The Elk Mountain pilot., 1882-07-06
Il SPECIMEN ROBERTS
MINE.

I.UIH SiC" luOIS clOquChtiy III tie
plain array of figures than any denun-
citation of Roberts methods how utter
ly unpricipled Roberts is in dealing
with the peoples money.
1t is shown upon the official repor.
of the secretary that while Geoge D.
Roberts was president of the company
the sum of slco, 900 was borrowed OF
the smelters to pay diidends SO as to
boost up the stock on the market be-
fore one cent had been earned.
1t is also shown that the stock was
sold upon the declaration that the cost
of milling the ore would be only $24,
while it actually cost ss1, very i'm
portant difference, as the deluded
stockholders have since ascertained.
But the most striking feature about
the report is the enormous sum of
S1s3,41o;2 "a which the books utterly
fail to account for.
The whole report exhibits condi-
tion of affairs that, in any other Or
ganization than a mining company,
would suffice to send all concerned to
State prison.
1t is characteristic of Roberts that,
although president of the company,
and as such bound By the laws of tire
incorporation to sign all checks, he
did not once put his signature to the
vouchers which heeced the stock
holders whose interests he held in
trust.
We have told how the Lady Bryan
hosting works were burned down,
how the Chrysollte was set on fire
how the Hukill, Freeland, Winnebago
and o. X, Little Pittsburg, Little
Chief, Robinson Consolidated, Orien-
tai and Miller and State Lines all
promoted by Roberts, have come to
grief.
This is the same mar who is now
busy floating new scheme, and We
warn the public that no matter what
the value of the Lake valley mines or
the Santa Marias may be-and there
is no satisfactory evidence yet that
they possess intrinsic nlerit-as s,lre as
George D. Roberts has hand in
their manipulation, SO sure will the
result be disaster to the project and a
dead loss to the investor.
In. few days the boom will be
started ;-don't risl; your money, but
watch the ful!llment OF this prophecy.
We take the above from the New
York Truth. Geo. D. Roberts is
only one of a notorious company, but
as an Illustration OF the unwholesome
swindies in mining operations tina,
have been perpetrated he, perhaps, is
as illustrious an example as could be
found.
Were there only one Geo. D. Rob-
erts in the history of mining swindles,
little harm might come, but the count
less lesser lights who have played Their
little tricks all along the gamut OF
mining speculations; has at last brought
the industry to that unfortunate state
where the entire business is burdened
with all the infamy. The vital ques-
ton to-day is how to put a stop to
these swlndling operations and to re-
store the business to proper and
legitimate basis.
In the fr"t place we must recognize
the fact, unfortunate though it be,
that the leeced community is not en-
tireEy blameless. The mania for spec
ulatlon, so rite among Americans, rem
ders them easy game for sharp
ers. Mining appeals only too
strongly to the imaginative and spec
ulatlve in men. and the public at
large have been only too ready to
look upon it simply as genteel form
Of gambling, and to take chances
where the only basis of gain lay in
fine words; gorgeous lies, scientific
lingo and finely engraved maps. The
men who have been swindled by these
sharpers have themselves to thank IN a
very great degree.
But In all this there is little of saw
ing grace for legitimate mining. and