La Lluvia de Oro

The River of Gold, or, La Lluvia de Oro, is initially a small, unnamed village in north/central Mexico. A small vein of gold is found here, and the find is sold several times by Mexicans until it becomes famous enough that a large American mining company buys it. Intent on going deep into the mountainside to wherever the vein leads, the company gets larger and larger. Soon, the little village and the way of life of most of its occupants is a thing of the past. Poor Mexicans are hired to work in the mine and paid more than they have ever known in their lives. It is dangerous, however, and there is little in the way of safety regulation.

Most of the original dwellings are ramadas, or houses built of long poles. There is, of course, no electricity or plumbing prior to...