Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1877-05-08
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.

The quartz silver mining question of
this camp, and all other camps in the
State Of Nevada, is a subject of para.
mount importance to the mining inter-
est. Failures in quartz silver mining
are SO frequent that many intelligent
men who have travelled through the
different mining camps of Eastern
Nevada have left US with an impress
sion that no prudent man should en-
gage in it. Occasional success, no
matter how brilliant, is not enough to
make an occupation a proper n for
men generally. Those who command
large capital, and can afford to lose the
expense OF opening a mine, building a
mill or furnace, are comparatively rare,
and II the quartz mining Of the future
should be no better than that of the
past, ard if all should manage the
business hereafter as the majority have
managed heretofore. then none, save
very wealthy men, should engage in it.
We presume that tbore would be no ex-
aggeration in saying one-halfthe quartz
mills of the State have been unprofita-
bic, and caused serious losses to their
owners. The Lemon mill, for instance.
in this camp, rotting away because it is
not used and of no value to its owners
But after admitting all that "a be said
against quartz mining, we still claim
that it is enc of the best occupations in
the world, and that it is capable of i'm
mense development, and the great civ
ilizer, for without it mining men would
only exist as barbarians. 1t needs,
~ no Or m v.~A-
principles, otherwise it is extremely
dangerous. More than any other bus
mess, 1t needs a we'll educated and
tendent, who understands everything
a diploma as Mining Engineer; in ad-
dition to the training of the school he
needs, above all, experience in the
neighborhood, and, if possible, in the
very mine where he is at work. Gen.
eral knowledge of geology is of very
little use, and proficiency in Latin and
Greek of none at all. If the mines
come to a fault, and the ore to a sud-
den end, the superintendent should
know in which direction the lode has
been thrown and how to find it. Such
a superintendent, who should himself
be interested in the mine, is the frs.
requirement for safe lode mining.
Many mines have succeeded without
it, but twice Is many might have sue
ceeded with it. The capable superin-
tendent having been found, he will be
very careful about spending the money
intrusted to him. He will not pre-
sumo hat every quartz-reef contains
gold and silver, northat a claim con-
tanning good ore in another lode is rich
in his, nor that the occurrence of a rich
specimen is a proof of q large deposit
of pay ore. He will satisfy himself
that he has found a prospect that will
pay before mourning much expense,
and if he finds neither silver or gold
at the surface he will be skeptical
about finding it further down. The
safe method of procedure is not to
build a mill or furnace until there is
enough good ore in sight to leave a net
profit sufficient to pay tor it. There
are many mines in Eureka District
that will pay on these principles. but
they have not been properly worked.
The many failures have discouraged
their owners through the empires
who have been Sent here to superin-
tend them. 1t is almost as dangerous
to engage in silver quartz mining as in
the higher branches of chemical man
ufactures without proper knowledge,
but with this, the prizes offered are
splendid in both occupations.
JOHN NJ. FOLEY.