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local Tuesday 11 June 2024
The Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins and its history

(Oranjestad)—The Bushiri- ther search, and the assign-
bana Gold Mill Ruins is one ment was discontinued by
of the most visited places Printz himself.
by tourists on the island,
as it lies along the north- It wasn’t until 100 years lat-
ern coast line near the mini er, in 1824, when a young
pool and on the way to the boy found a lump of gold
Natural Bridge. Despite its while out herding his fa-
seemingly plain appear- ther’s sheep. His father took
ance, this ruin represents it to a local merchant who
one of the most important then sold the lump for $70.
histories of the island: The Unbeknownst to the boy
Aruban Gold Rush. and his father, they quite
literally struck gold, and
Built in 1872 by English com- as word got out, a gold
pany Aruba Island Gold fever spread among the
Mining Company Ltd, the locals who started search-
gold mill at Bushiribana ing for more gold. About 25
was constructed in the pounds worth was found.
area where most gold was
found by locals. The story At the same time, the Aru-
of gold on Aruba actually ban government took
dates back to 1725, when immediate actions, and involved grinding the rocks
a first exploration for gold informed Curacao that Over the years, conces- and letting the dust be The gold mill itself had a
on the island was commis- gold was found. At first, sion-holding had seen dif- blown away by the strong short life-span: only 10 years
sioned by the Dutch West everyone could look for ferent companies from northeast wind, leaving in service, but its structure
India Company. Under the gold, as long as they sold around the world, all of clumps of gold behind. The remained relatively solid till
leadership of Mr. Paulus it to the government. How- which used primitive meth- next step was melting the this day, and is now a his-
Printz, a three-year search ever, after some time, the ods to dig and carve out gold and letting it attach torical remnant. q
was conducted on Aruba, government decided to gold from the rocks. Aruba to quicksilver in order to
to no avail. Though they implement stricter rules and Island Gold Mining Compa- obtain pure gold. All these Sources: Etnia Nativa & gold-
found some gold, it was banned local search par- ny Ltd. was no different, but processes were done at mineranch.com.
enough to motivate a fur- ties. used a unique method that the Bushiribana Gold Mill.

Ever heard of the cah’i orgel?

A key instrument in Aruban folklore music

(Oranjestad)—The cah’i orgel music he experimented with his uncle’s cah’i
box is an important and unique instru- orgel, and he over the years he learned
ment that is used on the ABC islands in to build and repair the instrument. In
the Dutch Caribbean. This instrument is a fact, he was incredibly skilled in this, and
staple in our folklore music, and its sig- he was one of the few to have recog-
nificance in the traditions of Aruba has nized from the start that the cah’i orgel is
and continues to bring together the old an instrument that needs preserving.
and young.
As mentioned, the cah’i orgel is a mu-
The origin of the cah’i orgel is said to sic box. made from mahogany wood, it
have come from Europe around 150 contains a cylinder with a maximum of
years ago. A cross breed between the eight music pieces. By rotating the lever
barrel piano and the organ, the most on the front side of the box, the cah’i
popular stories said that the instrument orgel produces music similar to that of
came from either England or Germany, a piano, and is accompanied often by
but made its way to Italy down to Ven- someone else playing the “wiri”, a per-
ezuela, where in 1881, Mr. Horatio Sprock cussion instrument made out of steel and
(1866-1949) from Curacao was first intro- reminiscent to the Spanish guiro. Back
duced to it. After that, Sprock made his then, you would often also find some-
own cah’i orgel “Josefina”, and success- one playing the triangle alongside the
fully debuted it on the streets of Barqui- cah’i orgel and wiri. In Aruba, the cah’i
simeto. Back in Curacao, he started his orgel and wiri is used for traditional music
own cah’i orgel business along with his genres, such as the Aruban waltz, tum-
brother Luis. In Aruba, it is said that the ba, mazurka and more.
cah’i orgel was introduced by Rufo Wev-
er, who later in his career became one Fun fact: another name for the cah’i or-
of the composers for the Aruban nation- gel is the “tingilingi box.” q
al anthem.
Source: “E Cilinder Magico entre Aruba y
Rufo Wever was a young musician in Curaçao” by Marilyn Alcalá-Wallé, Herta
1937 when he established his own cah’i Parabirsing-Balentina and Nidia Rosaria-
Wallé.
orgel business on the island. Before that