The Elk Mountain pilot., 1881-10-20
CON.NU.VIC.zUOV

called 10 an article in tie last number
OF the Mining Pe-~a, embodying
malicious attacs; upon the camp,
stigmas;zing cur mines as worthless
and ourselves as frauds, and advising
US to get out as soon as we can. AL
though our first thought would be 10
pass the article By with s,ni!e-as
likely 10 Do 70 harm 70 any one but
It's w1s.c--ye. the fac. ths. there are
many persons unsk:l!ed in geological
AID mining matters, who might be
easily misied by the imposing array
CT apparent learning there displayed,
and feehrg that the camp hs, some
right to lock TO Us for all authoritative
contradiction Of the more specific as
sertions Regarding the quantity
and grade Of ores produced here; we
are induced to write to you our views
for what they are Worth:
Oar impression OF the so-cal!ed
geology" Of the writer is tia, he
must have had a dream in which he
saw his "mud volcanoes" squirting
forth their viscld contents over noun
talns scared with "heavy lod-s or
stratitled formation" and raising Our
unhappy country "two thousand fret"
above the "primitive rock" in which
our hopes might safely anchor. O.
else, and we think that more likely,
from the positlveness of his assertion,
he was actually al eye witness and
perhaps managing director IN the ap-
palling events. We do 70. claim to
be 'practlcal geolosi,ts, but we have
unfortunately had the best geological
education that this country and the
old country can afford, and we have
also our Hayden (for 1874, p. i61,
etc. at hand wit, fill account of
this region. We must be pardoned
If we state that what we really see i,
that the writer has in the course of hi,
meandering picked up some geological
terms; these he has strung together in
al imposing fashion, SO as to sound
like sense. when in fact they have
absolutely no meaning whatever as
justified. So much for the writer's
Of geology being rather cloudy his
argument i, somewhat hard to grasp,
not being as we said before "practical
geologists. Now for the more ma
teral part Of his letter, namely his
specific assertion. First, tina, our
mines are surface deposits. Second,
that they are now AID: will Continue
to BE- uap-oductivc. The writer of
the article SAYS he has thoroughly eS-
am'ned he mines of the camp. Bat
we are Inclined to believe that he evol.-
ed thlsidel fio;n Ai5ilaes colsiolsle,s
or rather having Bacon. welded %
his "mld volcanoes" he WIS obliged
to shut his eyes to facts which might
consrad!ct his i'll di 5estcd throies. T. c
facts are, and we have been in the
habit, in connection With our business
Of constant and repeated visits to its
best mines; that with hardly all ex-
ceptioa the lowest workings here have
as strong veins and as good mineral as
the surface exhibited. Next as to
present and probable future produc-
tlveness. No cne pretends that Ruby
in the second year only OF her exist
ence as a camp, is large producer
But to say that "only a few lots of
high grade ore have been sorted cut
and shipped is false. Oar works are
adapted and prepared for production
many times as great as the camp now
affords; yet coming here after thor
ough examination Of its prospects !;
weare stronger erin our confidence 81 the
camps future than ever. The average
grade of ore VIC hive handled thisseason
has been between $50 and 200 ounces.
Six mines are now regular PRODUCERS
and at least six more are occasional
contributors. The grade mentioned
OF course represents many times that
quantity Of ore Of agrade ofsay 20 OF.
IN other words the camp is capable
already of alarge output OF o7e Of mod
crate bu, marketable grade. Now why
should not the excellent mill of which
we believe the writer Of the article
mentioned is m 'nager, share lii the
E,%,.> 1,oJvct,~,p of tHo