The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-06-08
THE CALIFORNIA OF ASIA
By FRANK G. CARPENTER


FRANK G. CARPENTER WRITES
OF THE NEW MINES OF KOREA
WHICH MAY RIVAL THOSE OF
THE ROCKIES.
A Big American Concession Which is
Producing S1OO,OO in Gold Every
MOnth-How Leigh Hunt 4 Co.
Have Made MilliOns-The New
Chicksan Properties Owned by
Americans and Japanese-The Kap-
san Copper Mines and How COlbran
and BostWick Secured Thein-
Graphite Deposits Which Yield 500
Per Ton-A Talk With a Mining
Engineer About the Prospects Of the
Country.
(Copyright, 1909, by Frank G.. Carpen-
ter.)
SEOUL. 1909.
There is a big mining movement go
ing on in Korea. Prospectors are find
ing minerals in every part Of the
peninsula, and concessions for gold,
copper, graphite and iron are icing
granted by the government under the
new mining laws. The long suit Oe the
Collbran Bostwick Development Com
pany regarding its concession cor the
Kapsan copper mine, which was SGT
tied last year, has so changed the
mining regulations that foreigners can
not get clear titles and they are rap
idly taking advantage of this. A
number of the new mines are now
working and the prospects for a broad
mineral development are bright.
Korea's Big Gold Deposits.
Indeed Korea may develop into a
second California. There is no doubt
of the peninsula. The people have
been mining it in a rude way for
many generations. They have been
washing it out Of the streams. During
my visit to the country twenty years
ago the merchants showed me goose
quilts filled with gold lust and during
my stay in Seoul in 1894, Thomas ".
Power, the electrician from Washing
ton, who put up the first light plant
in Seoul. told me how he had gotten
a soap box filled with over St- coo
worth of gold dust and nuggets in
OF one inStallment due for his
work.
The way it happened was this: Mr.
Power contracted with the emperor,
but all payments were made through
the officials, who were very corrupt
and Who thought they should have a
rake-off from all moneys which went
out of the royal treasury. Mr.. Power
had gotten his electric light plant
n and the Koreans were oper-
ating it. They thought they had
all they could get and concluded "a
let this young American whistle for lis
money until he gave a big bride The
young American. however. realized
that his majesty was in deadly fear n
assassination and that he wouil 20
crazy if he had to spend all night in
the dark. In order to bring matters
to a crisis, Mr.. Power went back f
the plant and by the disconnection o.
a screw arranged it so thai it would
run perfectly without giving light
About dusk that evening there was 3
great excitement at the palace. Tho
buttons were turned, but the globes
would not burn. At it grew darker The
emperor sent his messengers to Mr.
POWER to ask What was the matter
He replied that he had not had nj:
money. and that the spirits who rar
the light plant would not work unit
he was paid. His majesty thereupor
asked why the money a not bee
sent and told the corrupt officials tha,
II 1t was not delivered at once thci1
heads would go off. The result wa!
the soap box of gold dust.
Mr.. Power told me that the goIf
was IN grams and in nuggets ana h
described how Gen. Clarence Great
house, the American adviser to tn
KING, who had had some mining ox
perIence in California, went a1n7ns
crazy as he bent down and lavad hi
hands in it. Some of the ,ueeer
were flat. showing that they hal no
gone far from the mother lode ana on,
was as big as the palm of yo,1r hand
Inc gold was sent to the mint =
osaka: 1T neted in the neighborhoct
or $4,000, and Power handed bacl
the balance after he had taken ou
the $4,000 due him. I neglected I,
say ina as soon as he got the gold
the spirits of electricity began +
work and that they are still Iaborin.
for his majesty today.
Americas Big Gold Mines.
have an idea that it was Ger
3reathouse who carried this live evi
uence OF the actual existence Of COL
IN great quantities to the Irni.e
states. AT any rate the fact becam
holsed abroad, and for the past fiftee