Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-12-27
Mining has Long Since Ceased to be 6
Gamble.

The impression has gone abroad in
the world that the mining industry was
nothing but gigantic gamble, in which
the promoter held stacked cards against
the Investing public, the latter having
about as much show to win as the aver
age victim of the bunco man. A more
mistaken impression could not exist at
the present time, even though it were
once true. Today mining is legitimate
business, conducted more and more up
on scientific lines that call for the appli-
cation of skilled labor in every branch of
the business. People no longer accept
the mere statement of the promoter that
a gopher hole in the side Of mountain
is, or is destined to be, the greatest mine
in the world. The great majority have
to he shown and the question now is to
what degree: "How much ore are you
shipping and how much ore in sight ?"
"Ore in sightw What a mouth.flling
phrase and what different meanings it
has been made to convey. At recent
meeting in London of the Royal Insti-
tute of Mining Engineers, that body
recommended to its members that the
term "ore in sight" should only apply to
a body of ore blocked out OH at least
three sides, 30 that fair estimate of the
tonnage can be made. This certainly
seems reasonable definition, and one
that should be universally adopted. The
business of mining calls for men ofscien.
tific requirements and an understanding
of the best and most practical methods
of applying their knowledge. The days
of lucky strikes are practically thing of
the past and there is more money today
in the mining Of low grade ore, say 81
ore, at a profit of So ton, than in mining
$50 ore at cost Of $50. Mining must
be conducted on large scale and it needs
to be gone at right end first. Boulder
county is dotted with numerous exam
pies of the blackened-to method of min.
ing. A pay streak has been opened on
the surface with magnificent assays and
without further development to see if
the ore held out or tests to find the best
method of treating, costly mills have
been erected only to find that the plant
was useless either for lack of ore, or be-
cause not adapted to the class of ore TO
be handled. The result has been failure
and lack of money for further develop
ment of the property. These mills are
monuments along the streams of Boulder
and every mining county in the state to
the hurry-to get rich. quick policy of the
early promoters and the lack ofjudgment
of the average eastern investor, whose
only knowledge of mining is gained
from flaming prospectuses which call
prospect holes mines, etc. The motto
Of every company and individual mine
owner should be development of the ere
bodies first, to get as large an ore re-
serve in sight as possible; this should be
the first consideration. Of course in q
large majority Of cases production must
be carried on to pay for development.
Operations should be on as large scale
as possible, for the more work done the
more profit if properly managed. The
fake promoter should be discouraged by
good hard Jail sentences. Some COM
munities howl about the knocker, but
the worst enemy camp can have is the
man who overdoes the boom business
and who tumbles out of his shaft or tun-
mel every time ho finds a piece of rich
looking quartz with q shout of a marvel
Gus strike, ETC., but never ships pound
OF ore and cannot show ton Of pay ore
on the dump. The mining industry does
not need exaggerated reports. The ex.
act truth is all that the most enthusiastic
boomer needs, and it is what the intelli-
gent investor will have. Anything else
will digust people and injure a camp
Bldorado (Colo,) Miner,