After hiring transportation to the village of Xiquipilco a dangerous trip over a very bad road took place for some three hours and a total of twelve and a half miles. Many wrecked vehicles were seen in route that failed to negotiate the winding road. At the time Nininger and Dr. Mulleried arrived at the village around nine in the morning there was not a sign of anyone around except a man wearing a white suit and a large sombrero. Dr. Mulleried explained their reason for being there and found out that the man was the presidente or mayor of the village. They were invited to breakfast and while eating the mayor left and soon returned with a twenty pound meteorite. Asking if this is what the men wanted, Nininger and Dr. Mulleried both looking excited stated that it was and was there any more to be found. The mayor explained he thought he could probably find another ton around! The mayor sent out word they wanted more of the iron specimens and while waiting Nininger went out for a short walk and he himself found a three pound iron still in one of the fields.
When walking back into the town square, they noticed a small line with local men holding baskets and bags full of meteorites as well as a number of them holding specimens in their hands. Over the next few hours Nininger and Mulleried bought over 700 pounds of meteorite specimens until they ran out of money. Word had gotten around there were men in the village buying the meteorites up and finally after all the money had ran out for them to buy specimens with, there were still hoards of people waiting in line hoping to also sell their specimens. Nininger was able to buy one tool manufactured from the meteorites in the form of a crowbar and it was found in an old blacksmiths shop with the widmanstatten lines showing in the tool.
Besides the Toluca Iron Meteorites they had bought that day, Nininger had obtained a good amount of information and later acquired the main mass of the Chihahua City that weighed 100 pounds. He also obtained Zacate, Chupaderos, Bacubirito, Tlacoptepec, Puenta del Zacte, and Rancho de la Presa. A total of over 900 lbs were obtain by this one trip to Mexico giving Nininger some leverage to expand his own collection through trades. The meteorites were shipped back to the USA and Alex and Nininger sold the transportation that had taken them there, helping to replenish their money supply which had run quite low from all of the expenses. Soon after the sell of their dependable transportation they boarded a train that would take them back home from their long and sometimes dangerous trip.
Source: Find A Falling Star By H.H. Nininger
The Nininger Moments are articles or books written originally by Harvey Nininger and put into a consolidated form by Al Mitterling. Some of the items written in the moments might be old out dated material and the reader is advised to keep this in mind.
–AL Mitterling
