The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-09
TALES OF ISTHMIAN GOLD.
PLENTY OF METAL THAT ONE CAN.
NOT GER PROFIThBLY.

Swsw =. = Fooi OF oots-Got aa7S After
EspesdisE $500 TIE Auantie SLOPE.
To listen to or to read the stories Of gold on
the Isthmus OF Panama IA like placing oneself
in the condition Of Tantslus-a position where
| every sense is satisfied by the metal except
taste--the thirst for actual possession.
| There Is not mine on the Isthmus worth
working-not one. You will hear plenty Of
| tales Of gold-bearinG lodges and streams.
whose beds are full OF gold dust and you will
be invited TO bring down n little capital and
make millions out OF It. These men are shrewd
in their way But l tell you that II mine
worth working existed there is plenty OF cap
| ital right here in Panama that would eagerly
| tnke hold Of It."
1t was in those words that Consul G eral
Adamson OF Panama sought to warn me
| against the wiles OF tho mine-owning Ladinos,
| who are always on the look out for foreign cap
| itaL l was sure TO meet these men, the Consul
| General said and he was afraid their suavity
| and plausibility might have an undue effect on
| what would write about the golden resources
OF the 1sthmus. Mr.. Adamson had seen a num-
Der Of foreign capitalists crippled By Isthmlan
| Investments. and he did not want to see any
reader OF THE SUN in like distress.
| After journey through the 1sthmus from
Aguadulce TO David am convinced that the
| Consul-General was wrong in his estimate OF
| tho intrinsic value Of the collaborating lodges
| OF the Isthmus but entirely correct In his be-
| lief that any American going there to make
fortune would be apt to lose all his capital.
| There IL not more than one chance In a hum
dred Tor foreign capitalist TO succeed there.
| But It seems to me that the facts and stories
as to tho existence OF gold there are interest
| ing nevertheless.
| At Santiago and at David the capitals OF the
two Isthmian States. saw q little gold dust.
| Il had been brought in By Indians and ex-
| changed for goods at the stores also saw
| few gold images that had been dug from the
ancient Indian graves OF the Isthmus. OF which
| something will be told at another time. These
things proved but llttle-no more than the
bare existance OF free gold In that region.
The hrst man met In Aguaduce. as already
| told. was Senior Don Juan jose Dias. The
Don had been Mayor OF Panama several times.
| and was the proud possessor Of a witch which
| had been given to him by the foreigners Of the
| town because Of his sturdy determination to
| do exact justice In all matters while In power.
| Consul General Adamson was one Of the con-
tributors to this fund and fully endorsed the
character Of Senior Diaz But sehor Diaz was
| living In Santiago de Veraguas because Of his
firm belief in the value OF . mine about TWEEN
| ty-one miles out in the mountains 1t was q
belief. too. that was founded on facts. There
p a fourteen-foot vein OF great length
that on the average-,taking the ore as It
gp esd an s ever Ten 'ne mil at
has only to be powdered and the gold extracted
is from long experiences with this mill that
Senor Disz concludes that this is a splendid
Why. then, Is II not worked ?" said to him.
! Il do not know" he replied simply The
and suppose they are afraid this will be. too"
Thon followed brief story Of the ether
Disz is Interested and another. The other one
Yields at least double the return OF the Diaz
operation. and the amount Of gold obtained
| from the ore was enough to have made two
companies rich. Nevertheless. the company
poration. and the Englishmen have let the mill
rust ont There Is nothing n the matter With
indeed, this richer one should pinch out the
whole trouble is with the management; 1t lisa
the States. The stockholders in the mines at
Virginia City not long, ago found that the
greatly exceeded the com bined returns OF all
the mines there; The supeEintendents were
is much worse, II a man has one dishonest
seed in his soul It will sprout the moment he
| rich and then go back to Gods country"
He Is in great haste to get rich. and he will not
not pay the stockRoide rs the superintendenis
get the money. And the superintendents gen.
There i, Just one chance for man to mako
these two leads pay. He must have the capital
the he Would probably fall The miners are
over 20 miles from the nearest port-AguR-
dulcs. The road is pretty good for five months
OF the year and an impossible slough for
seven: At best he could not get machinery
from Panama to the mill in less than two
cartma an slower. Worse yet, the workmen are
very peculiar. As will be told at another time.
ing 10 play the violin. 1t can be we'll done only
by q natural born genius. though any one with
Properly managed these LaGinos are first
class workmen. but to the ordinary foreign
employer they are constant source OF loss
/ had . talk with a man who had worked
Ga ssnGf pa he &c worked S y the oT pss SH
and made $3.50 q day but, he had NO
Ta' Work vi th hS RS ii. Sc m he
mine camp when the mine was in opera:
found the work monotonous and life burden,
They had food aud clothing enough. Of course.
R aSSs q the rsnds9: say it, HSi
Perversity;" There, is an intimate Connection
between the two. In the days when William
borax out OF Death Valley their supsrintend-
emit had no trouble with the teamsters that
bling and other sporting resorts in Molave en-.
Abled them 70 get rid Of their money I9yously.
and elsewhere in the Spanish Main have usu-
ally failed because the native workman had
too little Ioyousnsss and the snperintendent
bottom of q good many mining troubles else
where. IL were the boss of a mining town
would see that there was a dance AZ one end
OF the street and prayer meeting at the other
every night In the week.
The advice OF such men as Senior DiAz and
Consul General AdAmson to American capi-
talists is TO let IsthmiAn mines alone. The ad-
vice is good. but did not ask their Aivice as
to American prospectors because the pros
peetor does not need any All he wants Is a
bit OF float. SO to speak. The lsthmus Is full
OF il. There are Indications Of gold every.
where. but especially in the talk OF the people.
The placer gold OF the lsthmus has been the
ruin OF its people.
Or. FabTega Of AguAdulce whose name has
been already mentioned 10 THE sun told me q
story about placer gold in the state OF
NeTaguAs. When he was a boy Just approach
ing manhood his old grandmother was for
ever urging him To go TO certain stream
south OF Santiago to get gold dust. She said
that when she Was a girl, and that was In
about the year 100, peon out hunting on
this stream found yellow sand that was very
heavy. Taxing of his trousers no tied up the