Arizona silver belt., 1898-06-30
Arizona Silver Belt
THURSDAY. JUNE 30, 1898.
MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE
 PHILIPPINES.


 The State Department at Washing
 ton has just published in its Consular Reports" extracts from pamphlet for warded by Ambassador Hay at London, and written by Mir. Frank Karuth, who has passed several years in the islands. Mir. Karuth IS president of the Philip pines Mineral Syndicate, Limited, a British corporation which has begun the exploitation of mines thero. In his pamphlet Mir, Karuth says that his notes were written in 1894. Since then the exploratory work for the syndicate has been carried on as vigorously ns circumstances permitted. At all events auriferous ore deposits have been opened up quite near the sea, assuring m output for many years to come. Also, the continuation of the aurifer- ous formation has been proved over wide district, The complete absence of practicable roads throughout that district, and, indeed, throughout the islands, must at first confine mining operations requiring heavy plants to points near harbors or nay igable rivers. So far the fringe only of the auriferous formation has been touched. In many brooks that run into the Pacific Ocean the sand and gravel pan colors of gold. Heavy nuggets are sometimes brought down from the sierras. Alluvial gold is also got in the Island of Mindanao, especially in the districts of Surigao and Misimis, on it's northern coast.
 There is no doubt that mining for gold was practiced in the islands long before the advent of the Spaniards. In fact, it may be that the alluvial de. posits, accessible to the Chinese and Malay traders, who had intercourse with the islands long before they were known to Europeans, have been to great extent worked over and over again. The tools which the natives use--a washing board and wooden bowl-are of great antiquity, and form prominent feature in the household utensils of all native villages in the au. fiferous regions Boulders and frag- ments of quartz with visible gold occur in alluvial deposits in the islands, and it Is not likely that the natives would have thrown them aside without en. deavoring to extract the gold. This they probably did, as they do it even now, by pulyerizing the quartz by hand and washing it like they wash the auri- ferrous gravel and sand. The only im- proyement on this rude process was the introduction by the Spaniards in some districts of the Mexican arrastrs.
 Mr. Karuth says further "The question is often asked, How is it that so little is known of Philippine gold ?, The answer is simple. There is no off. cial control of the output, or tax on it. The miners live in isolated districts and villages, with rare communication between them. And the universal man of business is the omnipresent China man, now storeleeuer with fixed abode, now perambulsting peddler, sho penetrates the most distant settle ments, buys the gold with his wares, and sends it out of the country, ov CT to Hong Kong or Anoy, or elsewhere. It is not his business to swagger over the volume of his trade; ill fact, he keeps it dark. Those who know are aware that the gold export is consider able and very much exceeds the official computation, whatever that may be. 'Paracale' gold is well known in Mani. Ia, but few Manilese know where Para cale is, and still less have ever visited the place. let it is q prosperous viii lage, with good deal of trade and large native mining population. Gold is found in many other islands of the group; also copper, galena and coal