The Forrest City times., 1909-04-16
ARE RICH YET POOR
FIliPINOS LITTLE SUSPECT
 WEALTH OF MINES.
Valuable Minerals Exist on Islands, But They Have Never Been Used by the Natives, Says
 Authority.
BY MAURICE GOODMAN.

 evident to the Spaniards on their first introduction to the islands. Coming. as many of these adventurers did, from their rich colonial possessions in America, they were naturally on the lookout for such mineral wealth as they had grown accustomed to expect in new and savage land. They actu- ally found gold idols and copper uten- sils and iron teols but, unfortunately, the sources of these metals were for the most part far in the mountainous interior, where a white man dared not venture without a strong military es- cort
 This was centuries ago. and with the passage of time conditions have im- proved. as they will do even in the tropical Orient The people may now be said to be peaceably inclined sn- perstition has been largely erased. al though still present to an astonishing degree, ordinary intelligence and edu- cation are far more general, and trans portation facilities, however hard 1t may be to believe at times, have cer- tainly improved.
 The early Spaniards found gold to be the most widely distributed of all the valuable minerals. Their richest deposits in the early days were locat- ed in Camarines Norte and in Misamis and Surigao As far back as 1643 we find that the Spanish crown was exact ing it's fifth share of the gold extracted from the placers of Paracale and Nam bulao in the Camarines.
 The next important mineral deposits to receive the attention of the Spanish government were the iron ore deposits of Morong and Bulacan. In 17S1 the Spanish government authorized and assisted Chaplain Don Juan Belli of the royal navy to construct smelter for the purpose of manufacturing prin- cipally munitions of war. Since then the Bu1acan iron industry has enjoyed a somewhat checkered career, and it still survives, it's present output how ever. being restricted to the more peace promoting implements of agri- culture Everything considered. the quality of the products produced by these smelters is excellent, and com pares fayorably with that manufac- tured from imported cast-iron.
 About 1827 the first coal outerops were reported. but the importance of these discoveries was not recognized until steamships made their advent in Philippine waters, and then happened what so frequently occurs. mis- guided enthusiasm swept over owners and investors, causing them to expend large amounts on ill-advised plants, buildings and roads which eventually had to be abandoned The coal mining industry of the Philippines was some time in recovering from the setback received by these early ventures. But as the first excitement subsided and the early losses were forgotten new enterprises sprang up, encouraged by the prevailing high prices and continu- ally increasing demand for a suitable fuel. As a result a fair-sized and seemingly increasing coal mining indus try had sprung up more particularly in Cebu when the outbreak of the late instruction put a stop to practically all mining operations.
 The history of copper mining is more recent than that of the mineral deposits previously mentioned. For centuries il had been known that cop per ores existed. and that utensils and weapons of the red metal were being manufactured by the Igorrotes located in the mountains of northern Luzon. On account of the supposed unfriend- Illness of the sayages inhabiting this region but little information could be gained regarding the nature of the de- posits or their methods of working and smelting the ore. IL was not until 1850 therefore, that an expedition was organized 10 escort Don Antonio Her nandez, Spanish mining engineer, who made the frst report on these mines. This report was followed in 1861 by another at greater length and more detail made by Jose Maria San tos. These reports were so encourag- ing that company was organized in 1882 for the purpose of mining and smelling the copper ores of Mancayan. N~N@A'NCo "eAo dNAaAACu DJ lIe SOFbT0- ment to assist in the enterprise. and so long as he lived everything went we'll and over a thousand tons of cop. per were produced After his death the company became disorganized and shortly thereafter practically all oper ations ceased
 The Filipino insurrection of '9s, fol lowed as it was by American occupa. ton of the islands. was a blessing in disguise to the mining industry of the Philippines. It is true that the insur. rection put an effectual stop to all min Ing operations and development, par teularly those carried on by foreign. CTS, but the retardation was but tenn. porary. The revival that followed shortly thereafter resulted from the in- fusion of new life. new capital and new experience. The discharge of the army of occupation left many young and sturdy fellows out here. deter. mined on finding their fortunes in the streams and mountains of our new