Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-12-05
PERSIA RICH IN
MINERAL wealth
Natural Resources of Ancient
Country Are Almost
lneStimabIe.
DIFFICULTY OF TRANSPORT
Chief Obstacle In Way OF Develop
rnent-varIous Schemes Already
IN Hand for Construction Of
Railway Lines.

London. The natural resources OF
Persia are almost ineStimablc and IN
10 the present the great wealth of this
ancient country has scarcely been
touched. The now famous Anglo-Per-
sian oil fields are a vivid example Of
what can be done when the necessary
enterprise and capital are forthcoming
The large area over which this COM
pany possesses the rights OF working
contains an almost incxhaustble SUP.
ply Of oil.
There Is at least one other oil field
In Persia waiting to be exploited. \
few Baku experts have known for
some time Of the existence Of oil in
the northeastern part OF the country.
This district is Judged to be exceed
ingly rich In oil-bearing strata and Is
situated close to the southeastern
shore Of the Caspian sea.
Beyond any doubt. says the London
Times. the plateau AZ Persia is eX'
tremely rich in mineral wealth, but
the question has been how to work it,
owing to the difficulty OF transport.
In the EAST reliance has had to b"
placed on mules and camels, whose
loads cannot possibly exceed 400 or
500 pounds. This being so. the I'M
portatIon of the necessary heavy ma
chinery has been altogether out of the
question, and az a result the greater
mart OF Persia's rich mineral wealth
lies dormant.
Precious Metals
Seventy miles or so to the north of
isfahan Is disused gold mine that
was originally worked by the Persans
themselves The ore was extracted in
q crude and Anticipated way and then
carried 10 Teheran on the backs Of
mules, a distance Of over 200 miles.
There the gold was extracted by some
old.fa shioned process. and as the prof
tts only covered the expenses the mine
was ultimately closed down. With
modern methods and up-to-date ma
chnery on the spot such venture
should prove very paying concern.
Gold dust ia found In various parts
Of Persia, principally in the river beds.
but not in any great quantity, with
perhaps one exception. 1t Is regularly
brought into the Kermanshah bazaar
for sale. but from exactly where has
so far been kept a secret.
Lead and silver are both to he
found IN quantities that would pay for
the working.
In considering the mineral wealth.
Of the country. copper undoubtedly
takes the most important place. Persia
IL full Of copper. but so far has not
attracted foreign capital. because OF
the import and export difficulties that
have had TO be contended WITH in the
past. In spite Of these many draw
backs. al least one mine Is being
worked locally.
A little TO the north Of Isfahan. IN
the Nantaz mountains. Is large seam
Of copper. To mine such rich de-
post would assuredly pay. The ker'
man district abounds in copper and
In the Judgment Of mining engineer
who has visited the neighborhood any
operations seriously undertaken would
easily repay the necessary capital in
vested
Coat and Transport.
Should f1nanciers he ready to en-
bark ON such a venture as the exp'oita'
ton Of Persian mines. the question "'
both coal and transport would have
TO be seriously considered. Fortunate
ly coal does exist In many parts or
the country and Is at present being
worked in at least two localities. The
district OF Kumsheh is especially rich
In this mineral. and quite recently "
has been discovered in the Curdisl1
mountains bordering on the Bagdad
Hamadon road.
The difficulty Of transport Is rap
idly being overcome. Already there
are various schemes in hand for the
construction of railways: In fact. quite
a rood start has been made. The re
cent operations in both the north and
the south Of Persia have shown thu
roads to be quite suitable for heavy
motor traffic. consequently the impor'
tation Of heavy machinery ought not
to prove a very serious obstacle.
In normal times the Persian labcrer
Ia paid from 70 to 10 cents Omitted
States) a day. A slight advance In
pay would insure the necessary taboo
especially II 1t should prove perma
nent. II Is not difficult to prophesy
that before many years have passed
Persia will prove to be one OF The
mining countries Of the world.