Show WANT QUICK RETURNS the eastern investor as a general thing whether he buys shares in a new mining company or joins others in the purchase of a prospect expects returns almost before his investment is a week old he should not be blamed for this for he has heard so much about big returns from mining operations that he has reason to believe that a new mine will turn out the precious metals almost automatically and in a steady inexhaustible haus tible stream little dreaming that before a prospect can be transformed into a producing and paying mine that it must be extensively developed that thousands of dollars must be expended in exploration and mine equipment and that large areas of ground must be blocked out and prospecting work pushed ahead of extraction before heavy and steady production may or can be maintained those unacquainted with mining operations cannot well understand the long delays always incident to the development of a mining proposition they cannot understand how it is that a mine reported by experts to contain ore to the value of thousands and even millions of dollars cannot begin the payment of dividends within a few months after work has been be begun gunin in its operation these people want quick returns they want quick action on their money and sometimes because of long and tedious delays spreading over a period of two three or four years with no immediate profits in sight they become discouraged disgusted and begin to condemn mining in all of its branches and these people cannot be blamed they are honest in their opinions and were entitled to their expectations the great trouble is that they do not understand the situation and are unacquainted with conditions surrounding the mining industry it is slow siow work sinking a shaft or driving a tunnel but two or three men can work in a shaft or a tunnel at a time and but few feet of advance can be made in a day if a mining company had a million in its treasury no greater haste could be made and it is only until a mine is opened by shafts tunnels cross cuts dinzes and upraises up raises that an army of men can be employed and to work a large number of men successfully and profitably the mine must first be equipped with the necessary machinery and it is often the case that extensive reduction works must also be installed which for good sound business reasons should not be done until the management is fully satisfied that enough ore is blocked out and in sight to justify such an expenditure but when all of these things are accomplished shed when an abundance of ore is in sight in the mine when ample arrangements have been made tor for its handling either direct to the market in a crude shape or after first being sent through the mill then the ore will go out by the hundreds of tons and the money will come in by the thousands upon thousands it is the same way with farming the seed must first be sown the crop must be cultivated and the harvest must be gathered the calf must be full grown before it can be marketed as beef and the farmer or stockman who expects returns before the seed has sprouted or the calf weaned from its mother would be the laughing stock of his neighbors and friends so it is with mining returns cannot be expected until a large amount of preliminary work has been done until the prospect passing through various stages of development can take rank as a producing mine equipped so that a steady output can be maintained if the investor cannot wait until this period arrives he had better refrain from making any ventures whatever in mining affairs and turn his attention to get rich quick investments off offered ered so freely through the columns of the eastern press for he cannot become rich in a day in mining enterprises |