Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-09-09
ORIENT Is solbtH.
Moadoslf pssspeetsior ptsesess Metals 4
~ Philipplass.

The United states GeOlo&1cal survey
has sent DR.. George F., Becker. the
famous expert IN mines, to the Philip
pines, for the purpose OF investigating
the deposits of precious metals which
promise to make those islands q
tropical Kiondike in the near future.
1t is confidently predicted, indeed. by
persons well acquainted with the con-
tiitions, that the gold fields Of the
archipelago will rival those OF Alaska
and South Africa. All the streams on
the eastern side of Luzon carry gold
down from the mountains, and no
brook finds its way into the Pacific
ocean whose sand and gravel do not
pan at least yellow color. Even now
very little is known about the geology
Of the Philippines, and their mineral
resources are wholly undeveloped.
The absence of practicable roads mas
restricted mining to districts near the
coast 80 far as modern methods reQuir-
ing heavy machinery are concerned.
The vegetation of the, islands is 90
dense that ordinary prospecting is out
of the question. In other words, in
dividuals can accomplish very little in
the way of exploring and locating vaiu-
able deposits, writes the Washington
correspondent of the Boston Tran
script. However, Uncle Sam is behind
this enterprise, and he has plenty Of
money to spend on it. From the
earliest times Spanish travellers have
written about the latent golden wealth
OF the archipelago, but the Dons have
never had the enterprise and industry
to develop it. When they first landed
on the islands they found gold an
article of traffic among the natives.
just as it is now. In Pigafetta's
"Diary of Magellan's Voyages" the
natives are described as wearing
golden ornaments and as Offering to
present bar of the metal to the COM
mander of the naval expedition. A
still extant Chinese book, dated in the
third century a. D., describes trad
ing voyage from Annoy to Manila. an
mentions gold as the chief product Of
Luzon.
Nowadays, outside of the large towns
in the Philippines, the traffic in gold IS
very extensive. that metal being in
fact the principal medium of exchange.
1t Is weighed in small scales, its value
being estimated at about $11 an ounce
usually. though in smaller quantities it
brings only $40. Owing to it's impurity.
it is not worth much more. Gold hunt
ing is practiced by the natives in a
desultory fashion. when an. overdue
tax or an approaching holiday. with its
cOckfights. makes the possession of a
few dollars in cash more than usually
desirable. There are. however, the re-
mains of great works at Mambulao-
the name signifyng Place of Gold
which once produced large quantities
Of the metal from pounded quartz.
The regular output, according to
records. was one thousand ounces
weekly.
1t is known that there is great deal
of gold in the province Of Benguet.
central Luzon, and also in northeast
ern Surigao. on the island Of Mindanao.
The streams in Surigao are particu-
larry rich. Mindanao is the least
known and least settled of the Islands.
though it is nearly as big as Luzon
Portions of it are controlled by Malay
sultans, who are exceedingly indie
pendent. having never acknowledged
any allegiance to Spain. These sultans
have piratical inclinations, and il is
not unlikely that the United States
government will have to deal with
them pretty sharply before long. 1t is
believed THAI the auriferous formation
from which the gold of the streams is
derived. continues throughout the
range of mountains that forms the
backbone. so to speak. of Luzon These
mountains have never been explored to
any extent, though sometimes heavy
nuggets are brought down from them.
One reason why so little is known Of
the gold of the Philippines is that there
has never been any official control of
the output or any tax upon II. The
miners mostly live in isolated districts.
and communication between villages is
rare. The universal man of business ia
the omniprese1t Chinaman, peram-
bulating peddler or storekeeper with
nxed abode. who penetrates .he dis
tant settlements. buys gold with his
wares. and sends 1t out Of the country
to Hong Kong. Annoy. or elsewhere.
His business is to keep the extent and
volume Of his trade a secret. Paracale
golddust is well known in Manila.
though few Manilese know where
Paracale is. 1t is prosperous village.
tAaN 40 VNtput VI uuSt is melted into
tiny ingots. a small seashell serving as
mould. SO that each ingot shows the
shape of the shell Each ingot also
bears The mark of the testing auger of
the Chinese merchant.
IN Mindanao the people generally carry
gold about in little bags and use II ne
money. II Is said that nowhere i'm the
world,outside OF the Philippines the Tread
Wen mines of Alaska excepted. is nav ore
found within a few hundred yards OF the
ancnorase of sea-going vessels In one
place on the Pacific coast OF LIzon n mar
row peninsula 1uts out into the ocean-a
!mreadiand of white and gittering quartz.
Ihis Is a vast deposits of gold ore. and Al
The present time is being prepared for the
feceptiOnof a crushing plant and appurte O.
nances.
The methods of gold-seeking adopted bv
me natives are. as might be expected ex-
ceedinsly primitive. They wash the san,l
ana gravel of the streams in wooden
bowls. seeking the yellow specks which
iail 10 the bottom. Elsewhere they crush
me rocks to powder. treating the latter
IN similar way. Some of their mines
are h9neyconbs of pits dug in the
ground. the sois being a rubbish of decom-
US much as thirty feet deep. At three fee,
pelow the surface of the ground gold oc-
ours. ana Increases in quantity usually To
q depth OF eighteen feet. The pieces az
Took are carried out of the pits in has
Hets, the miners using ladders of bam-
200 water Is carried out in the same
way, IN pals; hut during the rainy sea
son the holes cannot ba ken. free from
wa r,,' ann work has to be discontinued