The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-03-22
NEW LIFE FOB SPAIN.
Vast Stories of Gold in Her Ancient
Half.WOrked Mines

WASHINGTON March 22 1897-Mod-
ern mining methods, especially those of
America with English capital, are relied
upon to draw untold wealth from tie.
abandoned workings of the ancient FL
Dorado of the Iberian Peninsula and Con-
sui Harmony of Corunna in report to
the State Department gives the views of
American experts who have just investi-
gated the mineral fields of Galicia which
from a very remote period were famous
for riches. The Phoenicians and later
on the Carthagenians worked the gold
and silver mines of Spain. Hannibal ex-
tracted daily near Carthagena quantity
of those metals equivalent to 5000
pesetas ($1, 1881. The most renowned of
ancient historians mention the riches of
Iberia in precious metals and relate that
in the time of Justinian, gold was found
in the fields worked by the plow. Pliny,
the younger, says that in his time 1900
pounds of gold weAg extracted annually
from Galicia Asturias and Portugal. The
immense quantities of this metal drawn
from Spain restored and replenished
Rome's public treasury. Cato. on his re-
turn from governing Spain, handed over
eighteen tons of silver and nearly 1900
Kilograms of gold
After the fall of the Roman Empire,
the mining industry received ~, great
impulse from the Moors, and, finaii.r, the
discovery of the New World was the
deathblow of the miners industry in
Spain. In fact. with the object of fav-
ori-lg in America an industry which was
Kings of Spain prohibited the working
of mines in the Peninsula Today, how
ever, owing to the persistent efforts of a
few prospecting Englishmen and to the
progress being made every year in pro-
cesses for the extraction of refractory
ores, it is probable that, in short time,
some of the old Roman mines will be
worked on a large scale.
Rich ores of tin, copper and antimony
are also common in this district and iron
is so abundant that Consul Harmony says
in amy other country but Spain it would
have received especial attention from the
government. A thousand million tons is
the estimate of the quantity in Gaiicia
alone but on account of ats phosphorus
the only people who deal m 1t are the
Germans and Belgians.
The mining DAVIS of Spain are declared
to be the best in the world for the pro-
lection of the miners interests and all
possible facilities are granted by the
Government. The concessions or grants
are given in perpetuity and can only be
cancelled through non-payment of taxes
which amount to about $40 per acre plus
royalty of three per cent. on the value
of bullion, metal or ere extracted.
The consul says the question of gold Is
well worth the attention of American
miners and inventors. who have beer
used to work lowgrade refractory ores
All the mill management of tae Rand
mines, South Africa, IS practically in the
hands of American citizens.
Spain, although In former times large
producing country, Is at present quite
understand that, with every other condi-
tion being favorable, there are practicable
means of making ten pennyweights or
even five pennyWe.g'hts of gold to the tot,
pay dividends it will be hazardous tu
think of local capital