The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-04-14

% j. n Of the inexplainable thing.
that the great majority Of people loos
upon mining and gambling a. synony
nous terms. and similar pursuits
TAX 10 any man not engaged in min
Ing. or living IN q mining camp and Il
viii not be two minutes before be vii
venture that highly unonginal state
ment that its just like gambling
There never was a statement farther
from the truth. Mining Is Just as le
climate a pursuit as farming and Just
a. reliable. II Is true that money Is
often lost in mining ventures. but that
81 also true Of farming. and OF every
other pursuit which mankind enters
into. There is a difference. in that
farming Is conducted by individuals.
while mining Is carried on by com
panies. simply because IL requires.
generally. outlay Of considerable CAPT
tl before a mine begins to yield re
turns With the vast coal fields, the
immensely Of the iron interests. the
wealth annually taken ont OF the earth
In the shape OF lead. tin. copper. oil.
gas. aluminium. salt and the hundreds
Of minor products. and on the top Of
AL the $500. 600 900 OF gold and silver
taken from the depths Of the earth
each year. who Is there can say min.
Ing Il not a genuine and legitimate oc.
cupati0nf
There are but three sources from
which wealth may be originally pro
duced From the surface Of the earth.
from rs interior and from the sea
Consequently there are but three pur
auita. farming In its various phases.
pshing and mining. Yet In spite OF
this. one Of these three pursuits Is
classed as gambling"
The farmer. the fisher and the min
~ alone. Of all mankind. are the pro
ducers The balance Of mankind. may
change the original product but orig
inal nav material comes from the
earth alone
A World Of Chance.
There IL nothing certain in human
anain bnt death and taxes. The
farmer plows in faith and seeds IN
he does not Away harvest I
He does his part and takes the
chances Of nature doing hers lie
gambles that the lrosts viii not
catch his product that the rains viii
fall. the sun shine. and drouth. blk
zard. bugs. rust grasshoppcrs. hop
lice. san Jose scale. cooling moths.
scab. hog cholera. smut and the thou
sand other dangers that threaten him
will stay away. tie takes chances on
the markets. of thera being an over
production Of the things he gr0ws-
combinations among transportation
companies. that may eat OF the Gults
OF his toll aud the manipulation of
the bulls and bears. OF whom ne Is the
shutuecock aud plaything.
Tho same condition of chance sur
round those who with net and traWl
and wheel and trap gather the hnny
tribes from the waters for the use OF
their fellow man.
The other pursuit. mining. h In
many respects the most certain OF
them OF all Tor a mine once found
Is subject 10 less vicissiuudes than
farm or sea. From h the greatest for.
tunes OF the world have been accumu
lated Tho discovery OF gold In Call.
fornia. led Ia its rapid settlement. and
60 the development OF American in
dusthes through ita stimulating 81
feet more than one could even guess
The discovery Of gold ON the Klon
dixie. followed by the finds At Nome
ranana, and other Alaskan points has
given us a knowledge al hat country.
and opened up a vast territory for our
population Vast timber
resources. and wonderful fisheries are
opening up. n agriculture Is being
engaged In and all because the hardy
prospoctor the miner following a le-
gltimate pursuit has gone into the
earth aud brought 10 light It's treas.
ures.
ore0On's Mines
Nov "a come down Ia Oregon and
It's mining Industries The govern
ment reports show that Oregon pro
duoed about $1,000. 90 IN sold for the
year 1893. AS matter OF fact Il pro
duced about s6,OO0.OoN Oregon has
boon, more % hess a mining