Show 0 FROM WEALTH TO bankruptcy A number of years ago during the great mining boom in nevada when tonopah was at the heights of its glory when fortunes were daily made in goldfield there were hundreds of men who were suddenly raised from almost abject poverty to positions of affluence from almost an empty pocketbook they were able to count their wealth by the thousands the quarter of a million or even more in addition to which they were possessed of stocks and mining shares that had good selling values and were in active demand where are these fortunate one now how about their wealth and influence the echo of the enquiry reverberating rever berating through the hills and canyons of the various mining camps comes comes back to us without an answer for the great majority of these successful ones are now down and out some few there are who kept their heads during the great mining booms we speak of and kept their wealth as well the balance well now and then we will meet a ragged down at the heel man in the streets of some western metropolis or in some remote camp in the hills who will tell you that he made a mint of money during the tonopah and goldfield booms but that he could not keep it that it came too easy that he foolishly believed that prosperity would last for ever and that instead of laying aside a nest egg he squandered his wealth in the eff effort ort and with the belief that he would quit a millionaire he will tell you also that he branched out into every proposition offered no difference whether possessing merit or not that he had too many iron in the fire and that he could not attend to them properly he will tell you also that the stocks from which he might have made thousands when they were salable and active he held for millions and that when the crash came he had neither money and could not dispose of his stocks at the close of his narrative active he will tell you a truth which you always suspected s and that is that with his other many fail ings he was insane this is the keynote to the whole proposition ion when a man is suddenly successful when he makes barrels of money too easily he generally becomes insane he believes there can be no limit to his success he refuses to use the slightest safeguard in the protection of his newly richs rich position and the result is soon evident for with him it is but a step from wealth to bankruptcy this is not the fault of mining although no other avenue presents such an opportunity for easily acquired wealth but is due to the fact that when success on a gigantic scale comes to the average man he loses his keen business instinct if he ever had any and goes as wild as a spanish bull when a red flag is waved in its face it is really better for tile mining districts of the west when they can attain prominence without the aid of a boom A camp that is developed and operated strictly on its merits is in much better condition that one that was brought to life through the throes of a boom and the man who has made big money through the actual making of a mine after days and months of toil and hardships has not been carried off his feet and is more likely to hold his own and put his wealth to some good use than will the man who made his pile by selling a prospect in an undeveloped camp and who dabbled in wildcats wild cats until he could not tell whether he was afoot a foot or horseback as the saying is fortune is a fickle thing at best but the ahe success which comes too easily is the hardest thing to cling to as hundreds dr eds of mining men of seeming wealth a few short years ago can truthfully attest |