A Kinta Valley Story – 1920’s The Boom Years For Malaya’s Tin Producers

      The revolution in mining methods saw the introduction of Dredges and Gravel Pumps

The rapid rise in the world demand for tin rose during the 1920’s. It rose from 110,000 tonnes in 1919 to 184,000 tonnes in 1929.

The increased demand made the 1920’s the boom years for Malaya’s tin producers including Osborne & Chappel.

In 1915 there had been only 1 dredge. By 1930 the number rose to 105 all owned by the European sector most built by start-up companies.

Similarly for Gravel Pump's there was only a handful in existence during 1915. The figure jumped to 430 by the year 1930.  

The Chinese miners decided that the gravel pump and monitors offered the best way to ‘make a fortune’.

........excerpt from the book ..’The Osborne & Chappel Story’