The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-23
tricks OF NINE SALTERS.
METHODS NOW NBCEssA-
nv no DECEITE. INVESTORS.

ngInWl0E W w
w. General stampede for n new III Dorado
nh,ssVS all mon the slightest pretext ONO the
b",.ssionnl gamblers and daredevil adventure
III rho live upon tho proceeds OF the new
IT, worked by the successful claimants.
m r,inrs is,alspccies Of swindlinR that pros
pp Nv r,ore IN the zenith Of Cuilfornia's great
Egis-d,p ding days. but It has not by any means
S.Sort It has assumed now phases. which
uNSimcs make IL difficult Of detection. and
~ man who deliberately follows this busi-
~, Ia something more than q shrcwd advcn-
80 He is a scientific man as well as one OF
vi nerve and adventurous nature.
Tho rcports OF mine sailing are already COM
AVN from the Klondike, and probably
"ersof the same kind will DO heard OF before
HSa,ber season passes. II would be queer. in
s.ni n the professional m inc salter did not
S.uo,rin n field Offering such advantages as
~ nav Yukon territory. In recent years the
80, NJ the nine sal.er has been the rainc
Sot,llnrgist. the professional scientific man
Sbo has taken n course IN some school OF
-tros In the far-off region OF tho Klondike
,A.re has been less chance OF meeting trained
maria In mining. and the swindlers have had
a, desl more with practical miners. whose
,,ovledg OF mines is often blinded and OBJ
..nred BY the unexpected presence OF gold In
.,ro ouartities. The credulity Of the average
.,.er miner is historical. and. In spite OF many
sOappointments and living examples OF fraud.
ssis inst as likely to be taken in by a frst-class
nine salter .as were his predecessors back In
ne afties in California.
puyinC or investing In a gold mine is one OF
Ns most uncertain trade transactions in the
rodd, and the chances Of some one getting
sskinned" are greater than in horse dealing.
Itisa risk to buy the best gold mine. 1t maj
nan out poorly or II may make n fortune for
the owner, II Is this uncertainty which lends 1t
npsculiar fascination to many persons. Every
body likes to own a claim or a few shares In n
cold mine: it may moan SO much or IL MAJ
mean s%olittle. SO many fabulous fortunes have
bpen made out Of unpretentious mining claims
that Il is easy to convince ones self that the
name luck may strike you. 1t is this lottery
ehaacterof the business that makes 1t possible
for the mine spectators to sell their shares by
the hundreds OF thousands. They are the
civilized. legalized mine ~salters. and their
operations affect n larger number of people
than those Of the shrewd professional who
tries to swindle some capitalist or miner.
In the early days of mining AN unscrupulous
swindler would merely scatter around some
gold dust and nuggets IN a claim he wanted to
iat. He would take the trouble to mix the
gold well into the surface layer OF loose gravel
md earth, Then upon q superficial examina-
ton itwould appear as II the claim was rich in
out and examined. Naturally It would Yield
enough to makethe mine pay fabulous prices.
Usually the deal. would be transacted. right
then and there, the mine salter putting In the
innocent plea that he was anxious to return to
civilization, and that for q small consideration
be would part with what he knew would reap
claim, In stories and fiction. at least. the good
hearted miners would confess that they didn't
want to cheat the lucky owner. but Il he was SO
would put up the necessary dust to take the
nch claim of his hands. Then after the deal
SSeneraI howl for his blood would 20 up in the
mining camp.
Niof this primitive way OF sailing and selling
time, but it has been long years since It would
answer the purpose, The man who attempted
70 impose such a Glari1g swindle upon
swing by the neck before shutdown. Sailing
mines has passed through various stages until
S.day i is as much Of a science as digging for
meet and deceive trained metallurgists. and he
puSs for stakes SO high that ono TRANSACTION
There is plenty of capital ready for invest
mentin mines. but capital everywhere Is eau
tious, y sends. out experts now to find
experts are sent from New York e every Week to
the various mining regions OF, the world to
make reports upon the possible output of
Sapsiiho 'hut w pun ou IIi1 IldIhcJ lOE bdI6.
These experts have large. salaries. but their
services are well worth the money. given to
them; Every year they reveal frauds to, their
About, Quit, recently a mining expert re-
turned from Mexico to report to q large COM
Rany Of apitaliSts;that a mine offered to them
worth $40, Another man. who has returned
from me klondike. reports similar swindles In
mat northern country. Sometimes the mines
oLgold,, but further down the soil does not pan
out This is no fault OF the owner, nor Is II the
sTUspt 0, r, ss,tlRg; II is for such mines that the
A. the best the value Of a gold mine Is one OF
tte most uncertain and tricky things on the
The present-day mine salter comes to New
tto[EI, London. Paris, or other large city, to
1ntS p his swindle. He plays, for high stakes.
q salting his claim is not performed in a day;
ns Probably the result of weeks and months
ugohtlnuous labor. He knows what to expect
~ trained expert-and II he cannot deceive
hin MS labors are all In vain. After the work
Ssi completed he takes samples Of the dirt
r. i1es to negotiate a sale. This dirt. OF course.
bnen In line particles Of gold. and not even the
y gsefsaetallurgisti in the world could tell whether
y naa been deposited there by nature or by
spLne shrewd swind!er.
mEnsa common practice once upon a time.
With tiinEE no al Stories to load a shotgun
Ssm into the vein of ore. This gives the APP
HySStahee OF minute particles Of gold in the
S%cSsnnss' Dut only the credulous miner on the
s %Gns aaring an intense excitement would be
ssiarnttIEaeu by such a process. The trained
s ssrSn expert would laugh at such clumsy
sstats WILL, anu pity rather than hate the man who
Tm"et nppt the swindle. 1t Ia the rule now for
hoy SsssaaarglstS to make a great number Of bor-
van a various places along the line of the
~ VI ore From each boring samples are
anu aha shipped TO some Trustworthy assay
M me amount OF gold TO the ton or rock
eatss t tha samples, produce generally indl-
iorsome time after the experts adopted this
~ avn tne NINE salters were at a loss how to
SsteVen with them. They could not salt every
ShSss,o ihe vein. and they could not foretell at
h %s PAGES the experts would make their
SsctakSsi me samples OF ore wore usually
ina NdA sa ~ bags under the eye of the expert.
Ron m eaGno ag was marked to show on a diagram
in III Wnat pace the ore came. The bags were
dssSS'p seated up and shipped away. But one
bTyno shfewd mine salter took an ordinary
RmpTugEihlc syringe. and thrusting the needle
topp ~ the ,9agRinR injected q strong eolu-
innt VI eh,orldc OF gold over the samples of
md ssaaau nirt The operation was SO simple
ampissy mat u was not detected. When the
nInss ~ were aSsayed the ore showed that the
te SbM y Yield several hundred dollars to
deceIvve0dbt ION. The expert metallurgist was
IQm AL ~ mine was purchased for a big
Sbt n ml the inventor OF ono OF the most re-
o hhamg.hodS OF sailing mines got safely away
covered unknown before the fraud was dis
Mrs. IsGse then the chloride of gold method OF
kts Snn nnles has varied somewhat, but-cx-
soma aoIvi Always on the lookout for the trick in
s.-VW ltS many fprnha Al on - LEn