Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-01-23

WESTERN STORYTELLERS THAT AS
SAVERS HAVE TO DEAL WITH

A Specimen of silver ore Worth $4,000
per IONA Mexican Specimen From
Colorado-The Mi.take IA
SwindIcr Made.
New Yorl; sun
"Somc big liars come into the assayrrs
Office once in while, - downtown
assaycr said incidentally in talk about
mining property, Tut | think the two
biggest liars | have ever seen came into
my office last summer, not together, thank
goodness. COR If they had would have
kicked them out for supposing that
might he an internal fool Instead |
listened to each, and then gave him Il
piece of my mind. The first was about
as years of age. sharpf,aturcd, long
haired and with the appearance OF
western miner He Carele>sly unwrappcd
"A ncwsIaler from "A lump Of silver ore,
and asked in business Ike way to have
it as,aved | picked up the lump and
said of hand: There's no nced of having
that assaycd. lis - per cent. silver at
first glance. And it was. 1t was about
as rich specimen rs ] had seen i'll some
time. 1t was worth at least $4,000
ton.
Dut want it assaycd, he said.
I've got drift of ore like that six feet
WHO ana | WdnJ W SUI IL. uOu NdHJ
10 lie about it. and | want 10 know Just
what it is worth
About four days after the assay four or
five respectable old gentlemen came into
the Office together and one OF them un.
wrapped piece of ore, and said: Will
You please assay this for us? We are
thinking of buying a silver mine, and this
is some of the ore. What do you think it
is WORTH
"Fxcusc me, but l have assaycd this
ore within five days, said.
"'l -e-e-s, the spokesman OF the party
said, hcsiatingly. We understand that
it has been assaycd, but we thought it
would he safer to have it H>Naycl for us
particularly. How much did you make it
out to he WORTH
Twelve or fifteen thousand dollars
ton, | said not wishing to be too particu-
lar at first, I'll see.
awhile | was looking over my record
book | noticed the gentlemen looking
knowingly at one another.
1T was $4,000, | remarked, turning
toward them. 1t didn't start them bit.
That's pretty rich, isn't it,
Decidedly 50. Where's the miner
asked
I'm Colorado. We have drift there
six feet wide.
( olorado,' | exclaimed. That ore
never has seen Colorado. That's from
some Mexican mine
Il knew what | was talking about when
! said that, because | can pick out Color
ado ore IRON 1000 specimens. | can pick
out ore from the Comstock lode anywhere
you put it. After getting few more
particulars about the man who wanted to
sell the mine said Gentlemen don
want YOU taken in by anybody, and espcc-
An, Of tarn mi ~ n
sharps Instead of taking my word for
this assay 90 to somebody else, and I've
no doubt you'll lind many who will be as
honest with Won rs | intend to tie, and
have your ore assayed. Take some of
this dust with you and see if it be like
your ore.
" But we can buy this mine for only
So, $50, the first speaker said.
If you can find mine where the ore
is all like that, ! said. IN find men who
will give you 10000 600 for IT, That
isn't true specimen, and, besides it ism
from Colorado It's rich lind from
some old mine in Mexico.
They looked rather gum and went
out / really pitcd them. The next
day the western man came in to see me.
gave il to him hot. Look here, | said,
we've had lust about enough OF such feel
lows as you are around here. Wien you
come on here to sell a mine, don t try tC
palm of Mexican ore tor Colorado ore
Take my advice, and don show that lump
TO any miner because he will know ii in 4
minute Now skip
Il have never seen the old gentlemen
since. | guess they found somebody who
told them the truth as | did.
The other chap was short, dumpy
fellow. lie wanted 10 have everything
very secret. He had piece of ore that
knew was Mexican, and it was long time
before | could get anything out of him
At length he said I'm commercial
traveller. and while | was in Mexico thi
summer struck an old trail over tn,
mountains that, thought, would take mt
by short cut to where | wanted to go.
took it, but it was the roughcsl ground
ever struck. About noon | was almost
overcome and dropped oil my mul,
near a SHADY place to catch nap ant
rest My mule, that was wandering
about, awOke me after IA while ny nearly
stepping on me. In pulling my banke
oil the hump that hal scrvc'
as 2 pillow, noticed that tn
rock sparkled 1t struck me all at ono
that it " silver, and | looked around l.
see if there were any o,hcr rock
like that don't know whether you'll
believe it, but a short distance oil tie trai
Inc ground was covered Win tlclll.
picked up about twenty pounds an
packed them on my mule and started 70
the nearest settlement didn't say amy
thing to anybody in that neghborhood
and didn't dare to have the ore assaye
until got to IL raso But | inquire
about the price of land. and found coul
buy that piece OF ground for nbol
$4,000 I've come Oh here to raise thi
and then start a mine What do you thin
the ore is WORTH
IL took the fellow all in and said; Di
you pick this of the groundF
4 ertainly. he replied.
Was it in this condition.
~Of course, he answered, although
was beginning to be frightened.
"'Ihon you are the biggest liar | hav
ever seen, said very decidedly.
"Thc fcl ow WINGED, and continued
'YoI don't know anything about ore, al
a l. l,t a. si,,u