The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1879-12-30
A WORD WITH MINERS.

The mining summary published in another
column of this mornings issue details the
condition of some of the leading properties of
the district and notes the progress of develop
ment during the past week. 1t will be seen
that work is being prosecuted on the princl-
pal mines with energy and success, and that
with rare exceptions the condition of the ore
bodies, as depth is attained, is favorable in the
extreme. There can be no longer a doubt as
to the future of the mines already developed.
The Alice is known to be improving with
every stroke of the pick, and the absurd fall
lacy of the statement that the ore in the lower
levels would lose its free milling character
after the initial roasting, and that it would be
too base for successful a~malgamation, is daily
becoming more evident. So far from losing
its milling qualities, the ore taken from
the fourth and fifth levels is far better
adapted for the process now employed than
that taken from the levels above. But as be-
fore stated the future of the more important
properties, like the Alice and Gagnon, is
assured. No prophetic foresight is required
to tell that they will soon develop into the
Comstock mines of the Territory. 1t is the
undeveloped mines of the district, The mere
prospects upon which little )rk has been
done, to which the MINER would call atten-
ton. Work on the latter class of locations
should be stimulated and encouraged. On
the part of some mine ow hers there is a
tendency, which cannot be too much depre-
Gated, barely to do the amount of work re-
quired by law to keep the titles clear and then
wait for some more daring and enterprising
mar to open up an adjacent property.
The object of this plan is very evident. If
the adjacent mine develops into a bonanza
the value of all surrounding claims rapidly
appreciates, and thus without investing any
considera BILE amount Of money and without
taking any legitimate business risks, they
come in for a golden harvest which they have
done nothing to deserve. IF on the other hand,
the more ~enterprising miners tail of success,
the first parties congratulate themselves
on their superior abilities as mining experts,
and having lost nothing, take up another
claim and again patiently wait for some men
to come along to develop the adjoining prop
erty. This is a most cowardly way to con
duct mining operations. If a man possesses a
mine which lie is financially unable to work
or of whose value he is not confident he
should either relinquish his claim upon the
location or dispose of it to some one who
will develop it It is folly to suppose that
the Alice and Gagnon contain the only great
ore bodies in the district, for, valuable as are
those properties, there is no room for doubt
that there are many others, yet undiscovered
through the fearfulness and parsimony of
their owners, which will prove equally i'm
n!ense and profitable. A short season of
energetic development upon a number of
claims lying within a radius of a mile from
Butte would soon demonstrate that instead of
half a dozen, the district could boast the pos
session of half a hundred great and perma
neut mining DrOnerties.