Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-03-28
GOLD BUBBLE BREAKS.
Mineral Riches in Philippines, but Not
in Masbate.

From the Manila Times, January 81.
The Masbate gold bubble has burst, For
more than year the little island of Mas
bate, situated about hundred miles south
of the southern extremity Of Luzon, has
been held out as the Ell Dorado Of the Phil
ippines. the vast mineral wealth of which
would make the Klondike and Nome creek
turn green with envy. For the past two
years several score Of miners have been
drawing from prominent Manila business
and professional men thousands of dol
lars for expenses Of developing rich claims.
and holding down the title to mines of va st
wealth until the Introduction of American
mining laws. which would enable them to
register their title and make their hackers
millionaires Many a salaried employe in
Manila has been saving part of his monthly
stipend to enable him to send it to some
so-called miner in Masbate on a erubstake
basis whenever any Of these grubstakers
came to Manila, the secrecy with which he
kept from the public the real island unon
which he had been grubbing only added
to the excitement of ambitious young men
VINO wanted to get rich quickly, and many
more suckers were duped into putting their
hard-worked wages into the scheme
Gold seekers Of the Philippine Islands
should not be too much cast down at the
news Of the breaking of the Masbate gold
that there is no gold worth hunting for in
the archipelago. Gold and copper lie i'm
bedded in the mountains Of northern Luzon
in plenitude, and only await the furt her de-
velopment of the island and the opening of
highways to the coast for the requisite ma
chinery to be introduced for the mining
thereof. Gold deposits worth working are
said to exist In Samar, but at present the
lore of that famous island exists onIy in
legendary form Gold is known to exist in
the interior mountains of Mindanao, but as
yet political conditions are unfayorable IN
Its being taken out in any considerable
quantities. The subjects Of the sultan have
their own views to the matter of pros
pecting and mining and have curiously dis
agreeable ways of calling attention to their
tribal prejudices.
For instance, q prospector who returned
from there not long ago reported that the
head men Of the district where he located
his claim readily gave their consent to his
working his claim, but would not permit
him to import laborers to assist him. He
| got what gold he could without blasting
| and then took the sense of the local assem-
| bly, as to the use Of gunpowder and dyna-
| mite. They told MIN that they could not
| consent to such a proposition, as they had
| a legend that II the mountain We're to be
| blown UP the total destruction Of the whole
| island would follow.
Legends of this sort do not usually -four
| ish In regions where there Is nothing worth
carrying off. The natives of Mindanao are
| said to be friendly to white travellers in the
| interior who do not come In too large num-
| mers and who do not come armed They
are apt to meet anything that looks like q
reconnaissance in force with ill-cencealed
disapproval, and the expedition does no,
usually return.
Like the gold hunt everywhere, 1t Is q
| venture. and the hardy prospector stands
| to come back a millionaire or to leave his
| bones to whiten on some lonely mountain
| side. The point we wish to make, however
| is that there is nothing in the recent dis
| closures in Masbate to discourage bu,
rather to guide and direct the efforts Of
the intelligent gold seeker and economic
his capital and energy"