, 1888-12-06


property to fulfill its promise but to th
mine owners themselves, and / canno
better describe the reasons why thai
In the following clipping from tn
| Mining and Scientific Press:
| We have often, says correspondent o
the Idaho Springs News, heard capitalist
such expressions IA; ~ put $4,000 in I
/, hole in Colorado A friend of mine wen
broke on mining venture out there" Ii
fact they cannot find words harsh enough
IN denounce mining as swindle. lt 1,
very plain that men who utter such talk al
this have been "sold" in some manner on
q mine. The questions then arise-how
and by whom? The answer nine out ol
ten tim,s Is by their own stupidity.
Mining is as much legitimate business
as the mercantile pursuits of amy. busi'
ness man in st. Louis. would like to
ask capitalists who have thrown away
thousands of dollars by their own folly
this question: Suppose you take q man
who from his boyhood up has followed the
life Of sailor. You may say to this man
grocery in st. Louis (you meanwhile liv-
ing in New York;, and / want you to take
charge of it," Would not venture like
this be q faiurep Whyp Because the
man at the helm was not fitted for that
particular line of business. And yet,
when q mine is sold TO a company of East
ern capitalists, the first move on the part
of the new company Is to appoint II. Al
Qernon Sidney, the dude son of the di.
rector who bought the most stock, super
inte ndent Of the mine, with salary of
$4,000 year. Did the gentle Algernon
ever mine beforep Never. And yet he
takes charge of mine. 1t Is like placing
landsman at the helm of o steamer cross
ing the Atlantic. Algernon duly arrives
to assume his new duties. His
sisting of fine dress suits, several dozen
white shirts, collars and cuffs, articles in
valuable to dudes toilet, a $50 fishing
rod, $3.50 gun, his favorite billiard cue, a
sad.eyed bull dog and trunk full of nov
els ITO kill time In the beastly place, as
he himself puts it. He arrives at the
mine, and great is his amusement when
he finds that the mine is "down'stairs."
as he indicates the shaft. He hesitates
somewhat about putting on overalls. to be
shown through the mine, fearing that he
might be taken for workman. He would
not have the Brown girls see him in that
garb for the world. We admit that he
can sing all of the "Mikado" and white
Wings" beautifully, but the dirt.passer on
the second level, who howls THE Dying
Cowboy" in tuR-boat soprano, can come
nearer making mine pay than he can.
AlRernon may be an expert at lawn tennis,
A No. at billiards; bat Bill Smith. the
champion pio-eater of the camp, can tell to
a dollar what the third level west can be
run for. Algernon can't. But why speak
any further on this subjectP Keep your
Algernons back East. Put them behind
the ribbon counters where they belong.
Place honest and experienced miners in
charge OF your mines; you can find them
in every camp in Colorado. DO this, and
there will be more paying, and less non.
paying mines throughout the state; and
instead of condemning mining, you will
praise it as the best investment you ever
made"
What we need is capital in the hands of
experienced men. Give us Bill smith
give us anybody. But for God sake fire
your Algernons. A MINE OWNER.
EDITOR REVIEW Your article on min
ing losses in to.day's REVIEW meets the
of all who read it, and especially
myself, as it dwells upon the Colville
where have held mining inter-
ests for the past twenty years. In my
opinion the writer is right when he says
it ia not the country's fault that large
mines have not been opened, but that of
the mine owners. am satisfied that the
Colville country will prove. when devel-
oped, one of the richest mining camps in
the Northwest. But when"A Mine Owner "
quotes the article from the Mining and
Scientific Press" as a comparison | am
compelled to call him to account.
Where in all this vast Colville mining
country can you find one mine owned or
operated by an Eastern company. 1t
would be far better for the country If q
few Eastern companies would buy and
operate the mines there. Even under the
management of o few "Algernons' the
country could not be worn of, or the mines
more badly managed, than they are under
the ownership of mechanics, saloon.keep'
ers, clerks, farmers and merchants, who
not alone know little of mining, but have
not the means to gain experience. AL
gernon" would at least have the advantage
Of plenty Of Eastern capital to teach him
mining, which money would help the
country while he was helping himself to
acquire the necessary knowledge of max
ing a successful miner.
Therefore, say, give US more "AlRer'
mons" with plenty of Eastern capital be-
hind them, and for God sake relieve III
of the tradesmen and mechanics who are
trying to operate our mines.
MINING EXPERT.
MOODYS FAREWELL.
He Makes Successful Appeal For the