The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-22
Mining AS A BUSINESS.

capital IN snfr@s - ths erronecus snrr~@-
gxnsnse. TaEs popular error Vas be9ozsrn
By tee szYxa ezene=t OF luck which entered
into rsalnx dur1rG IN early Days m the
West. sezxfy - years ago. Al that tine
krcr5exxe Of thu rAsIre % mineral dxpos-
ffx IA .Agz country was. relatively. IN fss
Infancy. and thus prospecting and mining
were r1rsa more q game of hsf ar miss
thar shsy are now Theories zs 20 the
country for-ratscr "a which = mineral belt
zEgns De scu-ss and a. 20 the rock which
wozst % ras-erzi-5enrsnx. were evolved
from s-zrts~sr k.oxsstxe o< the past. oasy
20 Dc dsscrcyes Or the discovery OF some
prosnorto- wssc worked I'd defiance OF
them. Eacn rev discovery forced . re-
vision % the theory. Tor II compelled the
theorists 10 take into consideration conds-
tsosrs WATCH had beer prevsossssN unknown.
This has happened - often that gscsoggssx
ard rsserzsoxssfs are reiScexnf 20 advances
AIRY theories sor the guidance o. prospect
ors ard fzlI hack upon the saying: Geld
IL where X Is found" But after IL 10 found
sssedr sclsntsfc knowledge and practical ex-
Ysesrfence c0rnc into pay IN determining
whether the prospect IS good enough TO be
made into a mine. They car determine
whether the rzlnerai-o4artng rock is In
trsse assure or contact ledge. whether the
walls are solid enough TO warrant the be-
LEI that Il continues 20 q great depth:
what amount 0s pay Gre IL contains and
whether the character or value OF that ore
- likely TO change a. il 10 followed down
into the earth. what plan OF development
viii Dc best Ia each case, and what II VIII
cost: what process al reduction TO adopt:
what machinery to buy and a. what cost.
All these considerations call fer the SER
vice OF an expert. possessed Of both theo-
refscai and rrzctscni kno~ledg. Of mining.
OF course there Is always possibility
that the opinion OF an expert may be dis
proved by practical work, for & IS fayor-
re saying among miners that no man can
See further into the ground than pick and
powder have reached" Tire advice Of the
expert must necessarily be based on prece-
Gent. and in mining. az In law, new condl-
tons may arise which viii establish new
precedenfs and upset she theories based on
the old But work done under the dfrec-
ton of an expert familiar With these pre-
cedenss Is more likely 10 bring good re-
suits than tina. based on theories evolved
from tho inner consciousness OF snexpe-
rtenced man.
PecuItarities Of Experts.
A great deal depends on the choice OF
the expert. for there are experts and ex-
perts. some have minds well stocked with
theory. but have little or no practical ex-
perience. and viii give, In the form of a
report. a treatise on geology and mineral
ogy good enough in its way bu, offering
little aid towards forming Judgment on
the problem whether 10 buy d certain pros
pecf and how 20 develop II. Others know
a great deal about the practical work OF
mining. but have not the scientific train
ing TO Guide their Judgment 10 a correct
conclusion. OF the first class are the grad
eastern colleges OF the United States,
whose studies Ia the country around those
institutions have not been supplemented
by practical experience in the mining re-
gions- The country around Freiourg, for
instance, is so totally different in geoiog-
cai formation from that OF the Western
states OF America that a Fresburg graduate
has not made the requisite practical study
until he has anlplifled IL by travel In the
Rocky mountains. the Sierra Nevada and
the Cascades. The same statement apples
In a less degree to graduates of the East.
srn American colleges OF the second
class are the men who have spent years in
prospecting and mining. but have rot the
university training which viii enable them
TO apply the practical knowledge they
have thus acquired They have learned by
rule OF thumb and make hiunders regard
ing the names and character of rock which
z IL
we're turned loose In the mountains to
prospect. they would find mineral where
the graduate would not think of looking
for Il.
The Mountains ~ n school.
To combine theory and practice. the
school must be taken to the mines and the
mine taken 10 the school. In this direction
the University OF Washington has a spien-
~ xyfr, 20 f,0 A.,
the complete training given to the gradu-
ates OF its scientific departments. II has
within days ride the Monte Cr4sto ard
Silverton districts and another day on
horseback or on foot would take the STU
dents 10 numerous other districts where
the great book OF nature lies open that ne
who runs may read. Here the lectures de-
iivered in the college hali and the knowl-
edge acquired from books might be given
practical Illustration and the writers ard
lecturers appeal for proof 10 the facts OF
nature. In this way the mines Of the state
might IN course Of time be placed In the
hands OF men trained in the states own
schools Of learning, their studies In the
Cascades being supplemented by study In
the Rocky mountains and Sierra Nevsdas
The Cascades also furnish = fertile field
for tls study OF botany. natural history
and snsec'oiogy. for they abound 10 fow-
ers. plants and animal life OF which little
Is known ard many OF which have not
even names, 80 far as can be learned from
men living in the mountains American
mining engineer. trained in the practical
school Of American mines. have won the
prizes OF their profession In South Africa
Australia and South America. John Hays
Hammond being a weaI-known example.
To secure al expert who il neither a
-s3ere theorist With & head stuffed fun OF
v1Fr gresssa hN
scientific training. one must pay a roos
| price ard t~ a good Judge % men. For
| there have been experts who reported
/ against = property and then toll the In
| tending purchaser that II he wanted 10 IN
vest IN mines he knew something. etc, ard
| then Sold him a property In which he had
| q secret Interest. There have also been
| mining engineers who set about aelsber-
/ ately 20 vTeck a good mine In order that
| They ard their Associates might buy Il IN
/ for mere song and grow rich on Il 50
I ngnrs depends on MS advice that she ex-
( peri chosen should have integrity beyond
/ auessloz-
Experts and Prcspecfor..
Frospectcrs regard experts az their nat
ugai enemies. for The Rxpcr- is usually 4
uessfmist on principle Il sas been said
STAT oaiy ~ Der cent Of he prospects ever
esveaop mining camps ard only per cert.
/ CT the hslsnce eevsiap rsvinw mines. As
/ TIE experts sseck In trade is his reosafn.
tor for givias advice which Is borne OF;
I by results, snf rs be csnne. see any FUR.
cher TITO the e ouni thsa any otaer man
! thss r. as far AZ pick ard powder have
! Tess-Ae1-the odds are enormously In AyS
/ ssvcr II ne fails 20 give re prospect ts.a
seneat of the dcan. ard reports adversely.
I ffSs eens'isuttotsa2 conservation f. orsv
/ setd ~ cheek BY the roSs SIgity that ~.