The Philipsburg mail., 1899-07-07

the line OF co operative effort. says the
Herald-DemOcrat, it becomes IL matter
of some interest to know whether such
enterprises cannot be made a perma-
nent feature i'll the industrial life OF
the city. There is no camp in the West
where the leasing system is carried to
the extent that it is in Leadville. and
often with good results. There is prob
ably not a merchant or professional
man in the city who has not spent
more or less money in leases. and no
doubt Il great many will say that they
have not been successful. This is no
! doubt tue to large extent. The rea-
son is not hard to find. A and Il. min
ers, come to G, Il business man. with
a leasing proposition. They have IA
good lease, where some ore can be
found with little work. If G. will pay
for the powder, fuel and other neces-
sary expenses, A and 4 will operate
the mine, and possibly take in ID and
e. 1t is probably not good policy to
discourage these enterprises. and yet
it is hard from Il practical mining
standpoint, to see how any results are
to be accomplished. The sphere Of op-
eratiOns is entirely too circumscribed
The development work is slow, and
! the chances against success. Such a
| proposition may cost the merchant
from $50 to 500 Il month, and at the
end of four or five months, not seeing
results, he becomes disgusted and
quits.
| But suppose the cooperative plan
were enlarged. Instead of one business
man a dozen We're enlisted at a NOM
inal assessment of $1OO month, that
twenty-five or thirty miners put their
time, less actual expenses, against
this money, is it not reasonable to sup
pose that some tangible results would
follow? AS a matter Of fact the
amount Of work that could be accom-
plished would more than likely open
up mine, on a small scale, and even
if the property no more than paid eX-
penses. so that the merchants were not
out of pocket and the men made good
wages, it would be a distinct benefit.
The scheme Of cooperation could be
carried still further and take some
such shape as was originally outlined
by the old Home Leasing Company.
Here, instead of ten men putting up
$780, the proposition was for 100 men
to put up $40 a month, and as a mat
ter of fact no difficulty was found in
securing the necessary number, but
the formation of the Home Mining
Company swallowed up the other en-
terprise.
There is field for profitable enterprise
along the line of suggestion which the
Herald-DemOcrat breaches somewhat
timidly, for fear that to some the idea
may appear fanciful and impractic-
able. But it is only in appearance.
, Might not the various trades, profess
siOns and occupations of the city each
undertake a cooperation mining enter
prise, each company recruited from
those engaged in similar businesses or
occupations? The idea Is new to many,
no doubt, and yet not so new in prac-
tice after all, except that it has not
been carried out to the extent to which
it is capable.
For example, take the physicians.
There are several leases in which from
three to four doctors are Jointly inter-
ested. These leases are looking well as
there is quite a little capital back of
them. But If all the physicians in this
city could get in on a cooperative en-
terprise, each one assuming what pro-
portion Of expense he could bear, the
sum available for mining would be in
the aggregate large enough to admit
of mining ON quite a pretentious scaleA
There is a lease on Fryer hill iT
which three or four well known mu-
sicians are interested. They have
shown great energy and pluck, have
bought a fine plant, and by placing
good. practical mining man in charge
are likely to make success. But the
scope of enterprise could be greatly en-
larged if all the men in this line were
to be enlisted
There are two leases where different
groups Of BARRIERS are operating in
small way. Three tailors are interest
ed in another lease. and several black
smiths in another. 1t is therefore quite
potent that the scheme of enterprise
suggested has very healthy embry-
otic existence. and that men who have
the confidence of their fellows, and
who are capable of organizing their
own trades and occupations, have an
excellent foundation on which to work.
1t is essential of course, that good,
practical mining men be selected to
carry on the actual mining operations,
otherwise failure would be almost In
evitable
Mining is business peculiarly
adapted to the cooperative plan. A
dozen men or so, bound by ties of self
interest, if nothing else, can accom-
plish much along the lines indicated.
The idea is certainly worthy of cOnsid-
Grafton.
After referring in complimentary
terms to the success Of the Home Min
ing Company, the Mining Reporter sug-
gests that other camps can take a les,
son from it.
Too much effort, the paper says, is
spent in striving to secure outside cap
ital. TOO little confidence is felt in the
resources Of the camp or district and
instead of going ahead and accom-
plishing there is much waiting for 9TH
ers to come in and garner the wealth |
which they have not courage to de-
velOp.
Every mine. every tramway. every |
mill or reduction works owned and Op-
Grated by local men and capital means |
very much to the welfare Of the COM
munity where located And while II is |