Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-02-28
Samuel NeWhOuSe to Operate
Mines In the Orient.
HE HEADS A SYNDICATE
Government Has Granted Immense
Area Of Gold and Coal Lands
Native Lab0rers.>

0dIuuSl NEW uOuSG, Iu0 lOEUIeI OWuCI
Of the Highland Boy in Utah, whose min
ing operations in the West nave been
conducted on a large scale, is at the head
of a syndicate which has obtained
great concessions from the Chinese gov
ernment. Mr.. Newhouse and his asso-
ciates lave been at work for more than
a year on the project and now that the
concessions have been obtained a corps
Of engineers has started for the Chinese
empire.
Three concessions have been granted
to the company by the Chinese govern
ment. First, the exclusive right to mine
for the precious metals and precious
stones in the district of Jehol, in north
ern China, 100 miles north of Pekin, COW
ering an area larger than that of the
state of New York. Second, the exclu-
sive right to operate the coal mines at
Shish-Meh-Chai, on the east coast of
China. Third, all the timber and all the
mining rights, for he precious metals,
iron and coal on both sides Of the Yalu
river.
These enterprises will give employment
to thousands Of men and will be pushed
with energy as soon as the necessary ex-
aminatiOnS have been made. The Syndi
cate has employed August Mathez, an
eminent mining engineer. who will have
charge of the preliminary work and will
be assisted by William Ireland and E.. B.
Field, the latter having been for several
years anager Of some Of the large min
ing and smelling enterprises in Old Mex
leo.
The first concession made as a mining
proposition Is an empire in itself. h
, district lies along the slopes of the great
| Khingan range Of mountains, which run
in a northerly direction at no great dis
lance from Pekin. Along the valleys,
stream and ravines of this district, min
ing has been carried on by the Chinese
government for centuries, aud has been
one Of the chief sources of the gold sup
ply Of the country. There are now thous-
ands of government labOrers working on
the great gravel beds of the country. AS
soon as Mr.. Mathez arrives IN the ground
these laborers viii be turned over to him.
subject to no conditions except such as
are embraced in the agreement with the
government, which will be a partner in
the operations of the syndicate. Most of
these laborerS are convicts, 1t having
been the policy of the Chinese govern
; ment to work the mines with Chinese
labor. In the entire district there are 81
mines, lode and placer mineral, most of
which are now producing as much as Is
| possible with the crude appliances and
methods in use by the natives. The
but with the system in operation, rude
sluicas and slloveling, but a small portion
or the ground can be worked and the
richer strata Of gravel near bedrock has
never been reached. The reports upon
which the syndicate took up the PROPOSE
ton express the opinion hat when bed
rock is reached it will be found wonder.
fully productive.
There are vast beds Of coal in the VIZ
cinity, of excellent quality, some of
which have been worked ina primitive
way for years. 1t is practically a prime
val forest embracing hundreds of square
miles of magnificent tilmbe It is be-
ieved that the final organization of the
big deal Of Mr.. Newhouse will be an
event In the commercial history Of the
world, taking into account the large
number of men to be employed, the inn
mense amount of supplies, machinery.
ETC., to be transported and the fact that
it is the first company to undertake large
Industrial concessions in China.