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Show COMMUNICATIONS- The Old Prospector. Editor Tribune I have been a reader of your paper since its earliest history. It has been my experience in reading your paper that you have always been fair and have taken great interest In the mining business, and have alwava been friendly to the prospector and legitimate mine promoter. I have read several articles In the last few months in regard re-gard to the "old-time prospector," and one of the articles, I remember distinctly, distinct-ly, said: "Why is it that the old-time prospector pros-pector is becoming a thing of the past?" This article I would like to answer, as I was born In a mining camp and have followed prospecting and mine developing develop-ing ail my life, and I am now on the shady side of a half century. In order that you may understand that I know whereof I speak, I would like to state taat I have studied Dana's geological work, Osborn's and La Conte's, and it is my experience that theories are very good provided you have the monev to nnf them into practice, and if you have not tho money you must have the ability abil-ity to raise the money. You can advance ad-vance any theory that you wish, but unless un-less you put it into practice you haven't proved anything. Now, the question Is: Why is It that the old prospector is becoming a thing of the past? Having been on the ground floor a pood deal of my life. I feel that I can explain the reason why this condition condi-tion exists. It is not only deplorable, but It Is detrimental to the mining Industry, In-dustry, for no one ever heard tell of a mine until it had been discovered by a projector. It makes no difference whether he was a burro pmsper-tor or a man who could travel around In an automobile or whether he was a graduate from some college yet the ore bodies must have been discovered by someone before they could have been developed Into a mine. The question now is: Who sliall receive- the credit for the. immense mining business that has produced a -ondl Hon that has been essenlinl to the whole commercial com-mercial world? ShoiiM thft capitalist receive re-ceive nil of the credit, or should the prospector receive pnrt of the credit' We will takf the cltv of Salt Lake for a criterion. The early pioneers ot pnlt Lake wore nothing mure than prospectors. pros-pectors. They were prope-tln- for new liHds. ;nid here ln this Inralltv those nov fields were found whereby tiioiisanilM of people have been hp noli ted ! h m t in 1 1 ' 1 1 1 e lab-rs nf an old-time pro.-pe.-io,-; In . oliier wi.rds. tho "old pioneer' I look UDon Hit old. mv-hiiii-ud uiuiuier as the man who has made ft possible for us to enjoy the luxuries that, we are enjoying today. Xow, the question Is: What has become be-come of the old-time prospector and why aid he gu? I would like to try to explain ex-plain why he went. There was a time when a prospector could locate mining claims of merit, and could dispose of them on their merits, but that time is a thing of the past. In order to dispose of a group of mining min-ing claims at a reasonable nsfure, according ac-cording to their merits, it would require more capital than any prospector possesses. pos-sesses. As a rule, the most extensive ex-tensive development that a prospector can do is to sink a shaft fifty feet with a windlass but that doesn't prove anything any-thing In regard to the possible merits of the mine. Therefore tt becomes essential that a prospector must raise more money and how is he going to do it? In order to do so be must organize a company. Where Is he going to get the money with which to organize this company? com-pany? He goes into some city like Salt Lake, makes an attempt, and fails. Why does he fail? Simply because the mine investor will ask him for a geological report, for references from some bank or business men in his locality, and that he is not able to produce. Had he personal per-sonal acquaintance with banks or business busi-ness men he would have been a man with sufficient capital to organize a company com-pany without the help of anyone. Who ever heard of a prospector, even in the state of t'tah, with an intimate acquaintance ac-quaintance with several hanks in the city of Salt Lake? And supposing he had an Intimate acquaintance with banks and business men of the city of Salt Lake, what has that got to do with the merits of a mining claim? Why should the I public assume that a banker's word is worth more than that of the man who has spent his life in a business that Is I more essential to the people than the I banks of the city? Why should a mining min-ing Investor go to a bank or to business men of a city to determine the value and volume of an ore body that is owned by a prospector? It is a common remark by investors that a "prospector's word is not good as regards describing the merits of his property." prop-erty." While we might say in many cases this is a fact, stilt mine investors will employ a man whom thev call a "mining engineer" simply because be wears high-top boots, a Durkin coat with a dozen pockets and an eyeglass, to go Out to Komp tirnsnuftnr'fl riuim In vfnle the statement the prospector has made. He expects to go out there and see as much in one day as the prospector has found in probably five years or even ten years. He goes back with a report and uses such terms In his report that no one but a graduate geologist can understand, under-stand, and because the prospector cannot understand the terms that are used in this report the prospector is left In disrepute dis-repute in the eyes of the capitalist, and anyone who denies the fact that theory is worth more than practice, does not know what he is talking about. I have read the theories of Dana, Osborn and La Conte for a number of years, and yet I must take my pick and shovel and dig to find a mine. While I do know that In the science of geology there is a cause that produces an effect, still the deviation devia-tion of that cause produced by that effect ef-fect Is so great that it Is beyond the comprehension of the human mind, and in order to prove It you must take your pick and shovel and dig; and I defy contradiction. con-tradiction. We will assume that the prospector finds someone to furnish a sufficient amount of money to organize a company and to invest a sufficient amount of money, also, to do some develonment of the property. What will be the demand of that investor? From his engineer's report he will probably assume that the property is worth one hundred thousand dollars (5100,000), and he will make a proposition to the claim owner that he will put in, we will say for instance, ten thousand dollars ($10,000) to develop the property provided he can get the controlling interest. Now, then, as the prospector is wise, he will refuse that kind of a proposition. Now, just stop and think for a moment. YVhv should an Investor offer to invest ten thousand . dollars in a proposition and get the control con-trol of property worth one hundred thousand thou-sand dollars? Has not the 'prospector the equal right to protection that the man with the money has? The mine Investor says: "I want to know how my money Is going to be used." But he never for once thinks that the prospector has a right to know how his property is going to be developed or whether he is going to derive de-rive any benefits from that development. That is the question that is concerning the prospector todav. Tt. makes no difference what capitalists you talk to, they want the control, and if they do not get the control, then they won't Invest a quarter of a dollar. If a capitalist capi-talist wants to be fair a nd honest and sincere in his investments, he will meet the prospector half way, take equal chances with him, and put up his money to develop the property with the object 1 In view not only to make money for himself, but for the prospector also. Now, Mr. Editor, I am only giving my views in regard to the matter as I have found from my own experience. I am doln? this in good faith that a condition might be produced wherebv mine investors in-vestors can look at their Investments In a different light from which they have looked at them In the past. We understand that if the mines in the western country were to close down It would creatp one of the greatest panics that the world has ever known. History shows that the mining Industry Is the second on the map. That being the case, why doesn't It receive second consideration, con-sideration, not only from mine owners but from everyone who derives benefit from that investment ? Hoping that you will be kind enough to insert this In your most valuable paper, pa-per, I will subscribe mvself. PROSPECTOR. |