The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-20
TURNED OUT ALL RIGHT
Sailed Q Mine That Was Rich In
Silver.
HOW MINES ARE Sailed
Investing In Gold Mines II . Most Un-
certain Trade Sailing Mines Ii
Now the Work OF Scientific
Experts.

Reports OF rich gold finds In the
Klondike are OF less frequent occurrence
these days. and instead come reports
Of mine sailing up In that section. and
probably more OF the same III will
be heard of before another season pass
es. 1t In usually the case hat after a
new Eldorado has been discovered and
the country becomes pretty well set
tied up with miners and prospectors,
the willy mine salty appears to ply his
vocation on the unwary. This species
Of swinding prospered In the early
days Of gold mining in California. and
since the days of 40 II has fiourished
and grown despite the efforts of hon.
est men to stamp 1t out. The credu-
lily OF the average placer miner is
historical. and IN spite OF man. dis-
appointments and living examples CT
fraud he Is Just as likely to e taken
In by a first-class mine salter as were
his predecessors In the early days or
California mining.
Montana has been signally fortunate
in escaping the evil designs OF the ex-
pert salter. and a very few cases have
been recorded Of investors being swim
died by his class of men. Attempts
at sailing have been made. but the
methods employed by the ~swindlsrs
have been 70 coarse that detection was
made comparatively easy.
However, there was a case OF salt
and SELL which turned out all right
after all. There Is no need OF MENTION
ing dates or names. for probably ev-
cry reader OF the Standard In the state
is familiar with the story. The nine
was located by a woodchopper. VINO
the latter sailed the mine. sold out for
81, 900 and went to Paris and Is now
said I be herding sheep In Texas. Just
how b. managed to deceive the pur-
chaser Is not known, but IL Is suppos-
ed that he dropped gold dust into the
mortar In which the buyer was crush
ing specimens. At any rate the deal
was made with little ceremony. The
mule skinner said goodbye and the
new owner OF the mine set about put
ting things in shape for active devel-
opment OF his property.
He set up a windlass. bought tools
and all the necessary equipment and
hired a couple OF men. He tried more
samples in the mortar. but got no
"colors." He pounded away on ore for
two days. but in vain. He fired his
men. went to town n consulted with
the officials. but they told him that II
was of no use. hat the mule skinner
was gone and the best thing he could
do was to do nothing. The fimiam-
med man returned to his camp in the
mountains, looked sorrowfully at his
mine. and. after filling an oat sack
with samples OF the ore. drove to town
and left the ore with an assayer lust
to see IL he could boil a color out a
the harmed rock"
He happened around at the assayer's
after a few days Ind casually inquired
in a joking way IL he had assayed any
OF that blamed rock.
Sure! Didn't o expect to get my
thing out OF that rock?"
The negative reply he received stag
gered him. The assaye handed lhe
Disguised man a slip of paper. He
read the figures and cast a sarcastic
smile In the direction of the knight OF
the cupel. and remarked:
You and that multi skinner In ca
hoots?"
1t was some time before the mine
owner was convinced hat the assayer
was really straight In his dealings.
After explanations all around the mine
owner left with a smile on his face,
carrying In his pocket the assayer's
correct returns showing that the ore
was worth $50 a ton in silver.
That is the only case of mine sailing
In this state that paid o parties to
the deal.
The New York Sun recently printed
an interesting article on mine sailing.
which In herewith reproduced for the
benefit OF intending purchasers OF gold
mines:
Buying or investing in a gold mine
In m of the most uncertain trade
transactions in the world. n the
chances OF some me getting skinned
are greater than In horse dealing. II
Is a risk to buy the best gold mine. II
may pan out poorly or II may make
a fortune for the owner. II Is this un-
certainty which lends II a peculiar f,s-
cination to many persons. Everybody
likes to own a claim or a few shares In
a gold mine: IL may mean so much
or II may mean so little. So many
fabulous fortunes have been made out
OF unpretentious mining claims that II
Ii easy to convince ones self that the
same luck may strike o IL Is this
lottery character OF the business that
makes IL possible for the mine specu-
lators to sell their shares by the hun
dreds of thousands. They are the ':iv-
ilized. legalized mine salters and their
operations AFFECT a larger number Ct
people than those of the shrewd pro-
1eSSiOndl VINO tf1es 10 sNlnuie SOME
capitalist or miner.
In the early days OF mining an un-
scrupulous swindler would merely scat
ter around some gold dust and nuggets
In a claim he wanted To salt. He would
take the trouble to mix the gold well
into the surface layer OF loose gravel
n earth. Then upon "A superficial ex-
animation II would appear as II the
claim was rich In possibilities. Some
OF the dirt would be taken out and ex-
amined. Naturally Il would Weld
enough to make the mine VA fabulous
prices. Usually the deal would Ne
transacted right then and there. the
mine salter putting in the innocent plea
that he was anxious to return to civ
ilization. and that for a small consid-
GRAFTON he would part with what he
knew would reap him a fortune IL he
stayed to work the claim. In stories
n fiction. at least. the good-hearted
miners would confess that they did
not want to cheat the lucky owner. hut