Kammala wannan magana: Yayin da matarsa da yaransa suka zauna a Ingila da Faransa, Burnham ya koma Arewacin Amurka a 1907 kuma na 'yan shekaru masu zuwa ya shiga aikin ban ruwa na Kogin Yaqui a Mexico tare da ɗan'uwansa Fred. A shekara ta 1908, shi da W. A. Wadham na Landan, Ingila, sun yi tafiyar wata guda ta binciken ƙasa da hakar ma'adinai ta Sonora a madadin abokan kasuwancin Amurka da Ingila. An yi shawarwari don sayan gidaje huɗu: Batue, Mequite, La Fiera, da kuma wani gida. Ya yi la'akari da La Fiera ya zama mafi kyau daga cikin kuri'a kuma an sanya karamin karfi na maza a karkashin kulawar John Anderson don yin aiki a can. A shekara ta 1909, ya yi tafiya tare da Hector Walker na Ingila a kan tafiya mai nisan mil 300 daga Phoenix, Arizona zuwa Mexico, sannan gabas ta hanyar Chihuahua zuwa Sierra Madres don neman kyawawan wuraren kiwo da ma'adanai. Dan'uwansa ya sayi haƙƙin ruwa da wasu ƙasa a wannan yankin kuma ya tuntuɓi tsohon abokin Burnhams daga Afirka, John Hays Hammond, wanda ya gudanar da bincikensa sannan ya sayi ƙarin wannan yanki - yanki mai girman Rhode Island. Kamar yadda aikin ban ruwa da aikin hakar ma'adinai ya kusa kammalawa a 1912, jerin dogon lokaci na
Juyin juya halin Mexico ya fara. Sakamakon karshe ga shirin Burnham-Hammond ya zo ne a shekarar 1917 lokacin da Mexico ta zartar da dokoki da suka hana sayar da ƙasa ga 'yan kasashen waje. Iyalan Burnham da Hammond sun riƙe dukiyarsu har zuwa 1930 sannan suka sayar da su ga gwamnatin Mexico.