The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1889-03-02
OPENING A MINE.
An Operation Which Devours Many Thou'
sands of Dollars.

An Operation which DevOurs many Ino0s
sands of Dollars.
Working vnd 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 mining
schemes. and who do not now under
stand why they were failures. 1t is
very common thing for some hopeful
prospector to stumble across ''crop-
pings" that show free gold, and that.
from all appearances, could be worked
to advantage with the expenditure of a
little money.
The first thing the prospector does is
to "think up" some capitalist friend
whom he thinks would be willing to
invest in the enterprise. He then
writes letter something after this
fashion:
II have one OF the finest propositions you ever
heard OF. have discovered groupings that In
dicate the presence of ledge feet wide, and
which am certain will be found permanent.
1.-THE groupings show that the ore will mill at
will only yield half this amount
This mine can be worked--that is the ore
can be mined and milled-at q minimum cost OF
g per ton. This will leave net profit of, say,
D.. Now the groupings show along the surface
| for 300 feet and are so situated that tunnel
could be run 200 feet below. There is no doubt
that the ore will hold out. and after the tunnel
IL run there will be in sight practically 5000
| tons Of ore. which, at % . ton, WILL as you win
| readily see Weld profit OF &200.000.
IAN need is enough money to run this tun-
| mel. lean then haul the ore to custom mil
| there is one about q mile distant), and after
that the mine will pay for itself. only need
5000 at the outside, and il YOU viii put up this
amount you may have half interest In the
property"
On paper this is fine proposition.
A sure fortune for 200. The capital
list is caught and up goes his $4,000.
The first thing to be done is to drive
a tunnel into the solid rock some feet
square and 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 accomplished for $50
a day. A house or cabin has to be
built, but this will only cost some $500.
Powder, tools, timbers, lumber and
provisions will make the first $1,000, to
use popular expression, "look awful
sick"
For the first few days the work
progresses favorably, and the capital
list receives the most encouraging let
tiers from his mining friend. After that
the letters are less frequent and not
near so encouraging.
The miners have ''struck a horse.
This is generally some rock about as
easy to drill through as so much cast
steel. A hole six inches deep may be
lrilled into the rock in about ten hours,
and when the giant powder cartridges
are put into this hole they shoot out as
If from a cannon.
There may be 10 feet of this sort OF
work, there may be so; at any rate
before the difficulty has been over
come, some 81, 900 or more will have
been sunk in the enterprise, and the
ground scarcely scr atched.
OF course more money will be de.
manded, and then still more until thu
capitalist becomes disguised and quit
the thing all together. This is the wa
it generally works.
Difficulties are not only encounters
in running tunnel or sinking shaft
such as the caving in of the work
rebellious rock and others too numerou
to mention; but it is often discovers
after the tunnel has been run the dc
sired length that it should have bee
run in some other place.
To estimate the actual cost OF tn
opening up of mine from the "gras
roots would be avery difficult matter
Under the most favorable circun
stances, however. unless pocket
bunch of very rich ore is encounters
from $50, 900 to $75, 900 may be set dow
as a very close figure to put met
prospect" in paying condition.
As much sometimes as 100000 al
spent in opening up mine before an
r.money" is taken out All this refer
merely to those s'little'' mining propt
sitions or '.Ayers." as they are called
in which the uniuitiated. in the hor
/, of becoming millionaires on a 'dollar
investment, come ont in almost evel
!, instance at the small end of the horn
N. Y. Herald.
!, Safe Burial Of Bowlders.