The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-02-10

The great and permanent interest which
the capitalists o fthe Eastern States have lately
taken in the mining industry has resulted ia
the establishment of several so-called mining
newspapers, two of which are published in
in New York, and are known as the New York
Mining Record and the Engineering and Min
ing Journal. The ostensible object of pub
fishing these periodicals is to circulate reliable
mining news copied from Western exchanges,
in reference to the leading properties of the
several districts to the end hat parties desir-
ing to invest can obtain from their columns
the desired information as to locality and
probable value of the mines. The benefits
resulting from the publication of such papers
if honestly conducted, are numerous and
evident, and it is not strange, therefore, that
being regarded as reputable journals, they
are widely read and exert an important intlu-
ence in directing the attention of capital to
opportunities of investment. Consequently
additional reason is given why they should be
run for the promotion of the mining interest
of the whole country. Whenever a district
is discovered which promises well, no matter
whether it be in .exas or Alaska, it is eX-
pected by the subscribers of these two mining
journals that full, tr,n hful and impartial rep
reservations will be given in regard thereto :;
but what has been the course of the proprie-
tors of these journals to merit such conf
denceo
Unless a mining company is willing to pay
several thousand dollars in order to get their
property advertised. these mining Journals
ignore its existence, no matter how many
millions it may be worth, whereas, by coming
down with a fee. little difficulty is experienced
in having its merits sounded weekly in
lengthy articles, with illustrations thrown in
it the pay is sufficiently large. Thus Profess
SCR Rothwell, of the Engineering and Mining
Journal received a fee of S., 900 for tayorably
commenting on the extent and richness of the
Last Chance mining property of Silver Reef,
Utah. In the language of Sam Weller, five
thousand dollars seemed to convert
the professors visual orbs into "a pair
Of patent double million %magnifyin' gas
microscopes o. heXtra power" for notwitll-
standing the fact that the assay value of the
ore in that mine ranges between twelve and
fifteen dollars per ton, the Professor continues
to devote IA great deal of his valuable space to
blowing the last Last Chance bubble, and in
every copy of the journal there is to be found
an illustrated diagram of the interior work
ings of the Last Chance mine or of the Horn
Silver. No one would ever gain an impress
sion, however, from a perusal of its pages
that there is in existence such a Territory as
Montana, and seldom if ever is the remotest
hint given that there have been any mines
discovered in this country. The same fault
is to be found with the Mining Record.
Ii is by some asserted that one of the prin-
ciples governing the conduct of these journals |
is to ignore the existence of every mining |
camp whose inhabitants are not numbered OH
their subscription lists, and the very limited
of space " Inch has of late been accord
ed to the mineral resources of this Territory
tends to verify that conclusion. We fail to con-
ceive of any other reasonable explanation of
their persistent refusal to enlighten their read
ers upon the mines of Montana. 1t would be a
sal commentary on the presumed intelligence
Of the editors of those papers to ascribe their
silence to Ignorance of our advantages. They
exchange with the Montana papers and must be
aware of the phenomenal extent and richness
Of our gold. silver and copper mines. They
certainly know that properties like the Alice,
and many others are incomparably
to hundreds of prospects which they
as bonanzas and which they well
know ale practically valucless.
We are in no wise e%nvious or Jealous of
lie prominence OF any mining camp on the
coast, because the mines of this district will
%favorably with the best which have
thus far been developed. All we desire is a
representation of our resources in the
journals Of the East, which are alleged
10 be published in the interest of mining and
should be i~nrorruptible and reliable.
The New York Graphic appears to be the
only eastern paper disposed to do justice to
The mines Of the Summit Valley district.
Every days dispatches give additional con-