Chap. XXI.] 
HISTORY : MTSOEE. 
429 
No attempt was made to open up these deposits until the end of 1904, 
when Messrs. W. T. Hamilton Holmes, J. 
W. T. Hamilton Holmes en. ^ i r-i ji i. j. ^ j. j. 
and the Mysore Manganese Short, and Eardley Norton, took out prospect- 
Company, Limited. (Shi- ing licenses for some blocks situated near 
Kumsi in the Shimoga district. In 1905 a 
syndicate, designated the Madras Mysore Mining Syndicate, was 
formed to take over these concessions. This syndicate obtained 
further concessions in this year. As the result of the opening 
up of these deposits, The Mysore Manganese Company, Limited, 
was formed and registered on the 9th March, 1906, mth a capital 
of Rs. 10,00,000 divided into 10,000 shares of Rs. 100 each. Of 
this total Rs. 6,2-5,000 were paid up. In view of the fact that this 
company was the pioneer in the manganese industry in Mysore, it was 
granted a special concession. This took the form of an option over a 
reserved area with a radius of 13 miles from Ayanur in the Shimoga 
district as centre. Within this area the Mysore Manganese Company 
are to have the first refusal of any concessions, for a period of three 
years up to the end of 1909, the Mysore Darbar reserving to itself the 
right to refuse any licenses that appear unnecessary or undesirable. 
Previous to the reservation of this area other licensees had taken out 
licenses over an area of 29f square miles situated within it. 
On the 31st January, 1907, a new company called The Xew Mysore 
The New Mysore Man- Manganese Company, Limited, was registered in 
ganese Company, Limited. London, with a capital of £1-50,000 in 1-50,000 
(Shimoga.) shares of £1 each. Of these -50,000 shares were 
issued fully paid up to the Mysore Manganese Company, Limited, and the 
remainder allotted and f ally paid up. The new company takes over all 
the mimng interests and properties of the old company. It is proposed 
to raise a further £50,000 in the form of debentures to provide railway 
transport and open up the mines. The directors of the new company are 
nearly all interested in the Workington Iron and Steel Company, and the 
Moss Bay Haematite Iron and Steel Company of Workington; Mr. 
W. J . Eales of Madras is managing director and Mr. S. 0. Stromquist, 
superintendent of the mines. During 1906 the Mysore Manganese 
Company raised 40,773 tons of manganese-ore and exported about 
37,000 tons to Mormugao. The distance of the chief deposit of this 
company, namely Kumsi, from the Southern Mahratta Railway ter- 
minus at Shimoga is 29 miles, over which distance a light steam 
tramway of 2.foot gauge is under construction. Of this all but 10 
