Williams news., 1904-04-02
PROFESSIONAL KNOCKERS
They Are the Natural Evils of
 Competition.

Livery ullullS COiuIIluIllGy ildS US quota of knockers" and they are most industrious in the plying of their trade. They are one of the natural evils of competition. But many mining districts owe their inability to obtaining developing capital to this source only.
 The surface and geological indi- cations of many of these districts are most promising. Having no developed properties to prove the hypothesis of the surface indica- tions, however, there is no logical reason why one portion should be considered any more desirable than another. When a prospective in vestor appears upon the horizon he is immediately bounced upon by every one with a property to sell. They all have the only good one in the district, and if by any chance the intended victim should look with approving eyes upon some other property, he is made to listen to such stream of blackguardism directed against every other prop erty in the vicinity that he goes away disgusted.
 It is impossible for thinking man to believe that the Almighty has placed all the mineral wealth of a community into one individual spot and then notified the owner of that spot what had been done. Such actions on the part of owners of prospective mines are i'll advised and unbusinesslike.
 Capital is naturally shy and hard to attract. Is it to be blamed for being so2 It is probable that more snares and pitfalls have been laid for unwary capital in the mining industry during the past years than in any other branch of industrial investments. Consequently this shyness is the result of a natural result.
 A new district is usually looked upon with dubious eyes, and the facts and possibilities in the case must be presented in convincing manner. All statements and as- sertions must not only ring true, but they must carry conviction with them in order to accomplish the desired results. "The proof of the pudding is in the eating" Therefore a district that has no developed properties in it labors under a big disadvantage when talking to capital.
 It is not good judgment for new mining district, or any other dis trict for that matter, to assume that capital can be driven. Its confi- dence must be obtained. It must understand that the seller does not expect the whole hog. Is this al- ways done?
 Capital is usually willing to take a chance. But it wants "fair field and no favors," with at least an equal division of the spells. That all actions prejudicial to such a transaction can but rebound upon the head of the man who is guilty of them is self evident. This fact apparently does not deter the spread of the Knocking" disease, for in all parts of the world is to be found the "knocker."
 How such a character is able to find anyone willing to put parti- cle of confidence in his flow of lan- guage is beyond common sense req soning. But that he does find an audience is proved by the fact he has succeeded in many cases in di- verting capital from good chan nel of investment into one of abso- lutely no value at all. How he does it is a mystery which he and his victims only can explain.- American Mining News.
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