Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-08-24
Better Understanding.

In connection with the improvements
in mining machinery of all classes, which
are making rapid advances from year to
year, it is TO be hoped that an equal i'm.
provemont in knowledge concerning the
proper use of mechanism used in mining
operations may prevail. The history oil
past activity in almost every mining field
is marked by monuments of folly in
which the wrecks OF mining plants are n
prominent feature. There appeared for
time to be tendency in the minds of
those commencing the work OF extracting
the ore from the earth, to Immediately
invest in some kind of miningmachinery,
even, in some instances, before the loca-
tion was determined upon, or the mine
secured, and in hundreds of cases, GER
tainly before the character of the ore
was determined or the requirements of
the mine fully investigated and Under
stood. The results of such procedure
might easily have been foretold from the
beginning, as it could only in exceptional
cases have come to different conclu-
sion.
One peculiar feature of all disastrous
operations, is that in no case so far has
tho failure been attributed to the real
cause, but the ignorance, inexperience
and rascality OF operators have all been
covered with n shadow of reproach cast
upon the fair name OF the great mining
industry, whose future will vindicate its
true character, and show in the clearest
light the mistakes and pertidy OF those
who have attempted by false misrepres-
entations to cover the record of their
own mistakes.
II business man should make an
investment in saw or grist mill, he
would not be likely to send either to a
loca lity where neither timber nor grain
was produced, or could not be procured,
and it would be certainly strange If he
should intrust the management OF either
to parties who were totally inexperi-
enced and ignorant concerning the
duties they were to perform. Should
he, however, for any reason, make such
mistake, it would require no unusual
foresight to predict the result so far as
the financial investment was concerned.
Yet the history of mining operations is
marked by thousands of instances which
show more lamentabe lack of the first
principles necessary to insure success.
So frequent have been the mistakes, so
certain and unanimous have been the
results, so often and almost without ex-
ception the loss and disappointment, that
the people, not fully comprehending the
cause, have generally come to the con-
clusiou that the cause of the failure must
lie in the mine or ores themselves. The
most positive assurances of permanency,
profit and success is held in public opin-
ION to be almost synonym for uncer-
tainty, loss and failure.
For a time this industry must suffer
from this unjust reproach, which has
been cast upon it by those anxious to
hide their own mistakes and misdeeds,
but the indsputable record of substan.
tial output, the steady returns from care
| ful investments, and most thorough in
vestigation OF al facts connected with its
history and development, will at last
place it in its true position before the
people, and capital will again seek it as
one of the most reliable and safest fields
wherein it can operate.
When this time comes there will be
need even for miners themselves to learn
something from the experience of the
past, and labor more faithfully for the
interest of the future OF their camp and
locality, and less for present and selfish
advantage. Chicago ReUie,C.
II the BIa inc bands get out OF march