The times., 1898-06-13
GOLD HUNTERS MECCA.
The Precious Metal in Abundance
In the PHILIPPINES.


aid prints the following concerning the
resources of our new possessions:
Should the fates of war decree that the
Philippine Islands become American pos
sessions such a stampede of gold hunters
tine world never before saw win surely
ensue. The mad fight to California in
'49 and the early fifties and the more re-
cent exodus to the Klondike will be total
ly ecllpsed. For the virgin soil of that
vast group of islands in the South Pacific,
about which we knew 50 little previous TO
Dewey's bold dash into the harbor of Ma
Mia, contains untold wealth. only awaiting
American pluck and American capital for
its development.
That there are rich deposits of gold in
the Philippines has been known for years.
Coal and copper are also known to exist
there But so isolated are these islands
and SO primitive are the implements OF
the natives that the output of the glitter
ing meal has not been sufficient to attract
any great amount of attention. The first
authentic information we have of the min
eral resources of the islands comes from
Ambassador Hay, in the form of a PAM
| phlet written by Mr.. Frank Karuth, F. r.
G. s. Mr.. Karuth Is president of the Phil
ippines Mineral Syndicate.
In his communication to Ambassador
/ Hay, he explains that his notes were COM
piled In 1884, since when many changes
have taken place, principal among them
being the uprising of the natives and the
American invasion. These changes, how
ever, in no wise affect the value OF his
| observe tin-lC hIIf
| an additional interest. At all events, ex-
! tensive auriferous ore deposits have been
opened up quite near the sea, assuring
large output for many years to come.
Also. the continuation of the auriferous
formation has been proved over wide
! district.
The complete absence of practicable
roads throughout that district, and, in
deed, throughout the islands, must at
first confine mining operations requiring
| heavy plants TO points near harbors or
nayigable rivers. But such points are
numerous enough TO give rise TO profita-
bic industry. Mr.. haruth knows OF no
| other part CT the world, the Alaska Tread
/ well mines excepted where pay ore is
found within a few hundred yards OF the
anchorage Of seagoing vessels. So far th >
1iAii5t DLlS VI the dGElIGFOuS formation
has been touched. There is no brook that
iinds its wayii into the Pacinc Ocean whose
/ sand and gravel do not at least pan the
/ cC-or OF gold. Heavy nuggets are some
/ times brought down from the Sierras
| where there are promising fields fer hy-
| draulic mining. AiIuvial goo Is also got
/ In the Island of Mindarao, especially in
tho districts Of Surigao and bIis4nis. on
/ its northern coast. Extensive deposits
/ in, 1 an
/ probably prove remunerative when means
| OF transport have been devised
Ihe coal beds, which have been inter
| mittently worked in the Islands Of Cebu
and Masbate, consist OF Ignite OF very
| good quality. Some years ago large out-
crops OF such coal were found near the
I Deach IN the Island of Masbate but most
| OF it. which could got without mining. has
! been removed for the use of interinsular
! steamers. One of the syndicate's en-
/ Slneers, man of experience as manager
/ OF coal mines in Lancashire found Mas
| bate coal quite useful for steamers. He
calculates the quantity of coal available In
/ concession OF about sixty acress at l.
2S'OJl tons. Rubies and other precious
/ stones are also found
Mr. Karuth says that before very long
these Islands will be recFqoned as sreat
| Factors In the worlds gold production.
1'aat ihei precious metal is widely distriD-
i utCd an lHS dIGnipelagO Is known to all
| VINO know little more of il than its
/ name, but they are few in number. Few
also are the sources whence informa ton
/ can be drawn. Not five books in the Eng
/ Hsh language are worth consulting about
them. Crawford's History of the Indian
! Archipelago. published early in this CEN
/ tury, is still, the students text book
Whatever has been published since then.
when 1t rises above the level of a mere
! travellers tale is either not comorehen-
! sive or not reliable.
! There is no doubt that mining for the
/ precious metal were practiced in the ISL
/ ands long belong the advent of the Span
! iaTds. In fact. ii may be that the alluviaI
/ deposits. accessible to the Chinese and
Malay traders who had intercourse with
! the islands long before they were known
/ to Europeans, have been to great ex-
1 tent worked over and over again. The
! tools which the natives use-a washing
! board and wooden bowl-are of great
antiquity, and form a prominent feature
in the household utensils of all native
| villages in the auriferous regions
| Boulders and fragments of Quartz with
| visible gold occur in many alluviaI de-
/ positS in the Islands, and il is not likely
| that the natives would have thrown them
/ aside without endeavoring to extract the
! gold This they probably did, as they do
it even now, by pulverizing the quartz
| by hand and washing il as they wash the
/ auriferous gravel and sand. The only i'm
provement on this rude process was in
| the introduction by the Spaniards in some
! districts Of the Mexican .'arrastra" a
| block of rock moved by buffalo power
/ like a milestone on a neither block The
/ charge of an arrastra is about $50 pounds
Float gold and auriferous pyrites are lost
/ in the process. 1t is doubtful whether
| to this day the natives are aware of the
/ auriferous character of the pyrites which
! almost always accompany the auriferous
! quartz sometimes in not inconsiderable
| proportions.
Thus the production of gold by washing
| alluyial deposits and pounded quartz is
| an old time industry in the Philippines
/ followed 10 these days by nearly all in
the auriferous districts In a desultory
| way Mr.. James Hilton, N. E. who visit
/ ed Luzon in 1S90-91 and Mr.. George Simp-
| son. veteran Baliarat gold mining cap.
! tain, who arrived there in 1892, give in
| their reports interesting details regarding
native mining methods, some of which
| are worth mentioning.
| Mr. Hilton says: The occurrence of
valuable mineral deposits in the Philip
| be supposed that the colonists would en-
deayor to profit by the wealth which
nature has placed at their disposal, the
| more so as the mining laws OF the land
| are liberal, the taxes the reverse of
| onerous, and the conditions generally IA
vorable. Nevertheless, as matter of fact
mining as the skillfully and intelligently
| conducted industry that we know else
where, does not exist in the Philippine
| ISLANDS, y l was taken to see a vein
| of gold quartz, but found the shaft full