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For the descendents of Richard Dearie and his son John Russell

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Report on Rantau Panjang Coal Measures by the Government Geologist Paper No. 4 of 1911 F.M.S. to be laid before the Federal Council by Command of his Excellency the High Commissioner. Geologists Office, Batu Gajah, 17th January 1911. (Report prepared according to instructions in letter of 10th September 1910. Includes a map compiled from several sources “which will be found to differ from the State map published in 1904”. Sir, - During 1908, a Malay named Haji Abdul Hadi, while prospecting for tin ore in the dense jungle that lies to the south of the Rantau Panjang Forest Reserve and west of the Kuang Pengkalan Kundang cart-road, found in the swampy bed of a small stream pieces of black coal, some of which were sent to the office of the inspector of Mines, Kuala Kabu. In September some fragments, weighing about 10 grams, were sent to my office by the Warden of Mines, Selangor. In November, at my request, a larger specimen was sent to me and meanwhile the Mines Department had examined the locality, and steps were taken for prospecting, which continued throughout 1909 and until May 1910, when it was suggested that I should take over the work and utilise the steam- boring plant belonging to the Mines Department, but a decision to leave all further prospecting to private enterprise put an end to the operations and the locality has been practically deserted ever since. 2. In September, 1910. I was instructed to examine the surroundings of the coal with a view to” ascertaining the probability of the extension and occurrence of coal bearing country in areas outside the proposed prospecting licence, and to advise as to tracing the coal to a workable point as close to the railway as possible.” In order to carry out these instructions, the greater part of November and December 1910 were spent in the vicinity of Rantau Panjang, and I now submit the conclusions at which I have arrived. 3. Situation and extent of coal.. 4. Operations by Mines department..5. type of coal..6. classification of coals.. 7. Analysis of coal.. (with table) 8 evaporative value..9. moisture content..10. steam tests.. 11. Price..12. Topography of neighbourhood and seam “whole of this part of Selangor is covered with virgin jungle” 13. View from top of Bukit Panjam.. 14. Rolling hills... 15.. roads..16. jungle drainage.. 17..geology of neighbourhood.. quartzite, clay-slate, 18.quartizite 19. Clay slates..20. shales above coal seam 21. Coal measures soil orange.. Quartzite yellow or reddish..22. relations of coal measures to quartzite and clay slate age of rocks.. 23 coal measures younger than granite..24.. coal measures tertiary.. fossil plants 25. Flora different if coal measures same age as quartzite..26. fossil plants latin names..27. coal made of thin reed like plant.. 28. More fossil plants will identify age.. 29. Conclusion Sketch map shows boundary, best way for railway would be along Klang River and then up unnamed left tributary. 30. Places where more coal may be found marked on map.. 31. May be other patches, patch one square mile is on a watershed which explains its preservation… 32. Searches on other low watersheds… 33. Unlikely to be more on higher granite hills.. 34.thanks to Mr. H. N. Ridley for examining fossils, Mr. A. M. Burn Murdoch conservator of forests, Mr. Mungo Park for help in obtaining coolies. J. B. Scrivenor. Geologist, F.M.S. (Map attached.) Document in the National Archives of Malaysia 2505/1911

NEWS 1911

The Straits Times, 22 February 1911, Page 7 0. LOCAL PASSENGER LISTS. Arrivals Per steamer Selangor, February 22.— From Telok Anson via ports Messrs. …J. A. Russell…….

Letter from The Rawang F.M.S. Coal Syndicate Ltd., 4, London Wall Buildings, London E.C. 17, February, 1911 to Ag. Senior Warden of Mines, Kuala Lumpur. Dear Sir, I beg to acknowledge receipt of your cable dated the 4th instant, reading: -“Do not delay qualified prospector” to which we replied on the 6th inst: - “ We have appointed Osborne Chappel Managers; operations beginning immediately. Have not yet received Licence” which, however crossed your letter of the 16th January (received on the 7th instant) informing us that the Licence would be handed over to our Representative at Kuala Lumpur on production of the necessary authority. On receipt of this letter, we replied on 8th inst: - “Referring to your letter of 16th day of January will you give licence to Osborne Chappel” On the 15th inst: your answer came to hand as reading:- “ may proceed” I am instructed by my Directors to express to you their appreciation of the help which you have rendered this Company in forwarding its interests, and to assure that no time will be lost in pushing on prospecting operations. Mr. Osborne of Messrs. Osborne & Chappel, is at present in this country, and has cabled his firm asking them to commence prospecting immediately. I am, dear Sir, Yours faithfully, Sd. C. Leslie, secretary. Document in the National Archives of Malaysia

The Straits Times, 6 May 1911, Page 9 THE NEW SERENDAH MEETING. Shareholders Unanimously Agree Not to Refloat. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Kuala Lumpur, May 5. At the first annual general meeting of the New Serendah Rubber Co., held here today, the report and accounts were passed. The following directors were re- elected: Dr. Travers, Messrs R. Grey, F.G. Harvey, H.F. Dupuis and J.A. Russell. Dr. Travers, the chairman, referred to the company’s prosperity and good position. He said he was strongly opposed to refloating the company on a sterling basis. The meeting unanimously decided not to re-float the company.

