The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-12-19
LDenver Col News.l
Scientific Mining. .

A few evenings since, a couple of mining
men, both strangers to each other, met in the
reading room Of the Walker House. The con-
| versation turned on the mineral development
of the West, and presently one Of the men re-
marked, "If you want to see mining on big
scale, just go to South Utah"
How big?" said the other, quietly.
"Why, the Big Hole mine that am connect
ed with, has the deepest shaft and the biggest
workings in the world"
"How deep?" said the little man.
sYou can't measure it, because If we stopped
work long enough to see how the shaft was, it
would materially interfere with the bullion
product. When boy falls down that shaft he
strikes the bottom a grandfather"
sYou must have big payroll"
1--WE used to send money down to the hands
in cages until the workings got so deep that we
didn't get the Winter account settled until way
along in the Spring. So we started a bank and
telegraphed money orders, that system saved
us such an awful wear and tear on the cages
The miners live down there and rear their fam
lies. They got an underground city bigger n
Salt Lake, with regular charter and municip-
al election twice year and have horse racing
every Saturday. Finest four mile track In the
world, lit with electric light. No mud, no dust,
always in the same condition. Perfect paradise
for sports. What do you think of that for
| miner
Here the stranger, who was a Californian,
threw his leg carelessly over the arm OF chair
and lighting fresh cigar, replied In deep,
earnest tone:
ssI don't think much of your mine. You work
too much for small results. When your mine
PLAYS out you have lot of old machinery on
your hands, and where are you? You mine af-
| Ter primitive methods, like all new countries
| It takes experience and head work to tackle
the industry in the proper shape. With your
mine you must be en- the ground In person,
and have any amount of men to look after this
department or that. Now, have bigger
mine than yours 1t is located in Storey conn
ty, somewhere in the northern part, believe,
and / run it quite up to the handle with one OF
two assistants"
cit might be pretty deep, If II allowed the
men to rush forward and ovordo the thing but
at present there is no shaft at all.
''HoistiDg works up?'
"No; "no hoisting works-not il know 1t;
You can fool away great deal Of good hard
coin on noisting works.
'How in thunder do you run your mine?"
"On the assessment plan. sir, That's the
latest and most improved method. We have
big map of the mine hung up in the company's
Office, made by one of the most competent ar
lists on the coast. Now, when we have good
map of the lower workings we don't need any
| works to speak OF. keep man IN Narglnla
| at $50 a month to superintend the location and
| write weekly letters, and stay in San Francis
| co in my office on Pine street, and levy the as
sessments every sixty days; that's as often as
| the law allows. Im the president, board OF
| trustees, secretary, treasurer and everything
| more especially the treasurer. OF course
| draw salary fer all the offices, and when l get
through drawing salaries turn the rest over
to the agent in Virginia to pay off the hands.
| By not employing any hands, be saves enough
| to pay himself. This is what consider scien-
| tifc mining, sir. You get the silver out OF the
! pockets of the stockholders and leave the vast
arqentifefous and auriferous deposits in your
| claim for your children, who can go right
ahead and develope the mineIiust as soon as the
public quit putting up, which isn't at all likely
| to happen. AS soon as a man drops on the
| game he dies, and the newcomers all have to
! learn for themselves. As long as people are
being born In Nevada and California my mine
! will run on like o chronometer clock.
sButn said the Utah man, my style OF min
| ing keeps lots of men at work. y
ESQ does mine, 'quoth the Golden Gate chap
ssThousands of men are working night and day
| to pay tbs assessments. 1t Keeps the country
as busy as beehive" and the speaker saun-
tered to the telegraph Office to oorder assessment
| No 36.