The Elk Mountain pilot., 1882-01-12
ABOUT THE PROFESS4H

We clip the following from Lead
vile paper, which we think the most
unklndest Gu! of all against cur bosom,
friend, Professah Jacobs:
Much has been said lately in the
papers throughout Colorado concern
inga fellow calling himself Prof. (?)
H. S. Jacobs, and while it is claimed
that the nane OF Professor was first
given him by porter at the Powell
House in Silver Cliff, and at his own
instigation, yet we want it distinctly
understood at the out-start ofthis lette,
that when we speak Of Jacobs as Pro-
fessor, We do It in TO spirit Of ridicule,
but as 4 matter Of justice to him, as he
claims for himself great proficiency
as a Geologist and Mining Engineer,
and I donot think the Professor would
lie about his ability i'll either science.
It is true, however, that some people
in this state, do not admit his prof
cheney in these sciences. R. A. NJ.
says that Jacobs does not know, nor
could not tell, the component parts Of
a granite rock, but even if this is true,
does it necessarily follow that he may
not be VERY scientific on other rocks
Of j different age, which would entit,e
him to the handle ofProfessor attach
ed to his name, and in which he take:
so much pride?
As Mining Engineer, we think he
has no equal, not withstandlng the
contrary assertion of r. R. & Co.
In an examination around RUBY
Camp, the Professor traced the course
of a "mud' volcano by the aid Of q
"aagic wand" through aval!ey cover
ed with detritus fifty feet deep. and
underlaid by sedimentary matter that
may be from two thousand to fifty feet
deep. We know that scientific men
disapprove and discard the use of the
"magic wand' in discovering veins
of mineral or water, but nevertheless
WE believe in them. We heard Of a
blind man in this State a few years
since who found a silver vein by the
aid Of a "magic wand" but unfortu-
nately for the poor blind cuss, some
person had sunk a shaft on the same
vein, and neglected to cover it over,
and tie blind man, following the
direction pointed out by hls "magic
wand" walked into t and when found
~ :.
sora> M0ntk1 afterwards, altRot,sh
dead himself, the 'magic wand was
still true as the needle to the pole,
pointing to the mineral vein. After
such q test Of the truly astonishing
powers ofthe "magic wand' we could
not doubt its usefulness if we would
and would not if we could, but every
one knows that there Is a strong ten
dency in the public mind to detract
from genius, no matter how unpre-
tending. .
Upon one occasion, when question
ed about the truth of certain statements
made in report by him of a yalueless
mining property, in which he sought
to aid the vendor by hattering re-
port, he excuses his errors by saving
that 'lt only went TO prove that Geo
logy as science, and Mining Engi
neerlng as profession, had not
reached perfection; that in. his report
he gave what Geology taught hould
be in the mine, and if not found there.
Geology ERRED and not him. We
quote from the Report: "There Will
undoubtedly be mine here when the
ore bodies are found. The creyice
matter is favorable to the existence Of
ore. The overlapping seams of
gnelssold schistose granitic porphyry,
show an undoubted tendency to pro-
ductlv ness In rock, which may be
re-bearing. The trend of the rock
cannot be accurately ascertained, as
the country rock is metamorphic. I
would advise the sinking of 100 shafts,
100 feet deep, longitudinally on the
crevlce, and connect the shafts by a
cross-cut for ventilation-thus the
ground will be thoroughly prospected.
Ii water be encountered; it should be
pumped out. II the rock proves rich,
the mine will be valuable If the rock