At the Butters' Divisadero Mines, located twelve miles distant from the Butters' Salvador Mines, a much larger quantity of ore, but of a lower grade than at the Salvador Mine, is treated, about 10,000 tons a month being handled on this property. The Government student has here the privilege of seeing ore, of about $5 a ton, mined and milled. A large electric plant is established, by means of which all the hoisting and pumping are carried on. A large quantity of water is encountered at this mine, and where formerly it was found impossible to handle the water by the use of Cornish pumps, it is now kept under control by means of the Sulzer electrically-driven centrifugal pump. Two sinking pumps, of a capacity of 600 gallons per minute each, have been installed, which are suspended from the surface, and are calculated to operate down to 600 feet in depth. These pumps lift 300 feet to the 300 feet level, and deliver to horizontal station-pumps erected at this level. The most modern electric-generating plant, hoisting, pumping, and ore-compressing plants, are at work upon this property. The mill is of the best-class construction, with a capacity of crushing between 8 and 9 tons per stamp, with tube-mills, Butters' Patent Vacuum Filter, and special methods of precipitation.
At both of these mines complete shops are established, including iron-foundry and wood-working machinery. The shops are competent to deal with the heaviest repair jobs on the machinery in use, and as many spares as are found economical to manufacture, so that a large staff of mechanics are kept busy in the shops.
In a new country like Salvador, it is absolutely essential, for the establishing of the mining industry upon a firm footing, that a large force of natives should be educated in the repair and manufacture of the machinery and extra parts in use at the mines. There are native Salvadoreans who have been educated in these shops, and they have become highly competent mechanics, able to cope with almost any difficulty occurring at the mines. The result of this education will be that less and less foreign help will be required to carry on the business in Salvador.
Anyone living in Salvador who desires to know of the "latest thing" in mining and metallurgy is permitted, through the arrangements which the Salvadorean Government has made with Mr. Charles Butters, to take up any course of study he may desire.