22 Geoatapbfcal IRotes on 



The deposits of iron in Mexico are sufficient to supply the universe 

 for centuries to come. There is but one thing lacking, and that thing 

 is cheap fuel. Nature never works by halves ; those immense de- 

 posits of iron never were put where they are without the means near 

 at hand for their utilization. Coal exists, but it has not been mined yet 

 on a large scale, as it will be hereafter. 



But even at the present time the principal supply of pig-iron comes 

 from native ore, the output being consumed by the producers in the 

 manufacture of iron goods. The main iron mines now being worked 

 are located at Durango, Zimapdn, Zacualtipan, Tulancingo, and Leon. 

 For the most part these mines are found in the midst of great forests, 

 in consequence of which cheap fuel is found in the form of charcoal, 

 the iron made from which being of very superior quality, free from 

 phosphorous, and, price and other things being equal, is always pre- 

 ferred to the imported pig. It is manufactured in charcoal furnaces 

 exclusively. 



There is, however, quite a considerable amount of pig imported, 

 principally from Alabama, and Scotch pig from England. The great 

 drawback to importations heretofore has been the immense quantity of 

 scrap iron, which, during the lapse of centuries, had accumulated, un- 

 used, throughout the Republic. This, however, is becoming well-nigh 

 exhausted ; and for that reason the demand for imported pig is increas- 

 ing, the native output not keeping pace with the need for it. Much 

 scrap iron also has come from railroads, another source of supply 

 which is not increasing with the demand. 



Imported pig ranges in price in the City of Mexico from $50 to $60 

 silver per ton, the native producers aiming to keep their price just 

 about the same. 



Iron Foundries. There are in the City of Mexico, in addition to 

 several small ones, seven large foundries, as follows : the Mexican 

 Central Railroad foundry, the Mexican National Railroad foundry, 

 the Artistic, the Delicias, Charreton Bros., V. Elcoro & Co., and 

 Hipolito David. There are also large foundries at Pachuca, Puebla, 

 Chihuahua, Durango, and Monterey, as well as smaller ones at Irapuato, 

 Guanajuato, Zacatecas, Veracruz, Guadalajara, Mazatlan, Oaxaca, and 

 Morelia. 



Copper. Copper is now quite an important product of Mexico, and 

 is used to a certain extent in the country, but as the supply far exceeds 

 the home demand, it is exported to the United States and Europe. 

 That which finds its way to this country enters chiefly in the form of 

 matte, and is refined into casting or electrolytic copper. What goes to 

 Europe is blister copper, or approximately so, from the Boleo mine in 

 Lower California, where a French company is working a large group 

 of copper mines. The point of most activity is Santa Rosalia, on the 



