The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1872-11-08
Gold Island.

There is another gold speculation
In the wind which is expected to
realize SIS, 000.0O at a very small
cost in very few years. This is to
be done by stock company with a
capital of $2,500,00O. Fourteen
miles off the coast of Venezuela, lat
itude II deg. % min. 30 sec. north,
longitude 20 deg. IL min. west, lies
the island of Aruba-thirty miles
long and ten miles wide, and rocky, |
barren, and desolate. This insight
II blotch on the face of the blue sea
IS said to be an island of gold, richer
In the precious metal than all the
ancient and modern gold fields put
together.
We, however, advise nobody who
is not a stakeholder to go there, for
there are no claims to be pre-empt-
ed or bought. The whole business
is snugiy secured by a rich and pow
erful company organized in London
as "The Aruba Island Gold Mining
Company" which proposes to ship
the island piecemeal to Swansea,
Wales, where extensive gold works
are being erected, and there the
$75,000,000 are to be extracted. The
story of the recent discovery and
tests of this gold island is interest
III"
Three years ago two American
gentlemen visited the Imperial
Museum at Leyden, and saw some
very rich specimens of collaborating
quartz. They learned that it came
from the island of Aruba. They re-
turned to this country, and engaged
an engineer to make survey of the
island and ascertain the facts relative
to its gold fields. The survey was
critically made, and nearly three
hundred leads, rich and almost be-
yond computation, were discovered.
It was further ascertained that the
kingdom of Holland had leased the
island for 25 years to a Spaniard foi
about $1,000 per annum. and that
the lease had yet 81 years to run
The unsuspecting Spaniard was
hunted down, and he gladly dispos-
ed of his 81 years lease for less thar
$500 per annum premium. The
purchasers of the lease, not quite sat
isfeld with his bargain, went to the
Dutch capital and had the lease ex
tended fourteen years, receiving the
royal patent therefor.
New York was to become the colo
centre of the world under the Amer
lean management of the island o
Aruba. A quartz mill was erected
at Greenville, n. j., on the Morri
and Essex Canal, and 500 tons O
Aruba quartz were soon placed il
treatment. It yielded $50 to tn
ton, and it was calculated that So
more to the ton remained, which tn
quartz mill, with the present appli
ances, could not develop.
The American company could no
raise the capital they required t
carry on such extensive gold minin
as contemplated, and appealed
the capitalists of England. In tn
they are said to have been success
full, but the gold centre was necessG
rily removed from New York t
Swansea, Wales. So we shall los
the great glory and large part Of I'll
great wealth of Aruba Island.
Labor on tue island of Aruba
fixed at 80 cents per day, and it
claimed that the cost of mining I'll
quartz rock, including the crushin
will not exceed So per ton, while tt
very lowest grade will yield $50 D,
ton, and the higher grades will TT
beyond $500 to the ton The sean
of quartz are apparently inexhaust
BILE, while surface digging and gull
deposits promise an immense yiel
1t is possible that this may be a
other South Sea speculation. The
appears to be but little doubt tn
there is gold in this otherwise barr
island of the Caribbean Sea, but
working may DO found to be i
practicable, or it turn out an Edo
ado.