Characas, mining region

Jean-Pierre left Mexico in 1858 in order to rejoin Martin Elissague in order to explore the mineral mines.

The family of Elissague was started in Sare. Charles Elissague wrote in 1939 a small part about his father Martin Elissague, who left Mexico in 1842 in order to find minerals that had not been mined yet. After several disappointments, he found several mines and around 1862 settled in the region of Characas. It was that moment that he spoke for the first time of Jean-Pierre, under the name of Pedro, as administrator of the mine. But it was there in the mine, the Mine of Santa Rosa that Pedro lost his life. Here is Charles wrote about the story.

"There was notably a depth of about sixty meters to the mine, where no one had been in ten years. It was there that, M. Zozaya, the general administrator, following the director of the mine, Pedro Aniotzbehere, said 'Mendiboure de Sare", affecting the research of all usable mines. The three men stopped on the floor covering the shatfs; to the pain of the thought of the floor giving way beneath their feet, and meanwhile they hurried into the chasms an avalanche of boulders fell on them. From a true miracle, the chief miner, partly protected by a small beam that was coincidentally above him, escaped death, however, the other two masters were literally crushed."

That happened in 1875 

During that time, the conditions of life were difficult. It was not rare to be hit by bandits. Numerous armed bands ran around the countryside hitting miners and the merchants for only cruel intentions. Charles went on to explain the manner of these bandits.

"At a random hour of some day in light or at night, a lookout would announce the arrival of the bandits. A short amount of time after an armed man would present himself to the quarters of the proprietors of the mines and give an order saying that 'By order of General X.......you are ordered to pass on supplies to the General Headquarters for aiding the war.'. Immediate obedience was demanded."

Charles evokes the name of Mendibourne de Sare when speaking of Pedro. For what reason? At the time of the birth of Jean-Pierre, there was a man named Jean Mendibourne, owner of the house of Moscorrondea, and a school teacher. Perhaps he was a friend of the family. The father of Jean-Pierre, fisherman by profession, was said to be in the archives for being a cod fisherman and then for the birth of his son.

The death announcement of Pedro Aniotzbehere:

Yesterday at Eleven O'clock, dead in the mine of Santa Rosa, after a fall down the shaft of an ancient mine that was collapsed, Don Pedro Aniotzbehere Mendiburu of French origin. He was 44 years old, son of Don Juan Antonio Mendiburu and of Dona Juana Maria Ubiria of the same origin.