The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-15
THK NATuE rNTMIIGENCEK NOVEMBER is 1886

avrzsc sheir iaaussxy. BY unaersakin9
tasks which xhey have not ne means -
carry shrousA- a man at scns cAps.ai
who had sought IN snscrese win RAY
hara-wo-tsnx r<ospec.er. rssnafas0 y ="
writer regarding hxs partner
.-Scme % these sesso~s have no nag
rsenI Thar man started &ae srosscoS
on q uaonth's grues.Aks and ne n&o 20
give me hall his claim 70 help nfm cat-
A notable Instance % wasted labor - tns
case Of e-Scosty" Crawford. Wao osso 10
live In . solitary cabin . nile or more
from Monte Crsxo. wfsssin sight o. tho
raslroad He worked sor years on tun-
mel several hundred feet lcag. which ~ no
time showed sign Of mineral he Was
religious monomaaiac. dsvt<rng nis VINE
between the tunnel and his Bible. ana per-
sssred In trusting In the Lord" 10 kusus
him TO NE ore. He finally became nope-
aessly insane and was committed 10 sas
insane asylum ~ Steiiacocsn-
. rae Hopeful visienary.
Prospecsors are too often nos lifted oy
character or experience for conaucuns
business negotiations 20 success1u y
cue. They ara naturally prone 20 form ex-
axrerased oufnfons of the value OF Their
discoveries and TO place exohsans prices
upon them. They often pick up the ricnest
pieces Of ore Srom their cinsmk. gel naen
assays from them aud then fool them
selves into the belief that those assays
present . fair average of their ieoge ana
advance the price accordingly they xoFK
year after year, s4.ut themselves on from
csvsIsxatsou ana live on rough fare In iso-
lated cabins far OF In the mountains mop
Ing that some man viii come aiong anu
roy them q fabulous price when VIII en-
able them TO live * ease the rest OF tner
days. They scorn eli smaller oaers ana.
Ike child. reach out for the moon One
man admitted that he had been onered
ZOO for Q low grade ledge OF great sixe
which could only be developed by very
large investment. and sAsd thai no would
not accept . dollar less than Ssp.uos AZ
this time he and his large family were
almost In rags and were said 70 lack even
the means OF subsistence. but the man
would not hate one dollar OF his price on
this account Others were continually
adding TO their holdings by purchase or
new locations ana keeping themselves
poor In cash IN order to be rich In pros
poets.
Illustrating this point, q story 10 related
of two proopectors who went out toGetncr
from Spokane ami made q group OF gooo
locationS- One of them-cau him smith
received . moderate cash offer ana took
Il; the ethereal him Jones-hefd out for
locations and sold them TO the frst man
who offered him cash Brown also MADE
more. bought others and continued 20 nold
them. When winter act IN, Brown mad
large number Of claims. but no cash 10
live on till spring. much less do MS as
sessment work the following season.
Smith had $4,000 cash and no claims 10
worry him.
Another man Of the practical sort was
met in Boundary creek district. He told
how, after he had done half days work
on q claim. he was offered $500 for II. Il
took it," a,s said: II thought that was
pretty good wages" He went out and
shortly after made another location on
which he d.d three days work and then
accepted 1900 cash for It, That was not
quite good wages as before, out TX was
good enough" he said
Dodring Assesament Work.
But there are scores of men who hold as
many as 50 claims by themselves or Jointly
with others, and. ii they comply with the
law, keep themselves poor doing assess
ment work. But there are tricks for dodg-
ting the assessment law. man VIII post
his notice. but omit to record a location,
trusting that any other prospector, ON
finding the notice. will not examine the
records. but take it FOR granted that all
requirements OF the law have been OBJ
served. II he has any fears on this score.
the schemer WI; hasten to the county seat
TO record his location before the new
conner can reach 1t: otherwise ne viii not
do a stroke Of work, but change the name
and date on the notice the following year
In this manner men have held Claims year
after year without str;king a pick snto
them. shutting out others who might DO
a fair amount and thereby help forward
development The prospectors OF DIS
trict frequently stand by one another In
warning of men who would take up
claims held in this manner and whom they
regard as jumpers, or by throwing on
stacies In their way. The suspension or
the law requiring assessment work IN the
years 1923 and 1884, while II was great
heip to those who on account or the gen.
erai depression, would otherwise have
lost their claims. Is considered By some to
have hsndered development by preventing
mineral land from passing into the nands
OF men better able 70 comply with the law.
This act Of ressef. however. proved boon
TO many a man who had previously Done
all that was required OF him. but found
himself unable 10 do more than earn his
daily bread without doing labor which
was only remotely remunera;ive.
New Race Of Prospectors.
The prospectors of the present genera
ton are unlike those of earlier times In
that many OF them work at other occupa-
tons for a great part of the year, at least
during the winter and only 60 into tho
mountains for the summer months. There
are among them men Of every calling. not
only from the country. but from the cites.
farmers being In The majority. Ether
they have altogether abandoned their
former calling or they pursue II only IN
the winter. but they s,iOre,ain the habits
OF rife and thought formed by II. The
old-sryls prospector. who Dc at home no.
where except In ire mountains. n thus left
IN the minority and the character OF the
camps is changing with that of the men
who occupy them. The old roll;ckinx.
drinking. gambling and shooting fellows
depicted by the novelists Of the early days
of western settlement have passed away
and ou.eter. steadser ard soberer class
OF men has taken Their place. more pro-
sale and furnishing poorer matsria! for
writers OF fiction. bat forming a more de-
..rable element In the community and do
ing more solid work for the country. In
sexicsrnr liquors are rarely taken Into
the mountains. and then are reserved for
emergencies. and the opening az saloons
only follows tho development of a mine.
erection OF mill and consequent change
from q camp into = permanent town. Even
playing cards are not often seen At
cabin. Tobacco Is the one luxury allowed
and many consider that more necessary
than some articles OF food Commencing
on his fact. a man who had 20 pack ev-
eryth.ng on hts back % miles remarked;
A Tobacco Famine.
III a man runs out OF meat ne VIII say.
Well. I'll DO without II he runs out OF
noar he VIII gay: I'll eat beans lie runs
otss OF beans ard says. IN eat spt9s'
hut = he runs out OF tobacco. he says: I