Arizona weekly citizen., 1890-05-03
SHOW IT UP.

There are at present some gentlemen in this city who came direct from the east for the purpose of investing in mines in this territory. In conversation with one of the party, yesterday, We were led to the belief that they have anything but a favorable impression of this vici nifty for a field of mineral investment, for the simple reason that the proper ties hereabouts are not developed to such an extent as to warrant judicious investment of capital. Claims which have been placed upon the market, and Induced these men to visit our ter ritory for the purpose of investing in the same, have turned out to be nothing more than prospect holes. This practice should be discontinued at once. The miner scannot expect to dispose of a mine, for a fabulous sum, when he him self has no idea of its merits or demerits Nothing retards the mineral industry of any community more than false repre- sentations. The miner himself may possibly be imbued with the belief that his pot-hole mine contains fabulous riches, but will this fact alone induce a shrewd business ssman to invest in the same-invest in property the merits of which are unknown? The capitalist might as we'll go out in the hills, select himself a gopher hole, and sell unto himself the same for a reasonable" sum. He would have an equal chance of profit. There is not the least shadow Of doubt that Arizona is one of the greatest mineral countries in the world, and one in which the poor man has an equal chance to develop as that of the rich, but he must bear in mind that mines-no matter how rich the country may be-are not found on the surface soil. Too often the prospector hies him self unto the nearest town, after finding a good indication" and there awaits development of his property. When a buyer does come along, there is nothing to induce him to invest. He sees a small shaft-10 or 20 feet deep-and an assay of some of the ore taken out. There was a time when such properties might have been sold for reasonable" sums, but the day is long past. The tenderfoet capitalist of today is a re- markedly shrewd man, and it will take something more than mere ''indications' to make him part with his shekels. This method of mining has done more to the deiriment of our mineral industry than can be readily perceived. Develop your mines before you attempt to seek a buyer. Have mine to offer, and not gopher hole. There is unlimited capital awaiting investment in Arizona mines; let the miner polish few more drill heads over his property and unearth some of the ore that acts as founda- ton, as it were, to this territory, and some day he will be rewarded for his toll. There are hundreds of mines" all over this territory that have been worked until a pay streak was found, the discovery of which seemed to have acted as an excuse to discontinue opera tlons; the poor miner undergoes all manner of toll and hardship to unearth a little ore, and at a time when he should determine the value of his prop erty and thereby realize his reward, he quits work and hunts the earths surface for purchaser. There IS many a man in Arizona to-day who has pursued this proitless course, and who would under ge decided financial change if he spent as much energy in the propulsion of a pick-head as he now does in his search of buyer.