The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-28

Following in the wake of the miners
who made a general stampede for
new Eldorado gold field upon the
slightest pretext, came the professional
gamblers and daredevil Adventures,
who live upon the proceeds Of the new
mines worked by the successful claim
ants. Sailing mines is a species of
/ swindling that prospered more in the
zenith OF California's great gold-dig-
ging days, relates the New York SUM-
but it has not my any means died out.
1t has assumed new phases, which
sometimes make it difficult of detec-
ton, and the man who deliberately fol-
lows this business is something more
than a shrewd adventures He is
scientific man as we'll as one of cool
nerve and adventurous nature.
The reports of mine-salting are al
ready coming down from the Klondike,
and probably more of the same kind
will be heard of before another season
passes. 1t would be queer, indeed If
the professional mine-S alter did not APP
pear in field offering such advantages
as the new Yukon territory. In recent
years the terror of the mine-salter has
been the trained metailurgist, the pro-
fessional scientific man, who has taken
a course in some school of mines. In
the far-off region of the Klondike there
has been less chance of meeting trained
experts in mining, and the swindlers
have had to deal more with practical
miners, whose knowledge of mines is
often blinded and obscured by the I'M
expected presence of gold in large
quantities. The credulity of the aver
age placer miner is historical, and, in
spite of many disappointments and
living ayor1p1Qc 0f fT.a1I1 10 ic ST
likely to be taken in by frst-class
mine-salter as were his predecessors
back in the SOS in California
Buying or investing in a gold mine is
one of the most uncertain transactions
in the world, and the chances of some
one getting skinned" are greater than
in horse-dealing. It is a risk to buy the
best gold mine. 1t may pan out poorly
or it may make a fortune for the own
er. 1t is this uncertainty which lends
it peculiar fascination to many per-
sons. Everybody likes to own a claim
or few shares in a gold mine; it may
mean so much or it may mean so lit
tie. SO many fabulous fortunes have
been made out of unpretentious mining
claims that it is easy to convince ones
self that the same luck may strike you.
1t is this lottery character of the bust
ness that makes it possible for the
mine spectators to sell their shares
are the civilized, Iegalized mine-salters,
and their operations affect a larger
number of people than those of the
shrewd professional, who tries to swim
die some capitalist or miner
EARLY METHODS.
In the early days of mining an I'M
scrupulous swindler would merely
scatter around some gold dust and
nuggets in q claim he wanted to salt.
He would take the trouble to mix the
gold well into the surface layer of loose
gravel and earth. Then, upon super
fetal examination it would appear as
if the claim was rich in possibilities
Some of the dirt would be taken out
and examined. Naturally, it would
yield enough to make the 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 a
small consideration he would part with
what he knew would reap him for
tune if he stayed to work the claim.
In stories and fiction, at least, the good
] hearted miners would confess that they
: didn't want to cheat the lucky owner,
but if he was so anxious to get home
again to his family, they would put up
! the necessary dust to take the rich
claim off his hands. Then, after the
) deal, the swindler would disappear,
and a week later general howl for
his blood would go up in the mining
camp.
All of this primitive way of sailing
and selling gold mines may have pre-
vailed once upon a time, but it has
l been long years since it would answer
the purpose. The man who attempted
2 to impose such a glazing swindle upon
! a mining community would. more than
2 likely swing by the neck before sun
S down. Sailing mines has passed
2 through various stages until today it
!. is as much of a science as digging Cor
: the gold. The professional swindler
= must meet and deceive trained metal
/ lurgists, and he plays for stakes so high
that one transaction will net him a
fortune.
There is plenty of capital ready for
g investment in mines, but capital eI cry
, where is cautious. 1t sands out ex-
. perts now to find out whether an in
= vestment is good Mining experts are
sent from New York every week to the
: various mining regions of the world
= to make reports upon the possible out
:. put of claims that are put on the mar
:. ket for sale. These experts have large
salaries. but their services are well
!. worth the money given to them. Every
4 year they reveal frauds to their EN-
ployers-frauds which the public never
4 hears about. Quite recently a mining
expert returned from Mexico to ref ort
T. to a large company of capitalists thai
!, a mine offered to it for a large sum hat
: been sailed" and was not worth $40
Another man. who has returned from
e the Klondike, reports similar swin5le:
+ in that northern country. Sometime:
t the mines appear on the surface to in.
n dicate great deposits of gold, but FUR
10 Their down the soil does not pan out
,e This is no fault fthe owner nor is i
the result of sailing. 1t is for sucl
mines that the expert metaIIurefs
must be on the lookout. At the besS tn,
value of a gold mine is one of the mos
e uncertain and tricky things on the fac,
}; of the earth.
IL THE MODERN SALTER.
y The present-day mine saiter comes t
= New York, London, Paris, or othe
large city, to finish his swindle. II
m plays for high stakes and he does hi
h work scientifically. The work of salt
s. ing his claim is not performed in day
N it is probably the result of weeks an
months of continuous labor He know
y what to expedite careful examina
"a ton of the rocks and soil by q traine
y expert-and if he cannot deceive hir
his labors are all in vain. After tn
work is all completed ne takes sample
of the dirt with him to show to tn
s. capitalist with whom he tries to nego
it tiate a sale This dirt, of course.
=. rich in fine particles of gold, and no