The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1901-08-30

! n THE center of population trav-
~ els westward, as the western
states become more densely
peopled, and especially as the farm
becomes more and more the founda-
ton of western prosperity, and the
mining interests, great as they have
been in the past, and are yet, become
of secondary Importance in the devel-
opment of the mountain states, the
demand for good roads through the
mountains increases.
This increasing demand Tor passa-
Bile roads is but history repeating it
self. The demand began to grow in
this country first in the east, and the
demand has travelled steadily west
ward with the advance of population,
until to-day it has reached the foot
of the Rocky mountains, and the
crude trail over which adventurer, eX-
plorer, pioneer, prospector and miner
have been wont to drag with labori-
Gus toll their small belongings, must
give way to the wagon roads de-
manded of 4 populous and prosperous
people.
it may be stated as a. general prop
osition that practically every noun
tain road west of the Missouri river
has been built to meet a need aris-
ing in some way from the existence
of mineral deposits. The prospector,
with his crude tools, blankets, and
simple food packed upon his faithful
burro, goes ahead. In his business
neither roads nor trails are necessary
or specially desirable. He finds the
mineral; the news gets abroad, and
others flock to try their luck in the
newiy-eNpored region. Then comes
the trader with supplies, men to buy,
and miners to work the new finds.
The freighter with his mule team fur
nished transportation, and for his use
are built the first mountain roads.
The motto is: Get there and get
there quickly" The first desideratum
seems TO be route over which We
hicles on four wheels can travel with
out tipping over. 1t is often so steep
in places that wagons can only be
pulled up with blocks and tackle, and
descend with wheels rough locked
and dragging heavy log behind.
Next came roads to particular
mines, toll roads, county and state
roads, each case usually affording am
pie latitude and scope to the actual
ignorance or bad Judgment of men
of all grades of supposed road cum
ming There is not a mining county
or a mountain county (the terms may
be considered synonymous from the
eastern base of the Rocky mountains
to the Pacific coast where the money
squandered in travelling over bad
roads would not in five years build
new ones intelligently located and
properly constructed.
But the saving to existing enter
prises would be only a small part of
the advantages to accrue to any re-
zion from such a betterment of its
road system. The expansion of the
mining industry everywhere is due
principally to the development of ore
bodies of low grade but abundant
quantity. where processes involving
the strictest economy and most care
full saving at every step yield in the
aggregate slight margin of profit.
Hundreds of thousands of tons of ore
are mined and treated where this
margin is less than one dollar a ton.
The saving of a few cents ton on
ore down to the mills, and CORE
spending saving in freight charges on
fuel, lumber, provisions and other
supplies up to the mines means in the