5. Chew Boon Juan. The Golden Mountain aka Gunong Lanno

Charles Alma Baker's productive 'flying fox' mines worked by Chew Boon Juan at Gunong Lanno in 1903 was instantly successful 

The first mine worked by Alma Baker and Chew Boon Juan was opened in 1903. It was instantly successful.

Gunong Lanno was indeed different from other limestone hills. Standing 1,300 feet above sea level, it was only half the height above the valley floor and once the top of the plateau was reached it was like mining on flat ground.

Its jungle covered cliffs which rose steeply from the surrounding plain were broken by sharp gullies and ravines where they were heavy accumulations on tin.

Equally rich were the tin deposits in the labyrinth of caves at least thirty-two in number running through the limestone and required the use of wire ropes, pulleys and other equipment to access the mineral. 

It earned the name of “Alma Baker’s productive ‘flying fox’ mines at Gunong Lanno”.

Wire ropes, pulleys and other equipment were used to access the mineral from a labyrinth of 32 number of caves.

Charles Alma Baker quickly applied another 120 acres of the cliff land running around the base of the hill. In 1905 he again applied for a further 170 acres to cover most of the remaining area of Gunong Lanno.

Boon Juan holding the sub lease was then employing several hundred workers. Gunong Lanno was worked continuously until the mid-1920’s employing more than 200 men through to 1913 then 100 for the next seven years and gradually less for the remainder of the twenty-one mining lease.

The DO EJ Brewster wrote in his 1908 Kinta Annual Report “Rich deposits of tin ore continue to be found in the limestone hills and caves: those at Gunong Lanno near Sungai Raia have continued to give handsome returns”

It gave Alma Baker an annual income of at least $50,000 more in the earlier years his chabut being 15-20% of the profits. Charles Alma Baker had become a millionaire before the outbreak of first world war and was one the richest and most influential Europeans in Kinta.

Similarly for Chew Boon Juan Gunong Lanno was a Golden Mountain. It gave him fabulous wealth which he used subsequently to expand his business, purchasing properties and land beyond Kampong Kepayang. 

Additionally he shared his wealth with his brothers all of whom did well in business.

 End

Next: Evidence Of Chew Boon Juan's Tin Mining Activity - At Gua Puncak, Gunong Lanno