The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1909-12-31
Those in Santo Domingo Said to
Rival King SolOmon's.
Nearly Every Known Mineral 10 to De
Found In Dominican Republic,
According 10 consuPs
Report.


MISUNDERSTANDING received MI
merous Inquiries regarding mining and
minerals In the Dominican republic
Consul Ralph J. Tottcn OF Puerto
Plat has prepared a general outline
Of the Information obtainable.
The most important OF the useful
modern mines are gold. silver. iron
ore, copper ore. Ignite. salt and pc
! troluem.
Gold Is the only mineral that has
been worked to any extent In the
time OF Columbus the Indians paid
tribute In gold and In the year 1896
the records show the following mines
or placer workings La Vega. the
Cibao. the San Cristobal and the Blu
enayentuTn. A considerable quantity
Of gold is at the present time washed
from the sands OF the Vague, Verde,
liao. Jaina and Moa rivers and their
tributaries by the country people with
the most primitive apparatus. II Is
| claimed that women often obtain two
or three ounces OF gold per week In
this mnnntr. Lodes and gold.bearing
quartz are mentioned In some Of the
old reports. but no record can be
found oi any attempt TO work these
mines scion ,ifically In fact. none Of
the mining men now IN this country
claim to have located quartz veins
that would lay for the working
~ 10 ave no doubt some gold de.
rosits, rot 0ily In the river beds. but
also on the hills. that have never been
| worked. ana there Is probably consld.
cradle gold remaining In the old work.
ings that could be- saved by modern
machinery and drcdges The condi
| lions for working are good, there be-.
/ ing abundant water and sufficient fall
| for drainage In most parts OF the gold
| country, A great drawback IL the eN.
treme difficulty encountered In get.
ting machinery 10 the interior, on &c.
count OF the entire lack OF wagon
roads
This ONCE has record of four com
panies or individuals now In this
country. In the central or northern
portions, engaged in prospecting for
minerals or In developing prospects
previously located one company Is
installing up.to-date machinery and
/ dredges for thorough exploitation Of
It's property II has been compelled
to transport all machinery. tools and
supplies 30 miles on pack horses and
over roads that seem at first glance
to be practically impossible
As to the value Of the mineral de
posits. experts who have looked into
the matter show considerable differ
ence Of opinion. Don Juan Nleto y
Barlcarcel. was sent by the Span.
ish government IN 1898 to study the
mines and lodes Of gold. silver. cop
per. iron, alabaster and emeralds
Some Of the old partially worked
mines. he asserts, were OF extraordi.
nary richness He finished his report
by saying: Il can compare this Isle
TO that Of Tarnlsh. from which Solo.
mon drew the gold which he employed
In the ornamentation OF his temple
Mr.. w. r. Blake, geolOgist and miner
hlogist, sent by the American govern
ment In 1871, also reports the exist
ence OF considerable mineral wealth
In paying quantities. on the other
hand, Sir A. II. Geike. the well.known
English mineralogist. after making an
IS months investigation Of the min
eral resources OF the island. report