The Clifton clarion., 1888-06-27
The Solid Basis.

For some reason the impression too generally prevails that, in ad- dition to being an uncertain and risky business, partaking largely of the character of a lottery, min ing is also unproftable, and that in the aggregate the money in vested largely exceeds the tangi- ble results. The most careful in vestigation of the facts in the case most thoroughly disprove the common belief, and give strong reason for the claim, that under the same obstacles no ordinary in- dustry could prevent such favor able showing or such large divi- dends upon the time and capital which has been given to it's devel- opment. In comparison with oth- CT lines of business it may be readily perceived that the estab- lished enterprises of the country are chiefly in the hands of experi- enced men, who have been trained for years to fill the positions they now occupy, while to large ex- tent the history of mining shows that the record of its failures and mistakes in most instances, has resulted from inexperience and incompetency.
 It is well understood that farm ing, banking, or merchandising cannot be trusted Tn the hands of those without proper knowledge or acquaintance with the business with any certainty of success, while the rule has been too gen. eral, so far as mining is concerned, of placing important enterprises where large sums of money were at stake, and extensive operations were to be conducted, in charge of those who were entirely without knowledge or experience. The fact that results have been so favorable under the circumstances is one of the strongest proofs pos sible of the real vitality and breadth of resource of the great industry whose development and record to the present time, consid- ering all things, is most remark able.
 In most of the established lines of enterprise ln which men engage the road is by no means new, the points are carefully and strongly marked by the experience and wisdom of centuries of usage and custom. The changes which are to be met are not sudden, but gen erally indicated in advance, so that proper preparations may be made. Certain limits of safety are clearly outlined, so that sue cess would seem to be more legiti- mately the rule than failure, yet a careful investigation shows a large per cent. of loss, failure and dang CT, along this well-beaten and plainly marked way, and small margin of profit. On the other hand, the mining industry, up to the present time, has labored un- der many serious difficulties, and been opposed by stupendous ob- stacles, and its product has been secured at the highest possible cost, and in the beginning it had been called upon to overcome such adverse circumstances as would have paralyzed any other busi- ness. Where scientific geological knowledge was required to locate and follow mineral veins, ignor- ance was given the position of manager; where chemical pro- ficiency was necessary to obtain the best results from the combina- tion of ore, men who never saw a mineral bearing rock were sent out as superintendents. Mills were purchased before the mlne was located, and scores of other operations as absurd and foolish were common. Lack of transpor- tation facilities and high cost of supplies added largely to the ex- pense of production, and limited the profitable product of the p,ipoo oc well oo p,ofor,o1lx, ro