Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-12
The Present Results Are Full of Prom
ixe for the Future.

Raymon Reyes Iaia in the Review OF Reviews
Up to the present time most of the gold
has been found in the easily accessible dis
trlcts near the coasts, though the natives
of the interior of Luzon, region but little
explored traffic in the precious metal,
which they evidently obtain from some of
the inland streams. AS yet placer deposits
are the chief source of the metal, which has
been worn by the rains from the mountain
ranges and borne down by rivulets and
creeks to their lower channels. In certain
regions there is not a stream, large or
email whose sands do not show the yellow
trace of gold, while now and then natives
of the interior offer heavy nuggets for
sale. The gold thus buried in the river
sands and gravels undoubtedly had its
source in the mountain ranges, whose
quartz veins await the hand and eye of the
cunning miner. They may be rich; they
may be poor; only scientific study and eX-
plOration can tell
The principal gold-yielding region of Lu-
zon is the district of Mambulao. The metal
has been found also in Mindanao, Mndoro
Panay, Cebu, and the smaller islands of
Samar, Catanduanes Sibuyan, Bchol and
Panaon. One of the larger islands, Min
dcro, gains it's name from it's gold deposits
it signifying NINA de ora gold mine)
The natives speak of places in it's interior
which are rich in gold The same is the
case with the interior OF the large island of
Mindanao, where gold is so plentiful that
the natives carry it about in bags for use in
their ordinary buying and selling. Here ere
the Misamis placers, the richest in the
archipelago their yield to the native miners
being about $50 ounces a month. Rich
quartz veins are said to be known in this
island, and there is one such vein in the
small Island of Panaon, lying north of Min
danao; but hitherto gold has been mined
principally in placer beds, and these are not
very rich, as compared with those of Cali
fornia. Personally, know little about these
gold gravels. as / have seen only some of
their results. They are so widely dis
tributed and are worked in so desultory a
manner that their actual richness is largely
matter of guessWork. AS regards the
mother VEINS 1 have made no search for
iards have not troubled themselves in this
direction. They rest in Virgin wealth wait
ing in their pristine state the coming OF the
have to be deeply hidden indeed if they
escape his penetrating eyes.
In truth, at present only the edges of the
gold districts have, as rule, been worked
Gle to the exploration of the interior in
superable to the asY ping spaniard The
natives make theik wa4 through the dense
forests cutting d path as they go, but
foes o. ri the ny M t. s a nafsa
and machinery require roads of a different
kind. Bridges will need to be built, high
ways constructed and railroads laid before
these isie.ds can be properly exploited, and
all this means time, capital, energy and en-
terprise. So doubtless for a number of
years to come the gold, must await its
master.
native mining is done? The Filipino uses
two tools only-a wooden bowl and wash
ing board. These are of great antiquity.
and form part of the household furniture Of
every dwelling In the mining districts. In
gold getting they arc rude and wasteful in
the highest degree All the float gold is
lost. and only rich deposits can be worked
with any profit. The. process OF annalga-
nation, Indispensable In American mining.
is quite unknown I'm the Philippines Only
that the streams are. often rich. in gold.
such mining as this would yield no returns.
But SO abundant is the precious metal in
of 1t may be picked up in village streets.
do not wish TO convey the idea that the