The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-07-15
SOUTH AMERICAN KloNOiKE
Ecuador viii Be the Scene Of Great
Mining Operations Ere
LONG

ECUADOR Will Be the Scene OF Great
Mining Operations Ere
Long.
Recent reports from exploring parties
in Ecuador seem to indicate thatsn
profitable field for development has been
found in the South American republic
sair Erzo Camille who is registered at
enc of Butte's hotels on his way to
Alaska.
"A recent arrival from Ecuador gives
encouraging reports of the rich mineral
discoveries in the territory heretofore
practically unexplored which a railroad
now building will open up. In fact that
whole portion of the southern continent
seems to have been neglected by the
remainer of the world during the pass
ing centuries since Francisco Pizarro
penetrated it and carried away such ia
bulous wealth. -
From careful inquiries by the present
explorers it is estimat..t that not more
than sixty white men have gone ireo
the great unmapped region beginning
about two or three hundred miles in-
land from the western coast of Ecuador,
and few of these have returned. The
warlike spirit of the Indians, who jeal-
ously guard their hidden treasure. has
thus far prevented all knowledge of its
richness to gain general circulation.
But progressive president who well
comes the advance of all modern ina
provements within his domain has made
it possible to gather data and discover
evidences Of the wealth which is hidden
in the heart of the Andes.
The new railroad is being built by an
American and English syndicate. 1t
starts at GuayaQul, on the west coast,
seaport of 100000 inhabitants and the
great chocolate port of the world. and
runs inland to Quito. the capital, across
immense alluvial plains rich in -choeo?
late, sugar and tobacco. The road was
originally completed by Marcus Kelly,
of New York, in 1854, to Chimbo. point
about twenty-five leagues from the
coast which has since represented all
the knowledge the rest of the world has
had of the republic.
There it strikes the base of the Andes.
where there are two parallel ranges. It
was over these mountains that Pizzarro
marched, using old Indian trails winding
around precipices of two and three thou
sand feet fall, and which have been used
by all who have gone in CIR come out
since. The railroad has been built over
this territory and will be in operation
on September l next, and before July,
1902, is expected to be running into
Quito.
"After crossing the mountains the pros
pector is on a high treeless plateau of
5000 feet elevation, with a climate that
rivals Montana and surrounded by one
of the most fertile grain countries in
the world. During the past year the
syndicate has kept exploring parties en-
gagged in an effort to locate the ancient
mines Of the Incas. Quito was the north
ern capital of the ancient Incas' em-
pre- and history affords no parallel in
the amount of virgin gold found there
by the Spanish free hooters. They
found one temple covered with tablets
of gold.
"The palace of the Inca was thickly
studded with gold and silver ornaments.
Precious metals and stones were used In
the interior decorations and appointment
as freely as are expensive woods In med.
ern times. The young Inca Atahuallpa
when captured by Piazarro filled the
audience chamber of his palace with gold
bars exceeding $15.0oo,oo0 in value as q
ransom. and was afterward strangled to
death by the Spaniards.
Somewhere back of Quito in the Orient
of Ecuador are the gold fields from
which this enormous treasure was drawn
Since 1920, when General Sucre fought
the battle of Quito and threw off the
yoke Of Spain, the people have. remained
isolated. maintaining medieval customs
fighting petty revolutions, and in some
strange way the world has overlooked
that Golconda, while the Klondike, Aus.
tralia, California and South Africa have
been ransacked by gOld-seekers.
"Great mysterious forests surround the
unmapped~ headwaters of the Amazon
where the hidden mines are thought tt
be. and are guarded by large tribe Of
Indians known as the Napos, who still
cling to the ancient rites Of the children
of the sun. In their traditions they en-.
terrain fierce hatred of the white mar
who killed their Inca and sacrificed theil
temples. and in the seclusion of the dehAa
forests they worship the sun and guard
the mines. Sacrifices play no part IN
their worship, but they show gruesop,<
skill in preserving the head Of an enemy
They employ a method of removing tn.
bones of the skull. leaving the skis
intact. replacing the bones with clay
and pebbles. and while they shrink thu
skin over it to nearly half the natura
size of the head. the contour is pie.
| served so that the features are recognize
| eble, although it becomes black and hare
| as ebony. rs
These Napo Indians have brought Out
significant evidence OF the richness, '01
| the placer mines. In Quito and neigh
| boring towns gold dust is the standard
| currency, which they bring In hollow
| bamboo Joints heavy with grains and
! dust OF the precious metal, which Is
| washed out by the most primitive meth
| DDS.
ION the island OF Salango. on the.coast
| OF Ecuador. immense deposits OF n,
| phalt have been recently Uncovered
which is easily accessible. In Southern
1 "