Gilpin observer., 1899-03-16

is, because they do not prospect. I'm
doubtedly men who have the advant-
age of technica. and scientific train
ing in mineralogy, metallurgy, geology
and engineering are better qualified to
prospect intelligently than those who
have not had these advantages, but
usually such men are otherwise en-
ployed and have little time to prospect,
even if so disposed.
A technical education without prac-
teal experience does not fit man for
even such an humble occupation cs
prospecting. While prospector.
whose chief reliance is in his muscle
and not in his technical education,
may accidentally stumble upon a valu-
able ore deposit he Is out looking for
mines, and as all rocks look much the
same to him it does not concern him
whether he picks up quartz, limestone
or Il fragment of some eruptive rock,
for either may contain precious met
ais. and his very ignorance of the
character of the rock is his safeguard.
All miners, whether technically edu-
Gated or not, are prone to search for
mineral deposits, VEINS. float, etc, SIM
liar to those they are familiar with.
To tie Comstock miner the ideal mine
is found in the bOnanZas of the Com
stock; the Homestake miner looks for
broad zones of quartz and schist col
ored red by oxidation; the Leadville
miner is in search of a contact of lime
and porphyry: the Californian wants
black slate and greensboro; the Butte,
Montana, miner thinks granite a fine
formation for mineral; the Arizona
prospector will camp with rotten,
iron-stained porphyry dixie: the devel-
opment of the Cripple Creek mines has
tod 10, aud fAr NJ, 10 II,
the Black Hills of South Dakota the
discovery of gold near Ragged Top
has made arrowhead flint the prop
er material in which to seek gold; the
miner from Calico. California. is, al
ways on the lookout for large masses
of peagreen breccia, in hope of finding
chloride again: the digger from South
Africa Is satisfied with n conglOmer-
ate reef and recognizes one at sight;
the miners familiar with Silver Reef,
Utah, know that some white sandstone
and drab clay shales contain high
grade silver ores. And so in endless
variety of form and occurrence the
miner from each region looks for the
characteristics with which he is ia
miliar. While the prOspector may To-
cate anything to which his notion in
clines him. he locates much that is
worthless and doubtless passes much
that is valuable, where the technical
ly educated mining eng neer would
probably recognize the worthlessness
or the value of any particular occur
renee were his attention directed to it:
but, as previously stated. he is not
prospecting. 1t is rarely that the tech
nically educated, experienced mining
engineer makes mistake by condemn
ing valuable mine, though he may
el.s1. ga, sol
oped mines which never materialiZe.
In all undeveloped mines there is an
uncertainty and the element of chance
cannot be disguised. Often too great
willingness to take this risk results
dsastrously. When the Commonwealth
mine, in Cocnise county. Arizona. was
I'm the prospective stage 1t was visited
by technically educated mining en-
gineer, who. after an examination.
purchased the property for n large
sum. Those familiar with the history
of the mine know no mistake was
made. The existence of telluride ores
rich in gold at Cripple Creek was
made known through the discovery of
float by technically educated mining
engineer, who recognized the telluride.
Since then gold is found in paying
quantities in such a variety of rocks,
OI 50 HltuH uileTeHt SeOloSlCdl uSeS,
md is associated with such a variety
of minerals, 1t may be considered I'M
wise to pass any rock by without at
tention as unworthy of notice. Within
the personal knowledge OF the writer.
gold and silver occur in the United
States in almost every kind of rock
known to science, with the exception
of feldspar-basalt and rocks of that
extremely basic type and obsidfans or
vitropheres and rocks of the extremely
acid type. Undoubtedly quartz is the
mineral most commonly associated
with gOld but gold also occurs with
calcium carbonate, feldspar, garnet, in
aggregates of mica scales, in horn
blende, In coal, and In states, in gran
lite. sandstone. limestone. diOrite, an
desite, rhyOlite. and, in fact, in every
variety OF rock. Some dikes are gold
bearing without showing any consid-
cradle alteration or silIcification. 1t
would seem. then, that the prospectOr
should test every rock formation,
whether familiar or not. The men who
made the first quartz discoveries at
Randsburg California, were dry wash
ing for placer gold. and. II is said,
knew so little OF mines ana mineral
veins that as they approached the
groupings of one of the most famous
veins in that camp. I'm the course of
their placer work. used TO sit upon the
Outcrop and eat their lunch. little
dreaming that the blnckened honey
combed rocks were rich I'm the the
very metal they were striving under
such difficulties to obtain. or the great
army of prospectois who are found
throughout the mining region there
are, perhaps, comparatively few who
would not recognize II vein when they
saw one, but such eases are of record.
Mining mud Sl.lnniill Dru...