Letter to Secretary to Resident Selangor from J. A. Russell & Co. Miners, Contractors and Land Agents 14 &15 Loke Yew Buildings. Kuala Lumpur Selangor. 11th October 1911. Sir, We have the honour to apply for a 1st class appraisers licence for Mr. D.O. Russell for house property and mining land, and a 2nd class one for agricultural property. At present during the absence of Mr. J. A. Russell a great part of our land agency business has to be hung up until he can return. With regard to Mr. D. O. Russell’s qualifications, he spent five years at the Colorado Government School of Mines from which he graduated with honours, while as to house property he won the Denver city municipal prize for a scheme for town- improvements. He has at the present moment charge of some 77 shops in the towns of Kuala Lumpur, Seremban, Klang, Kajang and Serendah, most of the purchases of which he himself negotiated. We have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servants J. A. Russell & Co., J. A. Russell Manager. Document in the National Archives of Malaysia 4761/1911

Letter from Osborne and Chapel, Ipoh, Perak, 20th October, 1911, to Senior Warden of Mines, F.M.S., Kuala Lumpur. Sir, We have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 18th of October, No 526/11, covering a copy of a letter from the General Manager of the F.M.S. Railway in reference to the Coal tests which they propose carrying out with Rawang Coal. As soon as sufficient quantity of Coal has been collected and carted to Rawang we will take the necessary action laid-out in the General Manager’s letter at the same time, we will inform him of what we are doing. Since last writing to you in reference to the Prospecting which has been done on the property, we would like to take this opportunity of informing you that we have proved an area of 150 acres to up to date, exclusive of the area composed of the outcrop, which gives, on a conservative basis, a tonnage of Marketable Coal of over 3,000,000 tons. In view of our conversation with you to-day and the above figures for the tonnage which we now furnish we would like, if possible, to make arrangements at an early date for Mr. Lucas to inspect the property with our representative so that we know exactly what is considered necessary in the way of confirmatory work by your department. We have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servants, Sd. Osborne & Chapel. Document in the National Archives of Malaysia 4022/1910

Page 2 of Letter from Senior Warden of Mines to ? ( page 1 missing) of Mr. G. D. Lucas for this duty, I propose to ask the British Resident, Perak, to allow him to come here for a week or ten days as soon as possible. 5. Prospecting operations have progressed more rapidly than heretofore, and it may become advisable to commence the construction of the Railway connection next year and to order the necessary Rolling Stock; but I am not prepared to make a final recommendation until Mr. Lucas has verified the prospecting results and sampling has shown that the coal is of a marketable quality. I have the honour to be Sir, Your obedient servant, Senior Warden of Mines, F.M.S. Document in the National Archives of Malaysia

F.M.S. Annual Departmental Report 1911 (J. B. Scrivenor. Geologist, F.M.S) The Rantau Panjang Coal Measures 17. During the year prospecting work by diamond drill, hand-boring tools and pits, has been carried out by Messrs. Osborne & Chapel, with Mr. Mungo Park as Resident Manager, on behalf of the Rawang Federated Malay States Coal Syndicate, Limited of London. This has been followed with great interest in connection with my report on the coal- measures as a check on the accuracy of the limits mapped by means of the soil derived from the coal measures, and its difference from the soil formed from older rocks. As far as can be judged at present, it appears that the area was too restricted, since the soil from the older rocks, which form hilly ground overlaps that of the coal measures. This may be entirely due to soil creep. In para. 29 of my report I remarked that in the map the boundary- line of the coal measures had not been closed on the south because the coal- measures might extend into the swampy ground beyond. Mr. Mungo Park has now proved by boring that the coal measures extend into this swamp nearly as far as the three-mile radius from the adit. As yet no prospecting has been done at localities indicated in the map where more coal may exist. (18. Notes on more fossil leaves identified by Mr Ridley).

RUSSELL, J. ARCHIBALD,,

Miner, Contractor and Land Agent,

17, Old Market Square, Kuala Lumpur.

Telegraphic Address:-“Jar”

Mining Assistant                        D. O. Russell E. M.

UTAN SIMPAN RUBBER CO., LTD.

                       

Directors

 

A. K. E. Hampshire                        H. N. Ferrers

H. E. G. Solbe                                    J. A. Russell

 

                        Secretaries

Boustead, Hampshire & Co., Ltd.

Kuala Lumpur.