POOR PROSPECTORS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1382, 25 May 1878, Page 4

POOR PROSPECTORS.

A contemporary in commenting on the subject of poor prospectors, reminds the large class who regard " rich as a gold mine" in its proverbial acceptation that large expenses attend the opening of a mine, digging and blasting through solid rock, making openings for working and ventilation. When fully understood, one will ask why one person doe 3 not succeed. If his bank account be large enough he will. Look at the cost of the openings and machinery on the Comstock, the richest of the rich. Does anyone think one individual could stand it ? So it is with the prospector. He finds the mines, and as a miner knows he cannot go into the earth and open up the mine on a paying basis ; he knows he must contend with hard rock, much timber, must open levels and air passages ; he needs machinery to pump and hoist, and then, after his ore is on the dump, what has he 1 A lot of rock containing precious metal, with a lot of base metals. This must go through a process of working that requires more machiuery. Ho has no bank account, owes the tailor for his clothes and the grocer for his grub, and must sort out the best of his rock and. sell it at a sacrifice to keep him in daily bread. Is it not wise to sell his claim for a few thousand dollars and return to his old home in the land for civilization 1 Yet how few doit. He cannot resist the love he has for the miner's life, the charm of being away from all the works of man, alone with God and nature, delving into the mountain. Mining, like all other business, must be conducted with economy, and wants a practical miner at it 3 head. Nearly all the failures of Eastern investments have been caused by sending out some friend or relation of some of the company to take charge of the mines, who has not the slightest idea of how silver and gold mines are found, let alone how they should be worked. Theory is good, and practice is better, but theory and practice are above either alone Let your metallurgical students go into the mines and there learn to swing the pick, to drill, to blast, and to distinguish ore from barren rock ; let them go into the field and become familiar with the practical part of mining life, and then less money will be thrown away and squandered, and many a valuable property, in place of being condemned, will be made to yield many returns for the money invested. — Mining Press.