The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1889-01-24
OPENING UP A MINE.
How the Prospector Entiees the Capitalist
Into the Speculation.

Working n gold mine sounds very
nice, but very few people are aware of
the difficulties and expense attending
this operation.
There are plenty of men in this city
who have been "bitten" in small min
ing schemes, and who do not now un-
derstand why they were failures, says
the New York Herald. 1t is a very
common thing for some hopeful pros
pector to stumble across ''croppings'
that show free gold, and that, from all
appearances, could be worked to ad-
vantage with the expenditure of
little money.
The first thing the prospector does
is to "think up" some capitalistfriend
whom he thinks would be willing to
invest in the enterprise. He then
writes a letter something after this
fashion:
81 have one of the finest PROPOSE
tions ever heard of. l have discovered
groupings that indicate the presence of
ledge eight feet wide. and which L
am certain will be found permanent.
''The groupings show that the ore
will mill at least $25 per ton. Let us
say, then, that the ore will only yield
half this amount.
''This mine can be worked-that is,
the ore can be mined and milled-at a
minimum cost of $3 per ton. This
will leaye a net profit of, say, s.. Now
the groupings SHOW along the surface
for two hundred feet below. There Is
no doubt that the ore will hold out,
and after the tunnel is run there will
he I'm sight practically twenty-five
thousand tons of ore, which at So per
ton, will, as you will readily see, yield
profit of $200.000.
''All | need is enough money to run
this tunnel. | can then haul the ore to
il custom mill (there is one about u
mile distant,) and after that the mine
will pay for itself. l only need 1000
at the outside, and if you will put up
this amount you may have half ill.,
terest in the property"
On paper this is Il fine proposition.
A sure fortune for 5000. The capt.
alist is caught, and up goes his 50, 900.
The first thing to be done is to drive
tunnel into the solid rock some eight
feet square and a distance of 200 feet.
! A double shift of men, say eight, are
hired, also blacksmith to sharpen
the tools, men to clear away The
ground. etc. This can easily be ac'
complished for $50 a day. A house ol
cabin has to be built, but this will only
cost some $500. Powder. tools. tim
bers, lumber, and provisions will make
the first 81 900, to use II popular ex
preston, "look awful sick"
For the first few days the work pro
crosses favorably, and the capitals
receives tho most encouraging letter:
from his mining friend. After that the
letters are less frequent and not nea
so encouraging.
The miners have 'sstruck a horse.
This is generally some rock about a
easy to drill through as SO much cast
steel. A hole six inches deep may b'
drilled into the rock in about tel
hours, and when the giant powder car
tridges are put into this hole the,
shoot out as if from Il cannon.
There may be ten feet of this sort O
work, there may be fifty; at any rate
before the difficulty has been over
] come, some $1,000 or more has bee
sunk in the enterprise, aud the grOun
scarcely scratched.
Ofcourse more money will be demand
ed, and then still more until the CAP
| lGsIlloO pCSOIllCo anu Huieo SAi
. thing altogether. This is the way
: generally works
Difficulties are not only encOuntere
) in running a tunnel or sinking a shat
such as the caving in of the work, II
belliOus rock, and Others too numerOU
to mention; but it is often discuvere
after the tunnel has been ruu the d,
sired length that it should have bee
run in some other place.
To estimate the actual cost of I'll
opening up of mine from the '.gra'
roots" would be II very difficult matte
Under the most favorable circumstaI
ces, however, unless pocket or bunc
of very rich ore is encountered, frOI
; 100000. to 500 may be set down 4
a very close figure to put mere ''prn'
, pect" in paying condition.
As much sometimes as 5000, 600 a!
spent in opening mp II mine hef"r
!; any ''mouey" is taken out. All th
: refers merely to those "lttle" mnin
propositions or ''tlyers,' as they al
called. in which the uninitiated, in til
, hope of becoming millionaires on
"dollar" Investment. come out in Il
) most every instance at the small end {
, the horn.