The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-08-24
THE IMPORTANCE OF
GOOD MANAGEMENT
MANY VALUABLE PROPERTIES
CLOSED DOWN ON ACCOUNT
OF INCOMPETENCE.
(The Financial Bulletin. }

1t is often difficult to impress up
on the minds of mining operators the
fact that good management is just as
important in mining operations as is
the possession of really good mine
or prospect. And yet this is the gos-
pei truth, and recognized as such by
all experienced and successful min
ing men.
1t has often been asserted that it is
a poor mine, indeed, that will not
stand bad management. This may be
true and yet no valid excuse exists
for the poor management of any
mine, however good it may be, and
it is also true that many really valu-
able properties have been closed
down and condemned as worthless
and valueless because of incompetent
cy and bad Judgment ON the part OF
the management, says the Salt Lake
Mining Review. Many cases of this
character can be cited in this inter-
mountain region, and an instance OF
extravaganza and stupendous 1gnor-
ance on the part of mine superln-
tendent has lately come to our no
tice which fully illustrates what some
mining companies have to go up
against in their efforts to develop 2
producing and paying mine.
In this instance the property in
question was owned by an English
syndicate, the destinies of which
were presided over by man whose
knowledge of mining was on a par
with his apparent lack of honesty.
When short of funds this superinten-
dent would cable the company that
"some rhyolite was showing in the
vein, which had an east and west
trend and a dip to the south. The
company would then levy another as
sessment, and this continued until
the company had expended nearly
half a million in mine development
and equipment.
Then the stockholders began to
roar, and the president of the COM
pany was sent over to dismantle the
mine equipment and to close the
property down. Curious to see how
such large sum of money had been
expended he decided to inspect the
mine workings. To assist him he
took with him quick-witted Irish
man who was a mining man OF long
experience. Pat looked at the min
eral showing in the mine, and so did
the president Pat finally said:
"Begorra, it looks good to me- and
he sunk his pick deep into fine car
| Donate lead ore. Continuing, Pat
| said: Leaving out the dips, spurs
and angles, the east and west vein
and the rhyolite which comes deep
er, the mine ought to be good fol-
$4,000 dividends monthly
On arriving at the surface the pre-
sident dismissed the auctioneer, fol
the mine was to have been sold al
auction; an up-to-date man was
placed in charge of the property and
ever since the mine has been on q
regular and paying basis; thus prov
ing, conclusively, that the failure to
make good in the early history of the
property was not because it was val
ueless, but because the mine mana
ger really knew nothing of mining
operations, and that he actually die
not know ore when he saw it.
| If the truth were known there is
every reason to believe that many
valuable properties are cursed by bao
management, while many companies
and investors are ruined from. the
same cause.
The resurrection of many aband
oned mines in the west, and the plac
ing of them in the dividend-payins
column, is proof of this. Some mine
superintendent would be much better
empolyed in pushing mine car or il
Landscape gardening than in thu