Omaha daily bee., 1912-02-25

so6.cco, cOoco board feet of timber which
could be marketed now and that a great
part OF this is located on or near the
seseoast. in Mindanso and Luzon, and
could easily be brought down to the
ships. There are hundreds OF square
miles upon which the cut will run from
lo.eo TO 5000 board feet per acre.
/ wish | could show you these Filipino
woods. The trees are enormous. 1 have
seen some hardwood trees 30 big that
you could not reach half way around
them with your two arms, and they rise
100 feet from the ground without a
branch. Mahogany boards six feet wide
are now and then TO be seen, and have
been told that the Islands have produced
rosewood logs nine feet In diameter. l
have ridden on horseback over bridges
plsnked with mahogany and rosewood,
and | saw floors in Manila the boards Of
which would have made excellent piano
Agriculture in Luzon says that the
Philippine forests have five times as
many different woods as we have In the
United States and that there are several
hundred commercial varieties. There Is
a Benguet pine which Is soft and there
are many hardwoods fitted for furniture.
Major George p. Ahern, the director OF
the bureau OF forestry, says that prop
eriy equipped lumber company would run
no risk OF failure in the Philippines.
The margin Of profit Is too wide. It
costs nothing 10 secure q concession. but
the company must show that II has q
large enough capital to properly exploit
the tract which it takes. Exclusive priv
Ileges can be granted up to tracts OF
several hundred square miles in extent,
and that for twenty years. Only the
Stumpage is sold, the land remaining in
the possession OF the government. Tho
woods are divided by law into four classes
and there Is a government charge which
ranges from 81 to q per 1000 board feet
for the cut The government has maps
Of the forests and 1t is ready TO furnish
information TO prospective investors.
Fortunes In Mines.
We are Just beginning to discover the
mineral wealth Of the Philippines. The
bureau Of science at Manila has had
mining engineers and metallurgists look
ing up the possibilities AID mapping the
country. They say that the islands hold
districts which are rich in gold, copper
and iron, and they have recently discov-
cred extensive underground gold work
ings which were made by the Igorrotes.
The openings Of these were so small that
man OF good size could hardly get in,
but farther on when the mineral was
reached, large rooms had been excayated
and hundreds OF tons Of gold ore taken
out This ore was crushed In rock mills,
many Of which are still TO be seen. and
the gold was then panned and melted
into bars. II Is said that the Islands have
been yielding god as far back as the
third century. A. h. and during the last
two hundred years there have been num-
erous mines operated by the natives,
spsniArds. Englishmet and Americans.
The spaniards and Engiishmen were
not allowed to work in the mountain
province on account OF the IgorrUtes and
other read hunters. bat since the Amer
leans came our miners have scattered
over the country and some Of them are
now holding and developing properties
which were located some years ago.
One Of the best districts Is near Bagulo.
where is now the summer capital OF the
Philippines. There Is one company there
which has thirty-five claims in which are
IL veins Of gold. These veins range from
one TO twenty feet In width. and some
can be traced for two miles dong the
surface. One company has the ore de-