The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-26

the native miners readily adapt them
selves to the civilized methods and
make excellent workmen. Thus 1t is
expected that there will be no difficulty
in developing the mineral resources OF
the Philippines, so far as the labor sup
ply is concerned.
One of the most important items of
the wealth of the Philippines is copper.
of which metal there are great depos-
its. The natives have long had copper
utensils for their own use, and the
Ygorrotes, who inhabit the trackless
central mountain range of Luzon, have
CARRIED ON COPPER MINING
for centuries. They used to make cop
per kettles three and a half feet in di-
ameter, and copper utensils of their
manufacture have been in common use
in Manila for more than two centuries.
They introduced the metal into COM
merce as early as 1910, and extensive
excavations indicate the activity of
their operations in past times. Many
people believe that the Ygorrotes are
descended from Chinese, deriving from
them their oblique eyes, certain idols
which they worship, and the art Of
working copper.
The ore found at Mancayan contains
upward of 16 per cent of copper, "a per
cent of sulphur, 5 per cent of anti
mony and per cent of arsenic. In the
interior of Luzon native copper is said
to occur in large masses, and in one
place a very peculiar deposit of the
metal has been discovered in the bed
gravel of a stream. In the latter case
it is in little nuggets, globular or pear
shaped, which assay 80 per cent copper,
with some gold and silver. The extent
and commercial value of this deposit
are as yet undetermined, and its origin
is puZzling. Apparently, the globular
nuggets are the result of a natural
smelling process, due, presumably, to
volcanic heat, the copper being dropped
from a height and SO taking this
strange form in cooling. The natives
get their copper by placing fragments
of ore-bearing rock in a round hollow
in clayey ground, with which conical
funnel of stone is connected. A fire is
lighted in this primitive furnace, and
blowers of bamboo are worked with
plungers to make draft.
IRON ORE OF GREAT PURITY
has been found in various parts of Lu-
zon. There are no iron works on the
island, save for a few small foundrieS.
The native blacksmiths obtain excel
lent ore for their arms and implements.
No really good coal has been discovered
as yet, but it is believed that there are
IliipOl ldill dcpOoilo- NV SlIISlhPNS hoN Z
ever been made to dig coal to any ex-
tent. There are certainly great coal
fields on the islands of Zebu and Ne
gros. The archipelago is midway be-
tween North Borneo and Formosa, in
both of which regions are extensive and
valuable coal fields. Boiling springs,
which are relics of extinct volcanoes,
yield inexhaustible supplies of sui
phur.
There arc certajnIv gems in some of
the upper valleys of the central noun
tain range of Luzon. Samples of rough
ly-washed alluvial gold brought down
by the aboriginees often contain rubies
and hyacinths. There may be some val
liable banks of pearl-bearing oysters in
the archipelago. In the Sulu group
plenty of superb pearls are found, and
beautiful ones of unknown origin are
frequently brought to Manila for sale.