The Elk Mountain pilot., 1900-04-10


tempt the role of student of
petrology, since, while we are ac-
quainted with some things that
occasion the formations of this
section, we do not profess to be
thoroughly versed in the miner
illogical constitution of rocks,
therefore the omission of any essay
on our part to enter into disquisi-
tions concerning the various ages
known to geologists, may be ac-
counted for on the theory or fact
that we are not geologist and de
sire to speak of things only as we
find them, as they exist. There is
entirely too much mystery hidden
by the past, and world Of it win
ever remain SO, since neither his
tory up-to-date or tradition can
elucidate, and the same will be the
case a thousand years hence. How
ever, we have not the least hest
fancy in proclaiming that we be-
lieve the scientific student can
revel in almost anything and every
thing that pertains to geology by
rigid Investigations in this county.
The dark past is what they are af-
ter anyhow, and as the present and
future are what we and the vast
majority of this worlds great army
OF inhabitants are most deeply in
terested in, we shall leave to look
ers after the long ago, the archean,
paleozoic, mesczoic, cenozoic and
other remarkably named eras to
play with, and hunt for things of a
prehistoric character to be discov-
cred in fossils to be found. We
viii give our attention to the pres
ent age in which too many ami
mated fossils are circulating, and
to those interested who may desire
to build homes, acquire wealth,
health and happiness, by directing
them to the land in which all can
be obtained; nor shall we garland
our county with geranium wreaths,
perfume it with the aroma of wild
flowers, nor yet stulify ourselves
with an overflow of word painting
in order to deceive the reader. To
deceive is to lie, and to lie in order
to induce investment, or to secure
anything whatever, is criminal, and
he who does so should be treated
as such.
We know just what misrepre-
sentations are productive of. Our
mining industry and our county
generally have suffered from over
drawn pictures and reports that
have been almost as false as fabu-
lous. We are familiar enough with
the county and its resources, and
are satisfied that the truth regard
ing them, told in plain and simple
words, is ample recommendation
without resorting to fiction. Our
desire has ever been when inviting
people to visit this section rather
to disappoint them favorably than
otherwise, hence we not only re-
frain from indulging in making
wild statements based solely upon
theory, but discountenance all such
in others, at home or abroad.
The mountains in this immediate
neighborhood all contain mineral.
Iron, lead, copper, gold, silver, an
unlimited quantity of bituminous
and anthracite coal, and an mex
haustible supply of fine marble
surround the town, as has been
been demonstrated by results of
operations. While but few, COM
paratively speaking, rich mines
have been discovered, those found
guarantee the proposition that
others can be found. There are
hundreds of slightly developed
claims here that show silver and
gold and, in number of cases, lead,
of sufficient value to be made re-
munerative, but for the fact that
we have to ship so far and our
mills are too few. Time, and the