The copper era., 1904-01-07
GROUND GIVING WAY.
Disaster 0vertdkes Commonwealth Mine
 Necessitatine Shutdown.

The Tom bstOne ProspectOr says that on Monday last the Commonwealth
 mine at Pearce closed down; the cars and other utilities on the several levels
 were brought to the surface, the force of miners, about 200 were paid of and discharged, the fires were drawn, and a busy little camp ceased to produce the precious metals.
 The cause Of this deplorable slspen- sion Of the Commonwealth is due to
 the fact that the mine is giving way and general collapse is unavoda ole.
 Square sets are said to have yielded to the enormous weight upon them ss f constructed Of matches, and the ground is cracked tO the surface, an
 uumistakable assurance that the pres ent workings are doomed to abandon
 ment and with this knowledge before
 the management, even the timbermen
 nayc been forbidden in the mine. There is no possibility of -taying the disaster,
 which is certain though possibly slow; and while awaiting the GU imitation Of
 the climax the camp must remain as quiet as though abandoned, for the company will not be able to resume
 operations until the extent Of the damage shall have been ascertained.
 It Is likely that the cave-in will be
 complete, in which event new work
 ings will have to be commenced from
 the surface, and although machinery
 is on the ground for this purpose, the rehabilitation of the property will prove both tedious and expensive and
 will entail loss and hardship to those who will be compelled to abandon their homes and seek livelihood else
 where.
 The Commonwealth is numbered among the best producing mines in the southwest, and although the company is close corporation, it is known that the mine has yielded several million dollars during it's six years Ope ration, and it is but emerging from au em- bryO state of development, so to speak, when a catastrophe intervenes and stops production for the time being.
 IL is little use to write to mining journal for opinion of certain mining investment after the questiOner has made the investment, expecting in dorseme and approval while asking for information. Where doubt or dis belief exists it were better to find out the truth before the purchase. In general way, it is always well to use the same caution and prudence that one should exercise in any purchase Of anything. Mining is business, just like any other business, and most profitable one, rightly run; there is risk and chance, as in all lines, no more, no less, and an investor should use the sams degree Of business judg ment in a proposed mining invest ment that he would in any other proposition where he considers the in- Ve5tment of money with expectation Of profit. To do this he naturally wants the kind of proposition it IS, freights, development work, kind and degree, mining and milling facilities, wages and twenty other items. Most Of all, he needs to be reasonably sure Of the men whom he deals, and not be too CredulOuS as to assurances and promises. Usually the truth is good enough and the facts need no exag- geration, but it sometimes happens that a man with q mine to sell has said so many extra good things about l it that he finally gets to believe them himself But the time to find out about such mistaken assertions is be- l fore, and not after the purchase of an interest therein. It is well to bear in | mind that all the greed" is not on l the side of the seller. It is the ignor- | Int greed of the buyer that occasions | opportunity for nine-tenths of the | fraud possible in mine stock transac- tions. No one can expect to get some l thing for nothing, and, whoever does, l cannot justly complain on being dis Mining and Scientific | Press