Show geologically impossible one of the frequent causes of failure in mining is that men will expend a large amount of money in the development of properties in sections where the formations are such that the existence of ore in paying quantity is a physical and geological im possibility it is often the case that the prospector is but a poor geologist and that he will lay great stress upon the discovery of strong indications of the existence of ore or upon the fact that he has found mineral in knife blade seams or pieces of rich float that are good to look upon indeed so enthusiastic will he become over such discoveries that he will make his camp near the new find and do a large amount of work in the effort to open up a paying mine throughout the west one will find aban boned prospect holes and hillsides hill sides that are fairly covered with dumps abandoned because continued effort failed to divulge the ore body that over sanguine expectation and lack of geological knowledge predicted such failure does not in the least reflect upon the honesty and integrity of the prospector and claim clairn owner but merely shows poor judgment and lack of geological knowledge one may laugh at the expert as much as lie he pleases but the fact remains that the mining man who has had experience would never have expended a dollar in the development of a prospect in localities where the existence of ore in paying quantity was a geological impossibility this shows conclusively that before one begins extensive development work he should secure the opinion of some well established authority as to the mineral possibilities of a region in which he proposes to operate such a course w would undoubtedly save money in the end and much grief still it will not do to condemn any section on general principles until the fact is fully established that it is good mineral tearing or otherwise as of late years many portions of the west have astonished the mining world with numerous bonanza propositions which heretofore have been regarded by the general public as being without merit and not worthy of investigation A section so blacklisted as it were may be neglected and for years or until the advent of some tenderfoot whose discoveries will cause the wildest excitement and a stampede equal to that which characterized the discovery of tonopah To goldfield and many of the now famous camps of nevada it is true that ore is where you find it DUT the truth h remains that ore will never be found in paying quantities in sections where geological conditions are such that it cannot exist some practice and experience is necessary with the prospector before he can draw the dividing line between a possibly productive and really productive nonproductive non region and yet no one if he has hopes of being successful in his prospecting expeditions must allow himself to be guided by preconceived or dried and cut ideas as to the existence of minerals should he fall into a rut he is liable to pass over many really great mines as there are so many formations in which mineral occurs and so many conditions favorable to ore dep deports oIts that unless the prospector is ever on the watch and willing to investigate every indication of the possible presence of ore occurrences curren ces he is liable to end the season of his outing with but few good mining locations to his credit |