Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1880-12-18

WHAT THE MINERS SHOULD DO.

WHAT THE MINERS SHOULD DO.
In commenting upon the good and evil
effects of Mining Agents in the East,
the Chicago Mining Review ~soliloquiscs
and suggeits as follows: "Since the era
of swindlihg, if we may so term II, in
mining matters, when men with broad
brimmed hats and costumes a la Buffalo
Bill were in our streets, each with peck
cts full of fine specimens Of ore and assay
certificates, showing the fabulous wealth
Of "mines " ready to pay from the sur
face, there has been some more wisdom,
born of experience, shown in regard to
these matters. We have in previous ar
ticles shown the absolute worthlessness
Of assay certificates Of selected specimens
of ore in determining the value OF a
mine. We would not doubt the honesty
and correctness of the assay. The as
sayer can only certify to the value OF the
sample of ore received, but of course can
not give any idea of the average value OF
the ore IN the vein, or, what is how-a-
days more important, that it ever came
from any mine in the State. 1t is stated
upon good authority that mere claims
without mineral in sight have been sold
by ore samples from other paying mines,
aud at the present time this practice is
more than usually prevalent.
From a field Of wheat stricken with
rust and blight so that it is utterly
worthless some few heads can be selected
which a miller will t~ruthfully certify will
make a certain number Of pounds of flour
per bushel, or the farmer can say wheat
like this will 90 so many bushels to the
acre. But who would buy the field from
such IL sample or such a certificate No
sane man could bo induced to part with
his money to make an investment upon
any such evidence of value-except in
mining. A stranger, without acquaint-
ance or credentials, has the presumption
to go to an Eastern city with a box of
samples, carefully labeled, purporting to
have been taken from the numerous
"mines" he represents. These are
shown from office to office, with
much assurance and no little talk con-
corning "our mines" the width of vein,
assay value of ore, "true fissure," pros
pective shafts and tunnels. Strange as
it may seem, purchasers are found, cem-
panies organized, and stock sold upon
the representations made and samples
shown. The result has been exactly
what might have been predicted of any
such transactions in any business of what
ever kind. Right here we must allude
to the necessity, as we have often urged,
of a class of capable and authorized men
who may be called upon to investigate
the reliability, if not the prospective
work, of a claim offered for sale. We
would suggest to the Miners Union of
each camp and district the advantage Of
selecting and authorizing some practical
and experienced man for the purpose of
answering inquiries, examining mines,
claims and prospects, and making a re-
port on the same when required. The
Importance Of such an appointment and
the benefit to each locality will be readily
apparent, for many we'll know that moth
ing SO much retards the flow of capital or
injuries the reputation of a camp as one
or two fraudulent transactions and un-
fortunate speculations. Capital is what
the new mining districts require more
than anything else to give mills and
amelters and development to the mines,
which will make their own reputation
when opened, and this capital can be at
tracted in no other name SO readily as
presenting the mineral wealth and advan-
tages of a locality in a perfectly reliable
manner. These wildcat operators have
cursed more than one promising mining
camp, and given a death blow which has
ruined many favorable enterprises. The
appointment, and advertisement in the
Eastern mining journals Of a recognized
miners agent, by the Miners Union, in
every mining district, will nip in the bud
many fraudulent and damaging schemes
now being foisted upon business men and
capitalists in every Eastern city.
FEDERALIsM AT WASHINGTON.