Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-02

of s700.O00,O 900 worth of the precious
metals has been taken out OF Colombia.
A great deal of mining Is now going on
In the department or state of Antio-
qua, which is reached by going several
hundreds OF miles up the Magadalenh
river. Here small diamonds are some
times found with the gold. English
parties own a number Of the best
mines In this region, and much capital
IL invested. There are now between sou
and 400 gold mines being worked In
Colombia.
y GOLDEN RULE FOR ALL DIS
EASES
Nearly all of the Indian tribes have
more or less gold / have been told of
n curious method which the church has
of getting the Indians to give up their
gold They are prone to hoard II. nut
as they are very supersutious the
priests have in some of the churches
the images OF certain saints who are
supposed to cure diseases, but to whom
must first be offered In gold minia-
ture image of the part which is dis
eased. II n man has a sore leg he
molds little leg OF gold-it may he
the size OF his little finger, 1t may be
larger-and offers 1t to the saint. 1t Is
hung up before his blessedness on a
string with other similar offerings of
golden eyes. teeth. heads and legs for
a time and II the sore part gets well
the Indian Is convinced the saint and
the gold did the work. Mr.. Mansfield.
an American electrical engineer. who
is In charge of the electric lights and
the street railway of Panama, Is my
authority for this statement. He says
he has often tried to buy such relics
from the priests In the interior, but
that though they acknowledge that
they melt up and use the relies after a
time they will not sell them.
A PARADISE FOR A PATENT MED
ICiNE MAN.
Mr.. Mansfield is generally considered
one of the best of the foreign author
tiles on the wonderful wealth OF veGc-
table life of the Isthmus of Panama.
Before / left Washington l was asked
by the secretary of agriculture to look
up certain plants and trees which II Is
thought might proiltably be introduced
into the United States. Among those
asked for from the isthmus was the
platonic bamboo, which Is said to nave
n leaf n foot wide and fifteen feet long.
II was this inquiry that brought me
into contact with Mr. Mansfield and
gave me much curious Information.
Said he There Is wonderful variety
of plant life here. and many specimens
believe which are not generally
known.
There are more than twenty varieties
of bamboos on the isthmus. There arc
woods superior in their lasting qualities
to the teak wood Of siam and great
amount OF mahogany and dye woods.
There are plants and woods which the
Indians use for medical purposes, which
/ am surprised are not taken up by our
doctors. Take the cacique wood. This
will stop the flowing of blood almost
instantly. II you scrape off little
dust from a cacique stick and put II
on a cut the blood will Immediately
stop running. The Indians use II for all
kinds of cuts, and they say that If n
person who has hemorrhage of any
kind takes hold of Cacique stick II
will stop 1t. You find such II stick in
many an Indian hut ready for use In
case of accident. This wood Is ex-
pensive, piece the size of walking
cane costing in Panama $40 and up
ward The necha fruit is good for can
GERS and tumors. Another tree Is q
snake poison untidote. and Mr.. Mans
field says that he learns of some new
medicinal plant or tree nearly every
time he visits his little plantation away
off in the interior where he buys OF
the Indians and has a factory for the
making of alcohol, rum and other such
things. During his last trip he was
shown plant which was said to be q
wonderful emetic. He asked an Indiar
| girl to make some tea of it for himself
and partner, and they agreed to.
gether that they would test the virtues
| of the plant by drinking cup. They
did so. The liquor tasted sweet ant
seemed not at all bad as 1t went down