the mexican central and the mexican Alex lean northern cross at this point it also Is a favorite resort tor for the people of mexico D P F and will soon be he accessible ces sible to motorists from the united states A road now being improved extends northeast to brownsville Browns ville villo texas and at ciudad victoria crosses the new ran pan american highway from Lare laredo doto to lexo D F p silver long has been one of the states chief sources of wealth it boasts of having once ranked third in the production of bullion for spain in those days silver mining was a laborious process the ore was taken from deep shafts in leather sacks weighing when filled from to 00 pounds the peons geons carried the sacks on their backs with tum around their foreheads as they scrambled up notched poles that served for ladders F flooded mines were often pumped pumpe dout out in the same way usually ore was broken up tip by hand band and mixed with water salt vitriol and mercury then mules were driven over and across it for hours to complete the mixing process when the mixture was submerged in water the amalgam of silver saher and mercury sank to the bottom and could be easily separated this was known ag as the patio process and Is still used in certain small mines in earlier and less humane days das women and children instead of mules trampled and mixed the ore although the death rate was atrocious due to the corrosive effect of the acids used |