The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-12-23
THE INEVITABLE.

THE INEVITABLE.
A Great Mining Scheme That Had Millions
In ItPrentice Munord. Frospeetor.
The Inevitable God, Silver and Cop
per Mining and Prospecting Company
was formed by myself A. ID. 1868, in
Tuolumne County, for the purpose of
finding mines. holding on to them and
selling them to such unfortunates as
might be induced to buy. On paper
the company consisted of Constitu-
ton, fifteen BYLAWS. President, Sec
retary, Treasurer, Board of Directors,
one "prospector" and some thirty
shareholders, who engaged to pay me
50 per month for discovering and hold
ing on to such mines as l should find
for them. Otherwise the company con-
sisted of one man--the ''prospector," a
pick, pan, shovel, an old mare, shot
gun, two pairs of blankets, a frying
pan, coffee-pot, hatchet, saddle, bri-
die, side of bacon, bag of flour and
an immense stock of hope and aurifer-
Gus enthusiasm. tried, on commenc-
ing operations, to attain for this COM
pany the dignity of one full meeting
of the officers and shareholders, but
never could succeed. The individual
members were scattered over too large
an area of country. / got about one
third of them together one afternoon
in Bob Jones store at Montezuma,
Tuolumne County, read them my Con-
stitution and Bylaws, and insisted on
an election of officers and trustees.
The crowd were perfectly willing to
elect anybody or anything 1 proposed.
and did elect just as fast as l nominat-
ed. Indeed, the readiness with which
they acquiesced in everything desired
was painful, and after every nomina-
ton they took drink. The company
had no fixed Office. The office was on
the mares back. The Treasurer had
nothing to do. for no funds were placed
in his keeping. The President had
nothing to do, since in effect there was
but one man. the "prospector and dis
coverer" (myself). to be President of,
and the '.prospector," by the Constitu-
tion, was given full power to do as he
pleased. The Board of Directors had
nothing to direct, for the Constitution
could be. so construed as to grant me
the full Directorship. Everything was
centered in me. The rest of the Inev-
liable Company had only to pay their
assessment of 80 each per month, and
wait until / found mines of silver or
gold for them. All of them waited. but
all did not pay assessments.
HOPELESS CASES OF MINING FEVER.
On coming to myself, after the meet
ing. discovered that had engaged to
find and keep mines of gold, silver and
copper for the company. They pre-
ferred gold mines, if possible. l found
also that 1 had given the Inevitable
Company more hopes than the situation
warranted. Not that meant to delude
them. But had first. to a certain ex-
tent, deluded myself. There's no more
dangerous persuader to delusion than
the man who believes in it himself. I
had the mining fever so bad then as to
believe in the existence of a paying
mine under every vein OF rock which
carried with it trace of mineral. All the
members of the Inevitable Company
were similarly affected. The company
was not favorably disposed to the profit
able collection of the three-dollar per
month assessment. The shareholders
were scattered widely apart, and be-
ing nominated the monthly collector,
found it cost about two dollars to col
lect three. Again, could rarely find
over one-third of the members to collect
bCStuCS ubu ho tbACht AOI COi-
lecting. and on meeting a delinquent
self to break in upon q pleasant, hope
full chat on mining prospects by an un-
pleasant request for money. The work
the company started ON its explorations
on foot, packing its own tools, blankets
and provisions 1t discovered q few
copper mines in Tuolumne County. A
copper mining fever prevailed there at
the time, and it was easy to find copper
mines. These l developed to the ex-
tent of an elaborate and strictly legally
wordcd notice at either end of very long
claims, defining their metes and bounds
with great accuracy, and insisting also
on the right to ownership of all their
"spurs, dips and angles" Then dug
hole three feet in length by two in
width, which deepened at the rate OF
six inches per month, the law requiring
one days work on every separate claim
once in thirty days in, order to retain
legal possession.
A NOVELTY IN PROSPECTING.
Being ambitious to extend the domain
and richness of the Inevitable. and hav-
ing taken up nearly every foot oi
ground which showed "indications' OF
copper, advanced on what was known
as the Walkers River country. lying on
the crest of the Sierras and near the
boundaries of Tuolumne and Mono
Counties. This was distant some ninety
miles from the locality OF preliminary
exploration and the Development of the
company. walked this distance. and
near the headwaters of the Walker
found several more mines. added,
also, several new shareholders to the
company. 1t was easy to gain share.
holders-much easier than to get theiI
assessments; but / trusted them and
am sure they did me. The spectacle ol
. man offering to find mines Of gold,
silver and copper, and extending to hii
patrons q free credit 90 far as his OWL