The morning times., 1896-10-18
NATIVES WILL NOT TOUCH THE RICH MINES
Most Valuable Gold Fields in the World Kept
Unworked by this Indian Superstition.
THE MISSIONARIES TRY TO ASSIST The GOVERNMENT

must be done through Spanish iulcrprs; cr>,
half bred with those who speak Quichna,
or negotiations would never be carried
on.
These natives are desperately poor. Liv
ing, as they do, in a country of constant
cold, they need fuel. good food, clothing
and shelter for their comfort. These they
could obtain If they would work the mines
that lie underneath their very feet. But
no power has ever been allie to make
them 90 this. They are industrious, but
| they VIII not brave tine ghost of Iuca
There is one section of mountain range
further south that is beng slowly worked.
Here the men labor in the most primitive
way. They hew the solid rock for twenty
| four hours on stretch. Thea they go home
and sleep and fest for twcnty y-:our hours,
while Others take their places. They know
nothing about the division OF The hours
of the day. one OF the first duties of an
engineering party is to teach them this,
and they take more kindly TO 1t than to
other Innovations.
There is another obstacle to the work
ing of these mines, which invite Amer
lean capital so strongly. And that is the
contents OF lie earth beneath the feet OF
-
every available inch of the country with
Their settlements, lad custom of num-
mifying their dead.
WORKING IN HUMAN FLOUR.
No emDalmiDg fluids were employed.
The soil is dry as powder. with absolutely
no daInpness. When an Indian died
costly wraps were wound around him, his
gold was placed in his mouth and i'll his
hands. he was placed in sitting position
and wicker basket was woven around
| him. In this way he was buried under
meath the ground. Anywhere was his
| burial place. in the street, even under the
floor OF his house.
AT the first touch of the shovel. in the
attempt To build houses 10 make these
natives comfortable, the dry dust flies up
In awful quantity. Then there comes to
light a mummy. CHASTITY he looks. with
even his SKIN preserved upon him, fine and
dry, ard almost white. His skull is
bleached, but his body sits there all the
more human and awful
The dust that flies up is literally human
flour, and the natives win not dig into it
The government people aud capitalists
assure them that there are places where
down their spades and refuse to hunt for
these free spots.
Again and again has American capital
sought to get gold from the mines of Cara
baya and SandIa. They will erect small
houses, engage workmen at 10 cents a
day Immense wages in South America,
and sink their shaft and get ready for
enormous gold yields. Almost the first
night the men take alarm at the sounds and
flashing lights, which they say are in the
depths of the shaft. And in q second there
are wild stories of seeing Inca and his
tribe a. the opening. Within few days
the stories have swclled SO that the work
must be abandoned The only remedy is
10 take American labor there; this, the
natives will not tolerate if any could be
| found to 20.
While the metal agitation is going on
in ali parts of the world, and the struggle
is TO get metal and get enough of it, there
lies within easy reach of the seaports and
at the end of an easy journey across
country, the richest gold country in the
world-suaried by the Ghostof king
ALBERT CAMERON.