Show rp lear TT up lip streets of 01 JC san ban C luis potosi for silver citizens excited by metals return to favor washington slivers silvers return to popularity in the united states has baa caused great excitement in san luls luis potosi mexico the city Is built on tailings and refuse from nearby near by mines and now thrifty citizens are eagerly ripping up their streets for the silver in the pavement san luls luis potosi Is the capital of a of the same name situated north of mexico D F mexico city says bays a bulletin from tile the national geographic society it Is built ou a high plateau over a mile above sea lavel the rough peaks of the sierra madre protect it on three sides and the climate Is cool and dry but never too cold boomed deserted revived when cortes and ills his men first pushed their way westward san luls luis potosi 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 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 the cites churches and public buildings date from this seven seventeenth century era of prosperity the original village was in the san pedro hills velve jt miles from tile 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 ninny many churches whose bright blue white green and yellow tiles gleam in the sunlight soure source of spanish silver san luls luis potosi has had little complaint P aint from its business men it Is the distributing center for a large agricultural region and lies at the crossroads of mexican raffle le in the old days long mule trains bound north or west met there now two railways the mexican central and the mexican northern cross at this point it also Is a favorite resort for tabe people of od mexico D F and will soon be accessible ces sible to motorists from the united states A road now being improved extends northeast to brownsville Browns ville texas and at ciudad victoria crosses tile the new pan american highway from laredo to mexico D F r sliver 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 v a s talc taken e r from deep shafts in leather sacks weighing when filled from to 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 flooded mines were often pumped out tu in the same way usually ore was broken up by hand 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 and mercury sank to the bottom and could be easily separated this was known as the patio process and Is still used in certain small mines jn earlier and addless less humano humane days women and children instead of mules trampled and mixed the ore although the death rate was atrocious due to the corrosive effect of the adds acids used |