The San Francisco call., 1909-03-29
COLOMBIA IS RICH
IN GOLD AND COAL
Precious Metals Mined From
Spanish Conquest to 1890
Worth S6SS,OOO,O0O

An extensive review with maps and
mining laws OF Colombia was contribut-
ed one year ago by Consul Demers, then
at Barranquilla The region of Anti
oquia has especially interested Ameri-
cans, and Consul Charles c. Eberhardt
now at Barranquilla, requested Con-
suIar Agent Silas H Wright of Me-
dellin to prepare a report on the min
ing industry of Antioquia. considered
by many to be the richest gold ore
producing district or Colombia
Wrights review is replete in illus
trations and information, and VIII be
loaned to interested parties by the
bureau of manufactures at Washington.
The following is a portion of the re-
port:
Besides being well supplied in gold,
silver and emeralds. Colombia is also
rich in other minerals, such as iron,
copper, lead, tin, asphalt zinc, pc
troleum. salt. sulphur, cinnabar, anti
mony. arsenic and platinum. There arr
immense petroleum districts in tn
country as well as coal enough to SUI
ply the world for centuries. Gold, how
ever, constitutes the principal wealth.
Of the country.
TRANSPORTATION DIFFICULT
one of the serious drawbacks to the
development of the county, and In par
ticuIar the exploitation of the mines
where heavy machinery is to be re-
l. ii Of tretn c.
portation. Whether on the navigitble
rivers, the short lines of railroads, or
overland by mule. the freights are
high; of course the farther away the
mine is from the rivers the greater ia
the cost.
The total production of the precious
metals of Columbia dating from the
Spanish conquest in the fifteenth cen
tury and up to the year 1890, is esti-
mated at s6Ss, ,0oo, 900, of which all but
s2OOO0O0O was produced from the
western half of the country, taking
the Magdalena river as the dividing
line Of this total Antioquia alone is
allotted the considerable portion OF
$3.50 600, ,000, and of the entire amount
$500 600 900 represents gold of the
placers and the remainder gold of the
quartz mines.
DEPARTMENT. OF ANTIOQUIA
The territory comprising the deIart-
Nment of Antioquia is perhaps the most
broken and mountainous of all Colon
bfa and is rich in gold through out
The mountain ranges are crossed with
innumerable veins of gold bearing
quartz, and the river valleys are rich
In uninterrupted series of gold bearing
gravels. There is scarcely a rivulet OF
any size in the entire departm ent
4, 4 l.
many of the streams it is to be found
in abundance.
1t is field well worthy of the at
tention Of foreign capital and one
in which such may be profitably ex-
pended. This country is in a virgin
state so far as its mineral resources
are concerned, all previous work done
in mining being mere prospects com
pared with what remains to be done
The total number Of mines in oper.
alton in Antioquia today is something
over 500 including the foreign com.
pantes, which are perhaps one in 20 o.
the whole, and which are scattered
pretty wen over the entire state Will.
some Of the foreign companies hay.
made a success here in mining, other,
have made failures, as is the rul,
everywhere. Failures as a rule ar.
due to overcapitalization of the com,
panies and the desire to speculate il
the shares before developing the mine
lack of capital and incompetent man.
ayers. insufficient knowledge of tn,
country, etc
COST OF LABOR AND MINES
Mine laborers are paid here from 2!
cents TO so cents q day, il only beine
necessary to bring mine managers, me.
chanics and other experts If required
The laboring class of people are cas-,
~ o. OIo
Intelligent and hospitable and gener
ally observant of the strict rules of in.
tegrity.
Undeveloped mining properties il
this department as a rule can be OBJ.
tanned at comparatively low prices
Developed mining properties. or thos,
on which certain improvements hav,
been made and are producing mines
are as a rule held at high prices.
Auriferous gravel deposits are found
in larger or smaller areas in nearly
all Of the mining districts OF Antioquis
and at almost every altitude, but prin
cipally along the river margins and ad,
jacent streams.
The situation of these auriferous de
posits of gravel from such high alti
tudes. as for instance in Santa Ross
at over 5000 feet. 10 others along tn,
river valleys not more than 400 or 50l
feet above the sea, and being, as the.
are, spread over so vast a territory
demonstrate at once the foundations O
former times, which evidently cam,
from the upper and richer Andine re
gions and extended through nearly tn,
entire length of the country.
AURIFERoUs GRAVEL
The most extensive as well as per
haps the richest of the auriferoui
gravel deposits of Antioquia are with
out doubt those found in the extrem,
northern part of the department. be
ing the great basins of the rivers Cauca
Nechi and Poree in their lower por
tions. and including the districts O.
Caceres and Zaragosa and all adjacen