The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1899-06-15
ALETTER FROM AN OLD WHITE
PINBR IN SOUTH AMERICA.

A LETTER FROM AN OLD WHIT d
PINBR IN SOUTH AMERICA.
The following letter was received by
Mr. NJ. b. Garaghan this week, and
will no doubt be read with interest by
the old friends of Judge Robertson in
this county, where he resided during
the flush days Of Taylor;
"CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA,
South America. May Dist, 1899.
FRIEND GARAGHAN:-I have often
thought To write you about this coun-
try; OF its rich mines and opportunities
for making money, but knowing how
tenaciously you cling to Nsvada-your
first love, | doubt If the most horid
word painting of Colombia 5 enormous
mineral wealth. would receive from YOU
more than passing notice. and L Will
not say but you would be right. There
are 50 many difficulties and dangers to
face one engaged in our calling in this
country, that Notwithstanding the
riches before him, the average Nevada
prnspector Is certain to catch himself
'.sighing a sigh of regret for the burn
ing sands of the Mohave and Colorado
particularly after having your back
Eldut u7t VI d "a AAhtA bNN III iApai =
AT n stretch.
According to the figures of Dr..
/ Adolf Suetbeer the gold output OF
| columbia from 1887 tn 1870 amounted
| to |. 23l. 800 kilos-wOrth SSlS. 454. 800.
| With few exceptions the work is as
crude an | wasteful now as 200 Years
ago. Il le batel, almOcafre and barra
oeing the only tools, and the pit the
only reservoirs. | doubt if there is d
river In all Columbia but carries gold,
and by far the majority in paying guam
/ liies. l have prospected number of
streams from the Chagres To the Mag
1 dalena and found gold In them all. |
know of one place on the Magdalena
/ that shows evidence of having been
worked long before the Spanish Occu-
patton. and yet II will pay from s.. 90 to
/ 3d. % per Gu ic yard, / thought what
/ IA property this would prove under the
able management Of Mr.. Marriott OF
the OsceOlA pdcers On the Tamana,
| Condoto, San Juan and Audagueda
rivers the black sand contains nearly
an ounce of gold to the ton, and there
are places where the natives are known
/ TO have obtained by careful washing of
the stratum on the bed rock from 10 To
| 30 ounces OF gold TO the square yard
/ Colombia has the honor of being the
country in which platinum was first
found. It's discovery in the placers of
El Choco antedating its Identification
in Rus ia over 80 years For many
years il was considered valueless and
the miners threw it away. Naturally
YOU will conclude that | am actively
engaged in storing away few barrels
/ Of these precious metals. Well, | am
not doing anything Of the kind. At
present | am having Il hand to mouth
tussel with little copper mine. 1t cai :
ries about 5 per cent: Is only one hun
dred feet between walls, but it is close
to the bay and / can sleep on salt water
every night, and | like the salt air, and,
well | am copper man.not II gold bug.
AT the slime time some of my bad
luck has followed me here. On the B h
of April | went to New York on The
\ steamship Finance Remained there
and in Boston IL days. Bought Il lot of
mining tools, supplies. etc loaded them
on the schooner Leila Smith" bound
| for Barrauquilla: had quick passage
10 days TO Santa Marta, where we called
for pilot. Left that place at I A. NJ.
on the 18th inst, and by 10 O'Clock A.
NJ The Leila Smith was Il total wreck
on the bar OF the mouth of the Magda
lena river. Three hours afterwards
was again on Colombii ssil the happy
possessor of Il fine suit OF clothes, the
same that | wore when | first entered
this troublesome world. A bad bust
ness but might have been worse, as 1t
WIS close call for "Davy Jones'
There is a dangerous bar where the
waters of the ocean and the great river
meet, and where many slips have been
lost A strong wind was blowing; the
tide setting in; The pilot missed The
channel; the vessel struck with terrific
force breaking and tearing off her rud
der and keel, time after time she struck
her seams opened, and the water rushed
IN as she settled in the slnd. IL WAS
only few minutes after she first struck
until the waves We're sweeping over The
deck. The loss of my outfit IS Il heavy
one, Int am already moving to re-
place II. VIII go to New York and Sc.
what can be done IN that direction. Am
tired and worn. and may go home foi
II month or Two In my favoi'ite noun
tains. Very truly YOURS,
ED. l.. ROBERTSON. :"