The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1904-05-20
VERY PECULIAR ACTION
The Black Butte Claims Turned down
After Six Days Work.

After Six Days Work.
Last week The NEWS chronicled-
considerable pleasure-the fact that Chas.
D. Lane, the millionaire mining man Of
California, had become interested in
Goldfeld and had bought the Black Butte
claiL.s, paying SIC. 1000 down, and $3.50,
600 was to be paid within year. Mr..
Lane is man of great wealth, has been
in the main successful in mining opera
tions, and his advent into the camp was
hail d with delight. The News voiced
the pleasure of Goldfeld's S citizens at Mr..
Lanes participation in the development
Of the camps riches, and called atten-
ton to the businesslike manner in which
be rut men to work in few hours after
the deal on the Black Butte was closed.
We have this week to call attention to
proceedings which do not appear quite SO
blsinesslike. We do not do this in a
spirit of criticism-Mr. Lane has a per-
feet right, which no one will question, to
do as pleases him best-but in view of
the possible harm thai his action may do
on the outside, we will state the facts as
we find them and let the reader draw his
own conclusions:
In the first place. correction has to be
made. There was no cash payment of
$4,000 or any other sum made on the
property. ar. Ish says he insisted from
the start on such payment, but that Mr..
Lane asked for twelve days time in which
to make the first payment i'll order that
he might inform his associates of the deal
before any cash was actually paid. Mr..
Ish readily agreed to this, believing that
the deal was being made as he originally
proposed and that the money for the first
payment was as good as paid. he says
he did lot for moment believe hat the
nal result Of the deal, to say nothing of
ne first payment, was to be determined
ly twelve days. let alone six days
lrospectinsS
The work actually done consists of a
short crosscut through portion of the
cruppings and 60 foot drift in porphyry
which subsequent survey shows was not
on the strike of the ore or even under the
cropping-, and does not determine any
thing except that Mr.. Lanes representa-
tive was wrong iu his theory of the for
nation. Work now going on shows that
this 60 foot drift was run parallel with
and not over feet in any place from the
ore body. Without notice to the owner,
without crosscuttinG one foot from this
drift to ascertain the strike and the posi-
ton of the ore body disclosed on the sur
face, without waiting even to see the re-
suit of the work done by the night shift.
the manager in Charge on Tuesday morn
ing summarily ordered his foreman to
stop work. In the minds of mauy the
question is raised was the decision arriv
ed at as the result of the superficial work
done, or by an expert from the Invisible
WOrld?'
Prospective investors have frequently
criticised the holders of prospects in Gold
field for being exacting in their terms
and especially il a cash payment was de
manded. There is no question but there
has been some ground for such criticism,
but it is equally true that prospective in
vestors have been just as unreasonable in
their demands. And it is just such ii
ascos as that on the Black Butte which
make the holders of prospects with good
showings demand cash payment, both
as an evidence of good faith and to insure
intelligent and reasonable amount of
develOnment.