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Show REPORT ON IDAHO'S MINES, Hon. Robert Bell. Inspector of Mines for the State of Idaho, has Issued hln report for the year 1903. and The Tribune Trib-une has been favored with a copy of It. The report Is in excellent form, and Is well and appropriately Illustrated. The information contained In it Is most vnluablc. In nn Introductory - statement, Mr. Bell gives a summary of thp geographical geographi-cal situation of tbo State, its population, popula-tion, natural resources, and Its mining history and products. He has a good word to say for the Thunder Mountain country and for other regions of the State, and he Is frank enough to say that net nil of the mining propositions arc meritorious, though very many are so. A paragraph on the fake mining literature lit-erature and bogus schemes Is refreshing refresh-ing in its candor, viz.: "As a result of the Thunder Mountain boom of 1901-2, Idaho has been made the baso of some of the rankest mining stock promotions that ever a mining country was afflicted af-flicted with. The East has been Hooded with cheap shares and the trashiest kind of prospectus literature which robs no one but the small investors whose cupidity gets the, better of their Judgment, Judg-ment, but it does bring ridicule and odium on the industry of the State in general and hurts legitimate mining and ought to be condemned." Brave and true words, these, ami while Idaho's honest and straightforward straightfor-ward ofllclal makes the specific application applica-tion of them which we have quoted, they apply In no small degree elsewhere, and to very, very many speculative mining mi-ning propositions. Would we could have dono with them, whenever and wherever they are attempted of exploitation. exploi-tation. 1 "Idaho contains many meritorious new mining enterprises," Inspector Bell continues; "and not a few of them are "In the Thunder Mountain country, and are being Intelligently developed on legitimate lines with a bright prospect of success, and arc worthy of all encouragement. en-couragement. But many of the ludicrous ludi-crous exaggerations and misstatements that hava been futhcrod on this much-advertised much-advertised district are unwarranted." A review Is given at length of Idaho's geology and mining resources, by counties, coun-ties, which is of the highest interest; and the candor of Mr. . Bell prepares us to accept his statements in all good faith. This review treats of every county coun-ty generally In its mines and mineral resources and also of the several mining mi-ning districts and the prominent mines therein. It Is altogether a most commendable com-mendable report, which will certainly do much good to the State. |