166 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



per annum a matter not a little serious in the present condition of 

 Mexican finances ; while all intelligent merchants along the frontier are 

 of the opinion that neither the United States nor the Mexican Treasury 

 officials can, by reason of this great illicit traffic, have any accurate 

 knowledge of the amount of international trade between the two coun- 

 tries. 



But if the present Mexican tariff on the import of foreign cotton fab- 

 rics were to be materially reduced, or abolished, would not, it may be 

 asked, the cotton-factories of Mexico be obliged to suspend opera- 

 tions ? Undoubtedly they would ; but who, save the rich Don Rubio 

 and his few associate manufacturers, would thereby experience any 

 detriment ? The Mexican people would continue to have cotton-cloth 

 the same as now, and probably in greater abundance ; for there is no 

 other so cheap and suitable material available to them for clothing. 

 But as the American and European manufacturers would not make 

 their cloth a gift, or part with it for nothing, the Mexican would be 

 obliged to buy it ; or, what is the same thing, give some product of 

 his labor in exchange for it. Consequently, the opportunity for the 

 profitable employment of the Mexican people as a whole could not be 

 restricted, if, in consequence of the abolition of the existing tariff on 

 the import of cotton fabrics, they were relieved from an exorbitant 

 and unnecessary enhancement of the cost of their clothing. 



Mines and Mining. The mining for the precious metals, and 

 more especially for silver, has been, since the conquest of the country, 

 and is now, one of the great industries of Mexico. That the product 

 and profit of silver-mining in the past have been very great is certain ; 

 that a considerable number of mines are yet worked to a profit, and 

 that future mines of great value will be discovered in the future, is 

 also altogether probable. The popular ideas concerning the amount 

 of the precious metals that have been furnished by the Mexican mines 

 since the discovery and conquest of the country by the Spaniards, 

 and the present annual product of gold and silver by Mexico, are, 

 doubtless, a good deal exaggerated. The coinage records since the 

 establishment of mints in Mexico, in 1537, down to 1883-'84, which 

 are accepted as substantially accurate, and which indicate approxi- 

 mately the value of precious metals produced by the country during 

 this period, are as follows : 



From 1537 to 1821 (the last year of the Spanish colonial epoch), 

 gold, 868,778,411 ; silver, $2,082,260,656 ; total, $2,151,039,067. 



From 1822-'23to June 30, 1884, gold, $45,605,793 ; silver, $1,023,- 

 718,366 ; total, $1,069,324,159. At the present time the annual 

 product of gold and silver in the United States is far greater than 

 that of Mexico. Thus, for the year 1883 the gold production of the 

 United States was estimated to have been, gold, $30,000,000 ; silver, 

 $46,200,000 ; total, $76,200,000. For Mexico, the estimates for the year 

 1883-'84 were, gold, $500,000 ; silver, $24,000,000 ; total, $24,500,000. 



