The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-03-27
The colorado Silver Fever.


The movement Of tnen eager to enter the
Supposed III Dorado ia Colorado is wide
spread From the lAkes to The Gull o. Mex
leo, from the Atlantic to tho Pacific, the SUI
yer fever RACES with constantly increasing
violence.
The preyioas state Of the stricken, their
age, the conditions of life under which 'hey
lived, the degree of education they possess
seem to have no influence to enable then 10
resist this disease. From tho cities, towns,
and villages; from farms. plantations, aad
ranches; from the coal and iron mines Of
Pennsylvania, aud from the piue woods OF
the North, come the same reports OF men
seized with the Carbonate or Ruby Lead ST.
yer fever.
Ii is estimated by competent judges that
during the next summer 10000 men WI en-
ter that portion Of the Rocky Mountains SIT
uated in southern Colorado. These men have
abandoned, or are preparing TO abandon, tne
work they are at present engaged ~, ana WIN
Join the spectators or prospeciors VINO are
| now in the mountain towns waiting until the
snow melts before invading the Ute heser'a'
I ton and the Gunnison country. That these
men, strong in numbers, will respect any
! treaty stipulations made with Indians Is I'M
| probable
OF the 10000 who are to eater the mining
/ districts, not one in ten will have any eNpe'
rience in mining, The amount OF suffering
| these men will endure cannot be esuinaled'
4 The number Of deaths in their ranks, caused
4 by starvation and exposure in those h'gh Al
llludes will be large.
Prospecting for gold and silver IS not
i pastime, 1t is work Of the most severe ue'
/ scrinlion; work done on scanty food OF wretch
. 4 =.
| been maid. The actual daily life ola prospee-
tor is as different from the imaginary one that
| has been pictured to the men going into Col
orado as the reality of war was from the SnaP'
sack picnic that the young meu Otthls country
supposed was TO be held IN Virginia ~ lsol'
| Ii is not probable that one man IA lhOu
sand who prospects in Colorado thus summer
| will find a lead of any value. II Is sale To
assume that the valuable mines discovered
] there the coming season can be counted on
| the fingers Of the hands,
IL should be understood by all men who
| are entering so hopefully on the search Tor
/ hidden wealth. that the Published reports OF
/ the value OF the mineral in different mines
1 are, almost without exception, false. re-
port that claims value Of 900, 700, 900, l.
900, 300 ounces of silver per ton OF ore rs n
/ fraudulent report. The assay on which these
reports are based is undoubtedly correct.
The fraud consists in chipping oil the richest
bits from selected ores, and claiming tbs re-
suit obtained 10y an assay OF these pieces
doubly selected, as IN average sample OF the
value of the mineral in the nine. 10 prop
erly sample mine is very simple. II the
examiner goes TO the face Of the headings aud
air courses and into the working chambers,
aud in many different places gouges out tiny
channels in the mineral from foot wall 10
hanging wall, saving the chips, these chips
when reduced to powder aud thoroughly
mixed, will represent the average ore IN The
mine. An assay OF portion OF this dusl
would give the value Of the mineral in the
mine. The selection Of u few tons OF the
richest ore in the mine, aud sending them Il
the sampling mills, is not honest. Any sAmp
ling done under the direction of the min,
owners or managers Of mine is of necessit!
( not Trustworthy.
! II is owing TO the extravagant reports o
the value OF the mineral in some OF thes,
Colorado mines that the present mining ex
| element has broken out. The railroads lead
| ing TO the mining country have famed the cN
element. They are simply greedy for III,
money to be paid for fares.
! IL is a we'll known fact that silver and gol(
| mining, in leads, has never paid. The mines
as whole, have, year after year, swallowed
more money than they have yielded. Their,
is no other business so risk, as silver AnC
! gold mining Occasionally mns pays
moderate profit In rare instances one yield
immense returns None of the sO-cAlled DO
nanza kiRgs made their money in Legitimate
mining. They acquired their property b,
manipulating the stock markets Of San Fran
cisco and in milling the ore.
The great majority of the 10000 hopelu
men who are to enter the Colorado Rock
mountains in search of the precious metali
are doomed to bitter disappointment and loss
Many are leaving their homes TO die from ex
posure, camp diseases, or starvation.
Colorado is land of cash payments
There is no credit given for food to prospect
ing tramps. The men who golhere had better
take money with them. They will probabl,
need It before the snow flies next fall. N. y
Sun.