Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-04-14
La PLATA MOUNTAIN MINES
PROSPECTS AND "SiCH."

flataS appeared IN lhst lhursudy
Wage Garner and is worthy of space
in these columns:
Mining districts have many things
to contend with, and none of them
have skipped La Plata's hand. For
many years the chief burden of the
ness of Durango business men, who
said they would not give man a half
a sack of -four on credit II he wanted
1t TO prospect on in the La Platas. All
this has been changed, The district
has been widely recognized for It's sub
stantial production A sort of boom
let struck the camp two years ago,
and ihen there was a new hindrance,
in fact several. As soon as few men
came along with money to develop
property under lease and bond, the
price of hole, without any rock in it,
big enough 10 bury white bulldog,
went up TO thirty. fifty and one hun
dred thousand dollars. spot cash. or
mos, OF 1t down. The fellow who had
come from Arkansas with a well-dig-
ging outfit, the fellow from Missouri
with a coon skin vest and thousand
other fellows who had never seen
prospect hole, were holding The coun-
Try down with location stakes for
either mining claims. townsites or
milk ranches Some of the old timers
got frsl, too, and began to raise the
prices.
The capitalists got scared and went
out. A bunch OF hungry meal ticket
promoters, having nothing to loose,
remained and wooled around the dis
trict looking for a sure thing that
anybody could handle. and while one
was trying to edge in one way anoth-
er was trying to find a fraction or
backstake somebody
But new grief is appearing. II
has been growing for some time. For
year or so II has been custom for
men employed on the mines. when
they lost their places for one reason,
or another to come to town and say
the mine was played out, or that it
was so mismanaged that 1t could not
pay.
breaker and all around horse thief
llnocker is making his presence felt
He is the boy who does not want any
body to get piece of money unless
he gets his bit He may have a piece
of properly which hhe wants every
body to help him sell, or he may not
have anything, but he is out for his
| chunk of money.
1t lis fortunate for the district that
1t is strong in its production of high
grade gold ore at this time. consider
ing the amount of practical develop
ment that has been performed, for
were the section in the condition it
be hoped that a dollar of outside capi.
al could be secured.
But the La Platas have been maxi
ing good record, one that has be-
come known among mine operators
and investors beyond the confines of
Colorado The jim crow expert will
not be able hereafter to do as much
harm as he did in the past, and the
iSstrict will not be run so much in
future as a kindergarten for the school
Of mines product who is sent out to
examine mines before he learns the
difference between coon tooth pick
and bull cane. Probably fifty prop
critics in the district, some of them
producers, have been delayed for
years, by the reports of upstairs who
ought 10 have been at home to have
their didies changed. One fellow,
probably Phoebe Hearst's coachman
or hostler. was here once to say that
there was no formation in place in the
La Platas. that II was all slide. and
he made his slide. probably getting
thirty dollars and expenses for coming
all The way from California. 1t Is to
lam
Since proving very generally, or on
The general lines OF proof, the merit
OF the district as a gold producer. eff
fort TO secure capital for development
is better justified than few years
ago. and were there anything in the
nature of Intelligent local organiza-
ton having as its chief purpose the
attraction of needed money for devel-
Opment, the advancement of the dis
trict might be better facilitated. And
should few citizens who have not
been convicted OF any Kind of robbery
try to lead up TO such an effort. they
should not be accused of trying to sell
I Few worthless prospect holes until
they are caught al it. Knock, knock
Ing. knocker Johnnie knocker, hide
your hammer
There are probably fifty properties
In the district now idle, whose guam
Titles of material and values warrant
further development. but there is no
dollar in Durango to help develop a
nine, and the money must come from
elsewhere
with all the fortunes mining has
bestowed upon the worthy and unwor-
thy, II is a serious business whose
success calls for as carefully and Judi.
ctous direction as any other business.
While there Is much of luck in min
ing, still II not gamble. Some of
the brightest mining men in the
world could never get more than their
salary. while others who did not know
enough to nick their nose Mt a funeral