Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-26
NEW KING AND QUEEN.
King Albert and Queen Elizabeth of the Beigians.

the lease was taken over by the Burma
Ruby Mines. Limited, with capital OF
230O. 900. and from that period dates
the modern exploitation Of the worlds
greatest ruby mines.
1t was felt that 1t would be unjust
and impolitic to dispossess the native
miners, who had been digging rubles
under the restrictions imposed by the
Burmese monarch for generations.
These still continue at work. on terms
much more advantageous to themselves
than they enjoyed under the native
regime. Each native operator employs
as many men as he pleases. paying to
the company a fee of 20 rupees per
month for each man. and disposing of
the stones found as he pleases. The
native methods OF mining are crude
and primitive. no machinery being en-
ployed. the gravel being raised from its
pits In baskets. washed in running
water. and the precious stones picked
out by hand. 1t is largely gambling
enterprise, Handling such small guam
titles of gravel a ma9<may work for
months without findInd stone of any
considerable value. On the other hand.
he may at any moment find a stono
worth a fortune
Years OF costly experimenting were
required for the English company TO
work out profitable method of op-
a l.
all the ground of known and proven
value in the easily worked sections of
the river valleys was already occupied
by the native miners. The field open
for exploitation, then. consisted of
trdcklcss jungle and rocky hillsides.
Not caring to begin with untrled
ground, the company bought out a largo
NUMBER OF native miners In the valley
OF the Mogok. AS soon as extensive
operations were attempted, such vast
Hoods OF water entered the pits that
work had to be abandoned.
In another valley, a few miles dis
tant, a conic1l peak known as the "Hnl
of Spiders" (or 'Pingutaung," in the
Burmese dialecO contains many caves,
said by native traditions to be the
real homo of the pigeon s-blood ruby
Atc AA-sA oo dNtdchcQ Will the
working force available, In the belief
that volcanic pipe" similar to tn,
famous pipes Of blue ground at tho
Kimberley diamond mines, would be
encountered. Tho first days WASHING
resulted In the discovery of one of thc
finest rubies the English company ha:
ever secured. That stimulated the en-.
1eer In charge to renewed endeayors
oearing to provo that he was on III,
r ut track. Strangely enough, thu
81 lc great ruby was the only one o
W that the Hill of Spiders eve
y! cd. Thousands OF dollars were ex
p cd in bootleSs labor. and month
oil ime were lost before the decision
was reached that nothing but vast
money was being accomplished,
II this simply shows that ruby min
is not altogether poetry and profit
has Its difficulties encouragement
ID losses. just like the moro prosai
nterprises of digging coal or raislnI
potatoes. 1t is fortunate that the com
pany was provided with ample capital
and backed by British pertinacits
Otherwise the history of ruby mlnin
" Burma might have ended right there
4 mile or so distant is the Tagouns
1ndafng valley. small In extent. IN
impossible of working by the Bu1mes
~ account of the great flow of waite
rountcrcd as soon as pits were dug
= mps were installed to rid the I
water, and work was begun with 4
10 native labor that could be h eC
ast success crowned the efforts r
-' uby miners. and the enterprise wa
ID upon a paying basis.
ne mining methods appear rathe
crude. but their best defense lies In tn
circumstance that they pay. A pit
sunk. 10 feet square and usually abou
25 deep. Then a centrifugal pump
put to work in the pit, gradually drain