The Philipsburg mail. [volume] (Philipsburg, Mont.) 1887-current, 1899-01-13
Probably the Richest UnexpIored Territory
in the Known World.
IT IS AN EARTHLY PARADISE
Estimate of ths Islands by Resident of
Manila - Opportunities for Capital
and Enterprise What Gem
eral Otis Has to Say.

| w nen the ISLANDS shall have beer
fully explored the country will prob
ably be found to be the richest unex.
plored territory in the known world"
This is the estimate put upon the
Philippines in statement which Gen
eral Otis has forwarded to the war de.
partment. The maker of it is a resi-
dent Of Manila, whom Gen. Otis de-
scribes as highly intelligent man
Gen. Fra cis V. Greene indorses the
statement as fairly conservative and
thoroughly trustworthy. To the off
cials Of the war department this de-
scription of opportunities explains the
information that has recently come to
the formation of partnerships and asso-
Citations among the American soldiers
now serving there, having for their pur-
pose various development projects in
the archipelago. Considerable mum
bers of these soldiers have banded to-
gether with the avowed intention to
settle i'll the Philippines and engage in
various enterprises Some of these
American soldiers will send home two
or three representatives to enlist capi
tai i'll their respective communities.
This movement among the soldiers has
obtained sufficient magnitude to become
the subject Of considerable attention
from the government. The basis for it
IS shown In tle statement forwarded
by General Otis. In the way of encour-
ageme t which conditions hold out for
enterprise and investment the state
ment presents the following:
The river Pasig, dredged out to the
mouth OF the lake, and with it's points
cut down to make navigation easy for
decent passenger steamers, would i'm
mediately attract capital to nut on
daily morning and evening service.
Then the people of Manila could and
would avail themselves of the service to
pass the nights in the many cool spots
fringing the lake. No heat in the dav
time would be felt after a cool night
In very short time Laguda de Bav.
twenty five miles by twenty miles in
its greatest dimensions, would be stud
ded over with yachts and pleasure
craft OF ev;ry kind to afford pleasurable
recreation to all VINO could spare the
time and expense.
with capital and enterprise the
nearest approach to an earthly para
disc is here at beck and call. 1t is per
fectly amazing the strides made bv pro-
gress within the last thirty years since
the province steamers began to run in
the Islands. Some OF the promoters of
the enterprise can recall that as late as
1868 1t took two weeks or more for one
OF the small schooners then employed to
bring in outside produce a distance of
$50 miles to the shipping ports. In
1863 twelve capitalists, mostly foreign
ers, got together 1850, 600 to bring out a
small boat to make trips to Iloilo and
Cebu. The result was so perfectly sa :
isfactory that boat after boat followed,
until there is at the present time line
OF nifty province steamers, large and
small, running in the islands.
The short 12O-E-ile railway put down
by English capitalists gives but faint
idea OF what network of railroads
could 40, but 1t is enough to show what
profitable investment some roads can
be made in this country under liberal,
up-tO-date government That which
applies to LuzOa applies equally to all
the other Islands, where the produce in
most cases is left to rot in the fields for
want OF adequate means Of conveyance.
Roads, good public roads and railroads.
would send these islands ahead by leaps
and bounds, and material progress
would be the snre precursor of the light |
of civilization.
why European governments, who !
have for centuries been opening up and
clvlllzing the darkest countries. should |
have overlooked the Philippines with
out having look into them, and, if ne
cessary, force reform upon the ruling
powers, seems inexplicable.
Take LuzOn first, to give a faint |
idea OF known resources. In the north |
Is rich and extensive tobacco country.
where qualities equal to those grown in |
Cuba can be produced. Coming south,
two llocos provinces comprise rich sugar
and rice lands. Indigo also can be
largely produced, and with more labor
be increased in quantities and improved
in quality.
In the long range of mountains,
unexplored, copper, gold
and other minerals are known to exist.
and without doubt in considerable
quantities. Copper has been worked
for many years in the mountains of
South 1locos, Mancayan and Lepanto,
want of communication being the great
obstacle to mining on large scale. In
this district we have the district of
BenguOt, over 1000 feet above the sea
level, with climate not to be beaten in
Europe. In winter it borders on frost,
and in summer it is never over 65 de-
grees Fahrenheit.
There is an extensive pine forest
there, and exquisite potatoes and home
vegetables Of all kinds can. be grown to
any extent The Spanish government
had arranged to put up san1tarium
there, to send invalid troops and EN-
ployees to Europe to recuperate. A