[meteorite-list] Nininger to Perry, Feb. 19, 1952 (from Mexico)

From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:31:14 2004
Message-ID: <BAY4-DAV27nV2d5twvN0000e5d1_at_hotmail.com>

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(American Meteorite Museum Letterhead)
AMERICAN METEORITE MUSUEM
OPPOSITE METEOR CRATER ON HIGHWAY 66
POST OFFICE BOX 1171
WINSLOW ARIZONA

Mexico City D.F.
Dobler Courts

Feb. 19 (Mark note: 1952 but the year was not written on letter)
Dear Friend Perry:
We returned last night from Xiquipilco after spending three days. That is=
 about the most primitive village you can find even tho it is only 30 mil=
es (air line) from Mexico City. We had to drive about 90 mi. to reach it =
and the last 2 miles took as much times as the other 88.
Xiquipilco is not in the valley of Toluca; but rather on the slope of the=
 sierra which forms the continental divide and is about 500 to 800 feet a=
bove the valley on a very steep rugged volcanic slope which is deeply dis=
sected with gorges, canyons and narrow valleys. The central village stand=
s on a loma or ridge which runs WSW to ENE. And the extreme village limit=
s on this ridge range in elevation from 8860 ft to 9716 ft above sea leve=
l. Toluca City is 20 miles away in the midst of the valley.
We visited more than 40 locations where meteorites have been found, all w=
ithin the village, and took elevation readings in most of these locations=
 These finds had all been made by those now living, and remember several=
 generations have preceded them, all finding meteorites in this village.
We have not found any visible craters but took soil samples in 12 locatio=
ns for later laboratory inspection. We also flew over the area but could =
see no craters other than volcanic. The latter are numerous but mostly ba=
dly deformed by erosion.
The natives learned that we paid for meteorites and besieged us with spec=
imens for sale. Naturally we brought them, not only because we think they=
 shall be preserved; but also because it was the only way to ascertain th=
eir distribution. We bought about 400 lbs and now hope to obtain a permit=
 to remove them to the U.S.
We carried letters from Univ. of Mex. and were accompanied by Dr. Mullerr=
eid who will do the interceding for a permit. He is the Prof. of Paleonto=
logy and a prince of a inon(?).
Now we are running out of money and I hope you will advance us $300 and w=
e'll pay it back after the research fund has been arranged for. We go to =
Vera Craig(?) tomorrow. Will look up two supposed meteorites on the way. =
We return Fri. in time to give a lecture in the Instituto Geologica that =
evening, and shall start for U.S. some time next week.
Address C/O Case Dobler Calle Geral Cano
20 Tocubaya, Mexico D.F.
Sincerely,
(signed)
H.H. Nininger
Mark note: Parts of this letter were very hard to read, however I am fair=
ly confident in the translation with the exception of the description giv=
en by Nininger of Dr. Frederick K. G. Mullerreid. In which it appears Nin=
inger writes what appears to be that Mullerreid is the prince of somethin=
g. In "Find a Falling Star", Nininger recounts the above and notes Muller=
reid as a "short, stocky German geologist was a great field investigator =
who had traveled all over Mexico and later explored New Guinea. He had di=
scovered a hitherto unknown volcano and a new species of fossil in Chiapi=
s, a Mexican state bordering South America. =20
Another spot on the letter I can't make out well is the location in the l=
ast paragraph, Vera Craig (?).

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<HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV><FONT size=3D2=
> <P>(American Meteorite Museum Letterhead)</P> <P>AMERICAN METEORITE MUS=
UEM</P> <P>OPPOSITE METEOR CRATER ON HIGHWAY 66</P> <P>POST OFFICE BOX 11=
71</P> <P>WINSLOW ARIZONA</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>Mexico City D.F.</P> <P>Do=
bler Courts</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> <P>Feb. 19 (Mark note: 1952 but the year wa=
s not written on letter)</P> <P>Dear Friend Perry:</P> <P>We returned las=
t night from Xiquipilco after spending three days. That is about the most=
 primitive village you can find even tho it is only 30 miles (air line) f=
rom Mexico City. We had to drive about 90 mi. to reach it and the last 2 =
miles took as much times as the other 88.</P> <P>Xiquipilco is not in the=
 valley of Toluca; but rather on the slope of the sierra which forms the =
continental divide and is about 500 to 800 feet above the valley on a ver=
y steep rugged volcanic slope which is deeply dissected with gorges, cany=
ons and narrow valleys. The central village stands on a loma or ridge whi=
ch runs WSW to ENE. And the extreme village limits on this ridge range in=
 elevation from 8860 ft to 9716 ft above sea level. Toluca City is 20 mil=
es away in the midst of the valley.</P> <P>We visited more than 40 locati=
ons where meteorites have been found, all within the village, and took el=
evation readings in most of these locations. These finds had all been mad=
e by those now living, and remember several generations have preceded the=
m, all finding meteorites in this village.</P> <P>We have not found any v=
isible craters but took soil samples in 12 locations for later laboratory=
 inspection. We also flew over the area but could see no craters other th=
an volcanic. The latter are numerous but mostly badly deformed by erosion=
</P> <P>The natives learned that we paid for meteorites and besieged us =
with specimens for sale. Naturally we brought them, not only because we t=
hink they shall be preserved; but also because it was the only way to asc=
ertain their distribution. We bought about 400 lbs and now hope to obtain=
 a permit to remove them to the U.S.</P> <P>We carried letters from Univ.=
 of Mex. and were accompanied by Dr. Mullerreid who will do the intercedi=
ng for a permit. He is the Prof. of Paleontology and a prince of a inon(?=
).</P> <P>Now we are running out of money and I hope you will advance us =
$300 and we'll pay it back after the research fund has been arranged for.=
 We go to Vera Craig(?) tomorrow. Will look up two supposed meteorites on=
 the way. We return Fri. in time to give a lecture in the Instituto Geolo=
gica that evening, and shall start for U.S. some time next week.</P> <P>A=
ddress C/O Case Dobler Calle Geral Cano</P> <P>20 Tocubaya, Mexico D.F.</=
P> <P>Sincerely,</P> <P>(signed)</P> <P>H.H. Nininger</P> <P>Mark note: P=
arts of this letter were very hard to read, however I am fairly confident=
 in the translation with the exception of the description given by Nining=
er of Dr. Frederick K. G. Mullerreid. In which it appears Nininger writes=
 what appears to be that Mullerreid is the prince of something. In "Find =
a Falling Star", Nininger recounts the above and notes Mullerreid as a "s=
hort, stocky German geologist was a great field investigator who had trav=
eled all over Mexico and later explored New Guinea. He had discovered a h=
itherto unknown volcano and a new species of fossil in Chiapis, a Mexican=
 state bordering South America. </P> <P>Another spot on the letter I can'=
t make out well is the location in the last paragraph, Vera Craig (?).</P=
></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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Received on Tue 13 Apr 2004 09:34:46 PM PDT


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