The border vidette. (Nogales, Ariz.) 1894-1934, 1903-01-10
SAMPLING a PROSPECT.
Why Many Good Propositions are
Turned Down.

The prospector, as a rule, does not
consider the sampling of his prospect
one of the essential points in develop
ing his property. But if he will only
consider for a moment the results to
himself, and to those whom he is try
ing to interest in those prospects, he
should pay more attention to the sam
ping. In the first instance, as a rule,
he will pick up a piece of orc, or rock,
look at it with the eye and analyze it.
In these words he will say to himself:
''Oh. that don't carry anything" and
throw it away. He will then pick up
another piece that is heavily mineral
lied with iron or sulphurets, anti
mony, zinc, and other bases and say
to himself: "That's good; Pm going to
have it assayed." The result of such
sampling is simply fooling himself, for
the simple reason that he might have
one or two inches of that streak with
the balance of the ledge of rock or
quartz like that he has thrown away.
He comes back from the assay office
with his returns. and claims that his
entire ledge has value OF so many
dollars and cents per ton, from the re-
suits of his picked assay. He puts in
his time developing the prospect; in
many cases, stints his stomach all
winter to save enough for the spring
to furnish himself with grub to go on
and develop to greater extent the
prospect of the former year. At the
expiration OF two or three mon tbs he
returns from camp with his samples,
and by chance this time he has heard
of his foolish way of sampling hereto
fore. He had taken an average sam
pie clear across his ledge, the pay
streak and that which he thought was
no good together, and had it assayed.
1t proves to contain traces only. He
condemns the assayer, because he
finds nothing for him. He swears it
should carry something: that he had
an assay from the same place before;
that it was very rich; but he doesn't
say it was a picked sample Now,
Mr.. Prospector, if you will follow the
lines that you should follow ia samp-
ling your property, which is thus:
Wrap handkerchief over your eyes,
or close them if you will; take your
prospecting pick in one hand, a pan
or receptacle in the other, and from
wall to wall: or roof to floor, if in tun-
mel, or if in shaft, from as high as you
can reach to where you stand, pick,
pick, pick, pick, promiscuously, across
said ledge, then dump the same into
a sack, open your eyes, mark it, tie it
up, and then have it assayed, and if
your assayer is true to you, and to
himself, there should he 10 reason
why you should not get the actual
value of your ore.
Some prospectors who like, and who
do, sample streaks. If such is the
case, wherever such streaks or small
veins that are found in ledges that
are to be sampled, take them, assured
ly. That gives you the value of the
different seams or streaks that occur.
L do not complain f the prospector
doing this at all; it is good idea;
only he must not claim to the pu bic
that his ledge is so wide, with the val
ues contained in small streaks. One
reason why so many prospects are
turned down by the Legitimate mining
engineer is that he has been misin-
formed by the prospector before he
starts to investigate the property,
that he finds no. the things of hich
he has been told This discourages
him, makes him angry, puts him out;
he don't care to investigate further,
and he tells you it is not as you re
presented: that he don't wish to see |
any more of your property; that your
price is too high, anyhow; and he |
quits and goes back. What has he
donel Not only has he condemned |
your property, but he has actually |
turned down the camp, because his re-
port has been read by investors, and
they will say: "Mr. So and So a min
ing engineer, visited that section and