Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1897-06-23
GOLD IN A NEW LAND
WONDERFUL PLACER MINING IN &c.
MERALDAS PROVINCE, ECUADOR.

Acres of Dirt That Carries 500 to the
Cubic Yard = African Gold Mines Far
History of the Discovery and
Development OF the Rich Fields.
Otis S. Gage, a former resident of
Washington, but who some years ago
went to the goldfields of Ecuador, has
just returned to America ON visit In
the course of recent talk on South
American topics he said:
SIN the province of Esmeraldas, in
the northern part of Ecuador, are gold,
fields surprising in richness and extent
the famous mines of South Africa.
When first went into that region, six
years ago, it was almost terra incog.
nita, but the reports Of engineers and
mining experts were so encouraging
that capitalists in Great Britain, Can.
ada and the United States became inter.
ested, and it was without much Difficult.
ty that funds were raised to develop the
enterprise.
Now there are six chartered COM
panies, owning an area of 80 square
miles, and the Ecuadoran government
has, with the utmost liberality, given
them 20 years exemption from taxation
and the right to import mining ma
chinery duty free. 1t is all placer min
ing, and the dirt is the richest in yell
low metal that ever heard of, running
as high as 500 cubic yard, while the
conditions for extracting the ore are
perfect.
1t is wonderful country, and 10
stranger the sights are so marvellous and
different from all that he has ever
known that a journey through it keeps
him i'll a perpetual state of astonish-
ment. While the foliage and vegetation
are dense and luxuriant, it is not hard to
clear the land, for the roots of the trees
are all above ground. In going up one
of the rivers the Indian boatmen who
pole you along in canoes have to part
the long, streaming, ropelike parasites
that depend from the trees along the
banks. These parasites give gaudy
look to the scenery, being Of every I'M
aginable color, and are quite commonly
used by the natives as ropes.
sit is hard work making your way
from the seaboard into the mining re-
gion, and the best the traveller can dol
mile an hour in the canoes, which are
handled with degree of skill that no
white man could hope to attain. The
current is not only very swift, but there
are numerous rapids, and here 1t is that
the boatman's cleyerness is manifest
The country abounds in pests such as
the centiped and tarantula, but the peo-
pie escape them by building their houses
OH piles and use ladders for ingress TO
their domiciies Though it rains every
day the climate is healthful, and inc
temperature at the foothills OF the Anues
is delightful.
Among the curiosities is mar
snake. From a casual inspection 1t ap-
pears inanimate, but closer stuu!
shows it to have life. There is alsoa
snake that banks and frog that Jumps
30 or 30 feet with ease. They have
way Of jumping into ones cottage anu
striking against the wall with thuu
that is trying to the nerves OF q new,
conner. Along the stream | have no'e0
echoes that surpass those of the Maui
moth cave.
1.-THE larger part Of the population -
composed of negroes. Both men an"
women are of splendid physical ae'ef
opment, and they are an innocent hon.
est and kind hearted race. Before W.
mines were opened the people weps
without the least clothing, but ~"
they have got used to a minimum w
gree Of covering. They speak the op'h
ish language and are very deVou w. :
their observances of religion. '-0O'
st. Louis Globe-Demoerat.