The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-10-07
THE PROSPECTOR.
Not One in a Thousand Eas the Nee
essary Qualifications.
CWili Sparks in Ainslee's.9


But if a man loves adventure ne can
find nothing that will offer so much to
satisfy his pa ssion as a life of mining and
prospecting The prOspector is the adven-
turer par excellence of the Rockies. From
the moment he starts upon his career In
the mountains, leaving behind him the
collection OF cOlorlesS and wind-beaten
shanties. known as the city, adventures
greet him at every turn. As he picks his
way through a wilderness of rocks and
fallen trees. having left the meager trail
lar behind, ever on the lookout for faint
S1gn OF the outcropplngS of the precious
metal, his passage is almost sure to be
disputed bv wild beasts But what an ex-
cltement there is in seeking for gold. 1t
is stronger and more intense than that
of the gambler at the green table stalking
his last dollar on the turn of a card.
The prOSpectOr may be penniless, he may
have put his last cent into the grub that
Is now fastened onto the back of his
burro: vet one stroke of his pick is likely
70 uncover treasure that viii transform
him INTO a millionaire. He sits down to a
meager meal, cooked over a rude fire
between a few stones. but all the time
Perhaps his fire is built on the end of a
ledge that is chockfuP of gold; perhaps
he is sitting on a rich out-cropping that
is simply covered with small stones;
perhaps there is gold beneath the big tree
just across the raV-ne- Gold may be every
where if he can only find it. He must
find it, Surely his luck is not less than
other men, :.
And so he goes on, scaling the Iofti-
year around, and even his heavy blankets
are not sufficient to keep him warm ar
night, diving into all sorts Of caVerns
and riffs in the rock, exploring caves
only perhaps to be chased out by wild
beast occupants. braYing a thousand dan
gers that he may find the means of pass
ing the rest of his days III ease
And how does it all end? In most
cases the daring prospector who sets out
alone meets his death miles and miles
away from any human being How no
body ever knows. His bones NAV never
be found. He disappears as completely
as last winters snow
But should the prospector strike il
rich his adventures will go on as long as
he remains in the Rocky MOUNTAINS Il
his tind is worth anything as poor
mans claim. he VIII put up a rude cabin
and go to digging, concealing what gold
he takes out in place secret to himself
But he will have TO guard II all the time
for coyetous miners who are not so fortu-
nate would not hesitate to take his life il
they could get possession of his little pile
Of yellow metal. His rifle must be his
constant companion and he must be
ready to use il at the first sign. At night
he must sleep with one eye Open If a
stranger approaches the cabin he must be
ready to dispute his right to be there
The few years a man may put in at this
the proSpector conquer all risk and get
back to his native town with a pile his
friends will look upon him as an old man
though he is still under 90 Only the un-
knowing ones will envy his fortune
The man who works in the developed
mines is also having adventurous expert
ences all the time. The tunnels sbaffs
and drifts are liable at any moment tc
cave in and bury the worker under tons
Of rock. Or perhaps he may be impris-
oned without food or water and pass
many days of horrible suffering in dark
ness and silence.