Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1901-01-17
PHILIPPINE COLD.
Set Forth ~ Mlnang
AuthoRlty.

eHootS1o8 6e0oOeGto tOe Ooo603O03
Set Forth ~ q Minlag
AutAsFity.
The subject Of gold to bs found in
our newly acquired Pacific islsnds 10
treated in the Engineering and Mining
Journal by G. d. Rice. He says that
although there il plenty Of the pre-.
cious metal in the Philippines, 1t cam
not be obtained in any considerable
amounts without the erection Of large
stamp-mills or smelling plants, and
without great capital had better en-
ter the field simply as dealer, buy
ing up the accumulated boards Of the
natives in the interior. Mr.. Rich tells
us that. generally speaking, the gold
Is found either in alluvial deposits or
In lodges and veins. The former pay
best ut present, and numerous dis
ready making considerable money
from operating on the river banks in
the foothills. Says Mr.. Rice:
"Some miners in the Philippines
claim to have made large profits by
working the sands and beaches on the
seacoast. saw one place along the
beaches of Panay where there was
mining apparatus in operation for
mile or more getting out the gold de.
posits, which probably had been
washed into the ocean in the currents
of some river and deposited along the
shores. The gold obtained seemed to
be very fine and worn smooth by long
action of the waters. Evidently the
original Judgment of this gold was
washed to the seas by the rivers. Much
of this gold was invisible and would be
classed under the head of -four gold.
'Placer gold in the, Philippines al
ways has smoother appearance for
the reason that it is tumbled about in
the ravines and along the river.courses
for long time before it reaches
place of deposit in the shores of some
river or at the beaches. The natives
have been at work getting gold for
nearly 100 years, and some Of them
have secured large stores of the valu-
able metal without knowing its true
value. l have entered nipa shacks Of
the natives for resting-place through
the night and have been shown the
collections of gold and other metals
of the native father and his family.
Although the shack may not be worth
ten dollars and there may be shortage
of the necessaries of life, the native
miner will be able to exhibit bag
full of nuggets about the size of peas,
most Of them being aattened and worn.
Flour gold, too, will be seen, but this
is the kind that the native sells or dis
poses of in some way first and he keeps
the nuggets. In fact, in almost every
portion of the archipelago, until the
past few months, there has been prac-
tically no profitable way for the native
miners to change his treasure into
commercial money. He has had to do
his bartering with gold, and frequent-
~ the gold has had but little cur
rent value in sections of the islands
which have been cut of from the OUT
side world. have seen natives in
actual want who were possessors of lit
tie boxes Of gold.
"A far richer field to work in the
Philippines than prospecting just now
is to go among these isolated mountain
towns and barrios for the purpose Of
purchasing this accumulation Of gold
in the hands of natives who have not
the ability to dispose of it. There are
many of the natives who never 20 more
than five miles from their homes DUR
ing their lives, and they might have
several thousand dollars worth Of
gold which they have collected since
they could work, and have not been
able to get the benefit Of it for want
of means for changing it into CONNER
cial money. Large amounts of this
gold could be bought up and shipped to
the seacoast for transportation to
America or other countries, and the
returns would be profitable.
ut is evident that there will not be
any extensive mining operations in the
Philippines until parties with capital
enter the field and put .up stamp-mills
or smelting-plants. There are some
rich lodes in the mountains of the
southern islands of the Philippines,
and in less than five years some of
the promoters of mining schemes there
are going to make great amount of
money. There are thousands of ma
tives. available for service in the mines
at the low rate of wages of ten to If
teen cents per day, while there are a
great number of Chinese coolies here
who would work for even less than
that. There are at present some Amer
ican mining concerns represented here.
and steps are being taken to put in
necessary equipment to utilize the
veins of quartz which have been To-
Gated. I have been through the min
ing sections Of Panay, part of Luzon,
Mindanao and several other islands.
and in every instance the samples Of
gold ore were promising"
Arabi Pasha's Long Exile to Enc.
1t is said that the anniversary Of
the succession of the khedive of
Egypt will be signalized by the par
don of Arab Pasha, who has been
held by the British as prisoner of