Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-21

lands, but they are too lazy to work to
secure the deposits. If there are indica-
tons of gold deposits, the natives habit
ually work about in the vicinity and OBJ
tain what metal can be easily removed
from the surface. 1t is very seldom,
however, that they proceed in the effect
i've American fashion for getting out the
gold, and consequently they secure very
little.
The apparatus at present employed for
What little mining is done in the Philip
pines is very crude indeed. Some of the
machinery was made more than 200 years
ago, and continues serviceable only be-
cause it consists of but few parts, and
these are pieces of hard wood arranged
with split bamboo for a sieve, or a couple
of iron rolls in stout hardwood beams for
crushing purposes. No doubt, If Ameri-
cans were to bring the proper KIND OF
modern mining machinery 10 this coun-
try, they could make a great deal of mon
Fey. The natives hav been known to
bring down go~ld-containing quartz from
the mountains and exchange it for a few
trinkets or pieces of fabric from the stores
not knowing the value of the metal. Ihey
have no means for working quartz and
are only too glad to exchange a cart load
of it for a few dollars worth of inferior
textile goods or fancy articles. The ma
tive merchants who procure the quartz
sometimes manageato dispose of it Profit
ably to some one who knows it's value
and who will ship it to some country
where the gold can be obtained. Very
often, however, the quartz is simply used
as relics or as ornaments about the native
merchants store and house. he, as a rule,
not knowing what to do wit it, or it's real
worth.
Should Americans establish mining ne
terprises in the Philippines they would be
surprised at the %cheapness with which
good labor nay be secured from among
the native population. The mountain
classes of natives are all strong, and they
know what a days work is. These ma
tive young men, having long since tired
of warfare, are only too glad to get steady
employment at the rate of 25c. per day,
American money. The writer has seen
large numbers of native farmers, planta-
ton help, and others, engaged in the var
ious industries of the islands, paid off at
the rate of only 15c. per day, American
money, and they seemd satisfied with the
salary. Usually, when the pay is so low,
the owner of the mine, plantation or man
ufacturing industry, provides quarters
for his help n also furnishes them with
rice, the cost per day per man being about
&c., American money. One reason why
the country has always been at war Is the
lack of something for the young men to
do to keep them out Of harm. The ma
tive can live without working In this
country because a small bamboo shack
will afford him lodging, and he can build
this himself. He requires only Il shirt
and trousers for clothing, and for living
he can step into a cocoanut or banana
grove or a rice field n procure all he
wants to eat. This, of course, encour-
ages laZinesS, and to pass the time away
the native young man sometimes engages
in war. If there were more mining en-
terprises in operation, more young men
would be given work., and the warning
l, elements would, in time, cease for lack OF
} fighting material. Therefore the military
2 a ,,thnritiaS IF the islands are doing al
4 they can to encourage the establishing
j of mining and general manufacturing en-
terprises. and if any capitalist were tc
1 start mining here he would find that his
property would be guarded by the mill
tary.
The time of working in this country diff
fers from the time in other countries in
tn intense heat of the middleo I the day
i prevents hard labor, and usually the ma
/ tives rest from II O'Clock in the forenoon
t until 2 o'clock in the aftrnoon, and WorF
c. late at night or begin earlier in the morn
ing to max Up for it. They manage tt
:, work 10 to II hours per day.
= One of the important factors concern
. ing the operation of a modern mining en-
= terprise in any country is the care of an6
the repair of the machinery. There are
from / to 5 or more machine shops il
- every city and town in the Islands, bu
the equipment of machinery in thes'
a shops is very limited, and there Ii
of it is very ancient. They have no boring
devices, except such as can be worked b,
hand. There are no planners, cutting tools
turning lathes or anything of the kind
J, although the government shops at Ma
n Mia, Iloilo and other important points
t have put in some of the most importan
Woodworking tools and machinery. I'M
n mining manager would have to bring Will
them their repairing and constructing
machinery and put up a little repair shol
e of their own.
The principal gold mines are in tn
Y provinces Of Camarines Norte, where thil
e metal has already been taken out ant
O sent to other countries for working. TIL
mountain tribes have for many year
brought gold nuggets out of these AM
n surrounding provinces, but, as a rule, tn
natives will not disclose to foreigners tn
precise locality. In the OF Min
V danao there has been considerable pros
= pecting lately, with the result that man,
- parties nave returned with encouraging
reports of what they saw and what the,
- found. A great many claims were stake,
off for future working. The LEADING
"a points at which gold was discovered ar
in the vicinity of Tagsulip, Misamis an
a Cuenca. In the provinces of Benguet an
h Lepanto both gold and silver We're found
IT On the Island of Luzon gold has bee
A., discovered in several places. and usuallt
;et in profitable working quantities., but lac
iri of proper facilities for handling the out
In'{put prevented the members of the pros
,e expecting parties from doing much NOR
is than stalking claims and securing sam
IS pies and descriptions of the conditions. |
irIthe Baler mountains a great deal OF gol
twas located and some fine specimens Sc
Icured and exhibited. The rivers of Angt
FSanta Maria and San Jose contain gol
Edeposits in the sands on their banks.
In the district of Paraclae, in Cainarine
Norte. there is already a profitable cop
Iper mine in operation. and there is sal
ITO be amble opportunity for establishin
Indditinnal mines there with tha chance