The herald., 1894-04-11
No COUNTRY FOR A WHITE MAN
Experiences in the United
States Of Colombia.
A Land Where There Is No Chance
for Enterprise.
Tsr.a;s ItnpResab1o and East-Ipfected,
DtseHs,- Haunted swAmPs-Poor
Mines And No FACILITIES
for working Them.

4iaeJ OClVOoi AAouIy lSoWuOlFu anu MS
partner, two well known Vanderbilt
pSospectors. left Los Angeles to inspect
tho mines Of thu United States OF Col
ombis, South America. They were led
to take ths trip by the glowing news
paper rsporte OF rich discoveries, which
appeared from time to time, and the
love OF adventure which fills the
American prospector, and occasionally
eensd him in search OF adventure in
strange lands. few days ago they re-
turned, after travelling many thousands
Of m;los, satisfied that the United States
OF America is good enough for them,
net only in regard to its mineral re-
sources, but as a place OF residence.
MIR. Randolph related his experiences
to HERALD reporter as follows:
After leaving Los Angeles we went
via New Orleans and crossed the gull,
touching a. Costa Rico and Colon, to
Cartegena, Colombia. From this place
we took a steamer 750 miles up the Mag
dalina river to Puerto Brio; here we
QUILTED with riding and pack mules
and went inland 300 miles to Maddelin,i
the capital OF Antioquia. Continuing
our journey, we went to Remedies,
200 miles further and then ciTcled
through the Andes 800 miles to the Cau-
can country, crossing the line OF Ecuador
and Brazil, passing through the Cusnare
country, wich is infested by race Of
cannibals, crossing the equator and
finally reaching the Hondo, the mead Of
navigation on the MagdaliDa river. In
crossing through the pass OF the Andes
we reached an altitude of 10000 feet,
while the mountains still lowered 1000
above us. d
From the published reports we were
led to expect free milling ores in the in
terror, but found the mines OF the coun-
try produced nothing but rebellious ores
which must be concentrated. Although
Colombia is as large as California, Nevs.
ds, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico
combined, there are only five dividend
paying mines in the whole vast terrific
nv, so you can readily see that it in no
manner compares with the United
States as a mineral producer. There is
one great property that corresponds
iavorably with some of our great bonan-
zas like the Granite Mountain of Mon
hama or the Ontario OF Utah. 1t is the
San Coulda, owned by Carlos @. Anna
dor, banker, OF Meddelin. On account
of his great riches the money which his
bank is permitted to issue is considered
Bounder than the government currency.
The surface of the country is all CLAY ;
Excepting on the SUBMITS OF the high
sat mountains no rock at all is found.
n The rainfall ia tremendous. 1t literally
rains all the time, as much as 200 inches
1alling in q season. or 20 times as much
Z hs in Southern California, aud three
4 times as much as in Puget Sound, the
s wetteet portion of the United States
#The mountains are very steep, and it
4 ms off quickly, but the rivers are low
s and fat and vast marshes abound. filed
with every variety OF insect and reptile
4 life. Every insect that affords torture
s 30 man is found along these rivers, and
II you want the experience of being
g flayed alive, Just make the trip we did.
The reduction of the ore was one of
Z the most interesting things we saw. 1t
is i'm possible to get in machinery. and
they resort to mills which they build
themselves. Wooden stamps, shod with
iron, are rugged in mortars of cemented
rock, while round log, filled with pegs,
serves as cam shaft. After the ore is
crushed it is run off into vats, and is
then concentrated in batteas or wooden
bowls by natives who line around each
vat, dipping out pans of fine ore and
dumpi the concentrates in q pile.
s These natives are paid 6 reals, about 80
cents q day. An American dollar is
worth $3.50 of this money.
The placer mines are well worked
out excepting on two streams, and here
: lit is as much as q mans life is worth to
attempt to mine. 1t is said that in
slave times they worked these mines,
estimating that slave would only live
a month, but as he paid for himself in
15 days it was still a matter of profit.
Many gold-bearing streams carry too
much clay to permit the gold being ex-
tracted.
The majority of the natives are q
mixture of negro, Indian and Spanish,
and very uncouth in appearance. They
are literally without morals. In fact
the better classes are entirely destitute
Of virtue. The poorest man in the
United States lives like king in COM
pGrison to the poor wretches of this
this country. lie due entirely to their
auk Of energy, for no country is more
prolific. Their clothing is pair Of dSck
pants, sometimes with the addition OF
shirt, while the children go entirely
naked.
In the interior coffee, cocoa and TO-.
.HJhCCO hkC thA1oA loL GAL POtbt WAllO Ou bD0
coast bananas, cocosnuts, valuable woods
= and dyes are produced. The natives
manufacture hats, saddles, hammocks
and earthenware.
You can tell your readers who are
prospectors, that If they have any in
! Eention Of going into the country to mine
10 take my advice and stay away. 1t is
simply impossible to prospect it on ac-
count of the multitude of obstacles
which present themselves. Vegetation
so dense that it ia impossible to make
paths through the forests, and no ma
shinery csn be brought in. There are
10 roads in tho country. l and my
partner both succumbed to the fevers Of
he country and lost all of our supper.
uous flesh. am short just so pounds
t what I weighed wheu l left Los Au-
eles Ave months ago.
We had intended extending our trip
nto the 0ronoco river in British
iuiRna, but hearing that yellow fever
n 1as prevalent; we decided to come back
10 Gods country. From the time NE
Gtnsd our faces homeward it took Just
Gays OF constant travel to reach Los
ngslss. The United States ia good