Evening star., 1904-04-30

Burma and Korea. The same is true of
several Of the provinces Of China. Nearly
all the steamers lying In the river are be-
Ing loaded with rice. and bags Of that sta
pie are stacked up on the docks and at the
stations Of the railway in quantities that
seem enough to feed the world.
Burma produces a great deal of petro-
leum. There are several Oil fields in diff
ferent parts of the country, and as you
sail up and down the rivers you can see
groups Of familiar derricks rising against
and Pennsylvania. Nearly all of the pc
troleum plants out here are managed by
American engineers and at Yenan-gyaung,
in what Is known as the Nag-We district,
the principal producing center, are large
American colonies sheltered In comfortable
bungalows and enjoying life much more
than one would suppose Although the
heat is quite severe during the midsummer
months, Burma Is not at all a bad country
to live in, and the Americans have way of
adjusting themselves to their surroundings.
Two big companies control nearly all or
the product, and there is no danger of a
monopoly, for the government will grant
concessions to any responsible man or syn
dicate that desires to enter the business.
Nearly all of the oil territory belongs to
the state, and the privilege Of drilling wells
is granted to any reputable person upon the
payment of royalty Of 16 cents per forty
gallons of oil produced The refneries are
controlled by the two companies, but nun
dreds of natives are working wells and sell
ing their products to them.
Oil Refneries at Rangoon.
The refineries are all situated at Ran
COON. The oil Is conducted from the field
to reservoir plants on the banks of the near
est river, from which it is transported in big
tank steamers that look like the whale
backs on the lakes. A survey has been
made for pipe lines from the principal
fields to Rangoon, but they have not yet
been constructed. Tank steamers are also
employed to export the refined oil to Cal
cutta, Madras, Penang, Singapore. Colom-
bo and other neighboring ports, but very
little is sent beyond the Bay of Bengal.
The annual product amounts to about sixty
million gallons. but that is not half enough
to supply the local market and from eighty
to ninety million gallons are imported an
nually from Russia, the United States and
other countries.
During the year 1902 the imports amount
ed to 81 ,467, ,466 gallons, of which "a, ,S76
came from Russia, and only 5,16S,226 from
the United States.
Various minerals are found in Burma, in
cluding iron and coal, but they have not
been developed because of the lack of capi-
several localities and plenty Of silver. but
no large operations. Tin and copper have
been discovered and mineralogists reckon
them as one Of the great sources OF fu-
ture wealth, but thus far the deposits are
practically untouched. A great deal OF
capital is required to develop them. The
tin mines of the neighboring Malay penin-
sula are worked so easily and economically
that the Burmese cannot compete with
them, so the only tin and copper produced
is picked up by natives upon the surface
of the ground. Before anything serious can
be done labor must be imported. The tin
mines in the Malay peninsula are operated
entirely by Chinese
Jade is found in large quantities and
about 100000 pounds year IS shipped to
Singapore for distribution in China and
Japan. Jade is found in boulders, which
are split by building fires around them, and
when they have been heated to the proper
temperature buckets of water are thrown
on. The rocks split and the jade embedded
in them is carefully extracted and trimmed
down by the of oil and piano Wire.
Jade Is very valuable and pieces of high
quality are worth their weight in gold.