The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-18
THE YANG-TSE VALLEY.
A New Field for Civilized Enterprise.
Gold Mining in Tibet.


Archibald Little, a gentleman who has
spent the better part of his lifetime in
China. during which he has been largely
instrumental in developing the navigation
of the upper reaches of the Yang-tse-
Kiang, recently has been giving his views
and experiences of China, more particu-
larry with relation to the Yang-tse valley.
He was for some time esta blished at
lchang. but has moved up to Chung
King, an important trade center in SEE
Chuen,. at the junction of the discharge of
several rivers into the Yang-tse. He de-
scribes the basin of the Yang-tse as COM
prising an area of about 100000 square
miles, and as being the richest sub-tropi-
cal region in the world, and inhabited by
a thrifty and Woodworking population.
The whole region, except that part con-
tanned in the great plateau of Thibet, is
cultivated like a garden the mountains
of Sze-Chuen being terraced to their sum
mits. The soil is highly fertilzed and
yields a ceaseless rotation of crops that
go to sustain thickly settled population.
The mineral resources of the country are
great but quite undeveloped Mr.. Little,
however expects and apparently with rea-
son. great Industrial future for that
part of China when mining and steam
navigation are taken in hand by foreign
capital.
Regarding the mountainous country to
the westward of the Min river, one of the
main tributaries of the Yang-tse that flow
from the north, some interesting details
are given in report by British con-
sular official, G. J. Litton, who has made
journey into that region this year. He
speaks of the strategical and commercial
Importance of Tachienlu, also called Dur
chendo as the gateway into the elevated
plateau of Thibet from Central China.
This town has about 5000 inhabitants,
fltyF it,n{o
forwarding trade between Thibet and
Yang-tse valley. The exports from the
plateau are principally musk, wool, rhu-
barb, goatskins and gold, known as ''hu-
ang-huo.' or yellow goods. This last
comes mostly in the form of dust. though
nuggets are occasionally brought down.
The chief centers of gold production are
Litang and Chantui, the former producing
the best and the latter the most gold. At
no time, however, was the quantity very
great that came from these workings in
the way of trade, not much more than
5000 ounces annually and latterly this
has decreased to about half, owing to the
chronic disorders in that part of the coun-
try But it is known that considerable
quantities are brought out in small par
cells that do not pass through the hands
of the regular "huang-huo" traders, the
dealers from the interior demanding near
ly the full value of the gold at Chung
King.
Thibetans are said to have the strongest
objection to mining of any kind, but do
not object to washings in the alluvial
sands of the river beds. They fear the in
fiux of larges bodies of Chinese miners
but there are also certain geomantic
perstitions. The idea is that gold in the
reef represents a vital principle which
produces gold dust by some mysterious
process of generations; if the reefs We're
worked, it is believed that not only would
the alluval gold disappear, but that the
prosperity of the whole country would
wither away The Chinese hold similar
views. for in a Censor's Memorial it is
stated that as certain mines had not been
worked since the time of Yung Cheng,
from 1928 to 1885, the quantity of gold must
have increased largely.
Concerning the political situation, Mr..
Little appears to be of the opinion that
the best policy to be pursued with regard
to China is to maintain its territorial in
tegrity, but to insist on the perfect free
dom of trade with all the world. OF the
Chinese people he evidently has high
opinion, for he speaks of them as loving
their country and its independence,
though their ideas of patriotism differ
somewhat from those that prevail in 9TH
er countries.
If only the hinterlands of the harbors
and fortified naval stations now held by
European powers remain open as before,
Mr.. Little sees no reason why diplomacy
should not bring about common action
to achieve result that would be for the
benefit of China and advantageous to the
commerce of the world.-N. Y. Sun.