Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1886-08-27
For Amateur Miners.

| olnce the discovery OF gold in the
Cour d'Alene country not only has the
western heart been scorched, but the
eastern entrail has been somewhat
singed with the '.yellow" fever. Cow.
boys, who have spent their lives a,
bookkeeping, and road agents, who
have devoted themselves to CARVING
the missionary box through the aisles
OF the deadly Sunday school, are spring
ing up in every community along the
seaboard and preparing themselves for
the arduous functions of vigilance COM
mlttee secretaryships. Tried and ex-
perienced miners who for years have
been digging around in claims that
paid from sc to $40 per week, are crop
ping out and talking "leads'' and ..lev-
els" with zcst and finish that staeger
the amateurs of 40. BROOKLYN has
caught the symptoms in greater or
less degree and the amount of back
yard practice in the arts and manners
of miners is appalling.
For the information of those who
have tried practical mining theoretic-
ally little advice or two may be in
tcresting and instructive.
To be miner one must habituate
the hip bones to the constant presence
of buck pistol. No matter how much
bark it rubs off the system, the pistol
must be there, or the dirt don't pan. A
man without pistol may dig for
months without results. while the fell
low in the next hole. with the eight
pound weapon strapped over the bend
in his body will toss up gilt by the
bucket. The outcrop has nothing to
do with it and the existence of vein
right at the edge of the pit is utterly
unimportant. The chap without gun
ge S no metal.
A bowie knife down the back of the
neck is the second element in success
full mining, Thousands of men have
attempted to get on without it, and
they unanimously testify that quartz
won't rise an inch. A man MIGHT be
turned loose in mint and starve to
death unless the knife was properly
placed, with the handle sticking right
up under the ear. Don't try to succeed
without it. 1t may come little awk-
ward at first, but you can practice fall
ing down stairs with stair rod under
your vest until you get tho suspension
OF the business.
Thirdly, brethren, You want a red
shirt. 1t costs $18 dozen to get the
white article washed in the mines, and
the best paying claim in the district
turns to pyrites before starch. The
shirt must be red and button up the
front. A man in the Black Hills once
created a prejudice against himself in
a garment that fastened up behind, for
his nejghbors protested a want of stock
in shirt front that wouldn't look a
man in the face. The boots should
come to the knee and Offer refuge for
the legs of the trousers. This is the
walking costume. For full dress when
you turn out to tree man you lust
pull the trousers out and then you are
complete. You never know when you
will have to assume look of stern de-
termination and infexible purpose.
You may be called on to do a dull thud
act at any moment, and you might
practice on the servant girl. Hang her
up in the yard two or three times
week until you get the grim purpose
fixed in your mind and then shoot her
Sunday mornings, so as to perfect
yourself in tho ''cold drop" business.
You might gobble her salary in order to
get the claim jumping dodge down
fine, and then stab her every day or
two to show her she has tackled the
wrong bad man.
You want a wide hat Tho wider
the better. The more Gains borough
you can get the further it will carry
you. But to wear it 50 the front won't
get mixed up with your grub and
prayers takes long and patient effort.
The band around it should be full of
pockets for cartridges and the top
should have hole in it to show what
the revenue officers did when you were
a oonshiner.
When you have figured yourself out
so you can walk in the boots, keep cool
in the shirt. quit filling your back teeth
with the hat. twist your head without
carving it off with the knife and bend
over without firing the pistol bullets
into your leg, you will be a miner. You
don't want any pick, shovel or pit.
There is no need OF a claim, interest or
even grub stake. just go right out to
the diggings and walk around. You'll |
get rich. Don't be alarmed about re-
suits. If you don't catch any dust
you IL be so rich in pure lead before
you've been four hours in the regions
that you can only distinguish yourself
rom shot tower by the ability of the
tower to stand alone while you are
riced up to black jack to keep you
rom dropping through tho mountain.
Try it. young man. And if your execu-
ors and creditors don't wish you had
tuck to the entry clerks desk it will
'e owing to you're having slipped
In on these ;pstrpctions haro |