Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1888-03-19
TRUTHFUL JIM. TOWNSEND.

A Characteristic Letter Discussing Car.
sous Mining Boom A New Con.
sumption Cure Novel Prospecting
Scheme-Etc.
LUNDY, CAL, March 8, 1888.
To the Editor of the Chronicle.
A mining boom must be hard
jammed on the shore of a continental
quandary when it lights on Carson.
But then, you know, the denizens of
Nevada's capital have such coaxing
way with them that they gather IN
good things as the earth attracts vag.
rant meteorites. For years they have
had the latest kind of political sur
face. diggings, and now threaten to
uncover mineral monster, compared
with which the sturdy old Comstock
is mere chalk mark ON the country
rock. They'd like to have the earth
double up and rolled in upon them
like an omelet, and proclaim sover-
eighty over everything they can see,
smell or hear. 1t is wonder that
they have not ere this smuggled into
heaven petition to have the Great
White Throne removed to Sweeny's
race track, agreeing to sort bones and
articulate skeletons on Resurrection
Day. There's nothing too big for
them to grab at or too small to over
look. They are good catchers and
dong in the REACH" with a tenacity
of grip that would appal Cape Cod
| lobster.
ANEW IDEA IN PROSPECTING.
1t is to be hoped that they may get
their augur into big bonanza. What
a howl it would elicit from Reno! BY
the way, here's suggestion for them
if they want to prospect cheaply. 1t
is worth working up. Let them adopt
the method pursued in this vicinity.
In searching for blind lodges the
Mono prospector knows better than
to employ artesian augurs. He has
an entirely new scheme, which is al
together novel and peculiarly his
own. Nearly every mine has a num-
Der of trained gophers. 1t is not gen.
orally known that these industrious
rodents are strangely infatuated by a
globule of quicksilver, but it is a
singular fact that they will follow the
shining metal as long. as they can
scratch dirt. The prospector makes
hole in the ground few inches in
depth and drops an ounce or SO Of
quicksilver into it. The gopher, be-
ing held over the hole, sees the gilt
tering stuff at the bottom and goes
for it with nervous energy. He can't
pick it up, but thinks he can, all the
same, and keeps on digging, succumb.
ing to no obstacle that leaves the
bright metal in sight. The miners
may have a dozen or so of these
infatuated borrowers boring in diff
ferent spots simultaneously. All he
has to do is to prospect the dirt thrown
out. 1t is superior proposition
Carson prospectors will do we'll to
bag the idea and utilize it. The
gopher makes more rapid progress il
his nose is covered with diamonds
like the ordinary drill.
CARSON's PROSPECTIVE CONSUMPTION
sANITAEIUM.
The Chronicle stated few day
ago that factory is about to be es
tablished in Carson for preparing
sugar pine sap for medicinal pur
poses-for the cure of consumption
That notion was exploded years ago
over the other side of the mountains
The sap is easily obtained. 1t ex
udes from the tree and becomes whit
and sugary when dry. 1t is nauseat
D ing stuff. Though very sweet, it ha
the flavor Of an overworked poultlce
d One taste is surfeit. A long tim
ago, over on Jackass Hill, DR.. Jim
: ellis started a hospital for consumpt
ives, and great furore was stirre'
4 up about the sugar-pine freshmen
Cadaverous coughers came from a
quarters to test its efficacy. Tn
sugar, when administered to the lin
g berest patient, showed immediate re
: suits. He became as stiff as II h
& had been fed on starch. In fe'
DAYS his internal arrangements wer
er al! pasted together with the stick
'e stuff, so that the doctor had to run
" wire through him to keep his howe
m open. The patients gave up III
e. ghost and the doctor gave up pra'
m tise and wen. back to pocket bunting
81 JIM's NEW CONSUMPTION CURE
y. But consumption can be cure
be This has been demonstrated beyond