The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-18
MINING IN LUZ0N.
Information as to the Laws and Pros
pect Sent by a Montana Expert.


pect Sent by Montana Expert.
delena Letter in the New York Sun
Following are some extracts from q
letter written by former member of
the First Montana Volunteers who re-
mained in the Philippines and who is
a practical miner:
AT present there are in this city
about 200 ex-soldiers, from Western
states in America, nearly all expert
enced miners, anXiously awaiting the
necessary permission from military
headquarters to rush into the rich
placer mining country which lies north
and east of here. but which permission
is now withheld owing to the lack Of
definite information on the part of the
government as to the exact interpreta-
tion of the mining laws governing
these islands. These laws are now
undergoing at Manila translation by
several Spanish-American translaters.
| whose task will, it is believed, be COM
pleted shortly. 1t is known. however,
that the law permits prospecting for
minerals anywhere. No license or
| other formality is required to placer
| mine unless the output exceeds 1000
are erected. Any one is free to work
placers anywhere at no expense save
| his own labor. Placer claims contain
| 10000 square Spanish yards equivalent
| to about $50 feet long by 625 feet wide.
| Quartz claims are of the same dimen-
| sions. The apex of quartz veins may
| be followed into any other land under
ground, provided no wall is broken.
THE richest known deposits in Lu-
zon are found about seventy-five miles
| northeast of here where there is abun-
dant water for sluicing and hydraulic
| mining, saw mills, &c. This section IS
| inhabited largely by Igorrotes, who are
very friendly to Americans, but eX-
| tremely hostile toward the Filipinos
| and Spaniards, not infrequently killing
| them for slight offences. Miners can
| live quite comfortably on food pur-
chased from the Igorrotes at from 50
| to 81 a week.
"There is absolutely no reason to
| doubt that the placer mines of Luzon
| and Mindanac islands as well as some
parts OF Cebu are among the richest in
| the world. easy to access and no hard
ships to be encountered in reaching
| them as soon as the military authori-
| ties permit miners to enter them.
Quartz mining is absolutely undevel-
| oped in Luzon, but very rich speci-
mems, secured near here, of white
quartz carrying free milling have been
brought in. The veins are not well de-
| fined, however, the tendency inclining
| toward pockets, from one of which ore
assaying S65, 900 to the ton in gold and
copper was secured. The copper veins
| in perphyretic quartz in decomposed
state mixed with iron oxides carrying
| free gold and copper pyrites.
| THE native women hereabouts pan
the alluvial sands with wooden bowls,
| frequently taking out from So to IS a
day, gold. Philippine gold runs about
$l4 an ounce. Last week. an Igorrote
woman brought into Dagupan, as a
result of six weeks panning. seven
| pounds of gold nuggets, and two ex-
| soldiers, who mined in the same dis
| trict for three months, netted over
$4,000 in gold, using pans and sluice
! boxes. and would have done even bet
ter had not the soldiers compelled
them to leave.
1.-THE rivers are lined with banks of
| black sand (magnetic iron), carrying
| fine gold The gold is not flaky but
| small. rough nuggets from the size of
a pin head to three or four ounces In
weight. Bed rock averages from six
| inches to twenty feet and the reason
why no systematic work has ever been
| done in these fields is because the Igor
rotes drive out the Spaniards while the
| Spanish government has never allowed
| the Chinese and Filipinos to pursue
| mining as a business hence the whole
| field is new and wonderfully rich.
Lead ore is also abundant and runs
| from 12 10 60 per cent to the ton, but
| has never been mined to any great
| extent. Copper runs from Is to so per
cent. Little or no silver has been
| found although no systematic pros
pecting therefor has been done. Iron
is found in abundant quantities near
| Manila, but the production thereof Is
small from the fact that the Spanish
government never encouraged mining.
| Angat yielding as high as S5 per cent,
| is mined in a primitive manner in this
island as is also a good grade of mar
| BILE, which is found in large quantities
| in Bataan province. Coal is also
| abundant. especially in Cebu. Very
rich gold deposits exist on the coast Of
| Suriagao, northeast Minadanao.
"The ex-California and Montana
| soldiers are unanimous in the belief
that when opened up, the mining fields
of Luzon will be the most inviting and
remunerative in the world, not except
ing even Nome and the Klondike."
A Suggestion.
,...a