Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1907-01-26
A PROPHECY FULFILLED.


has had remarkable run through the
western press since its first appearance
in the Manhattan News, two days after
the destruction of San Francisco.
The courageous spirit of optimistic
prophecy which WHITES the effort caught
the popular tone of the period, and the
faith of the West in its imperial city,
and few indeed are the papers in which
the article has not been reproduced.
1t is remarkable that an exposition and
a prophecy that breathe SO strongly the
true and characteristic hopefu1ness of
the American spirit should not be the
product of an American S pen, which, as
Carlisle would say, suggests several
things One of which is that many of
our adopted citizens are better Ameri-
cans than the Americans themselves.
And this itself proves that we possess
government that draws strength and
character from every stream that flows
to it. But of course all the world knows
that many of the strongest traits of the
American national character are derived
from the brave, patient, hopeful charac-
ter of our Teutonic ancestry and later
additions. Max Junghandel, as the name
indicates, is Teuton, and has been
citizen of the United States only few
years, and not the least remarkable fea-
ture of the prophecy he uttered is that
he has made fortune by his own faith
in it. 1t is only last week that in that
same ruined city of San Francisco, of
which he wrote in spirit of prophetic
optimism in the hour of her direst de-
spair and woe, he concluded the pur-
chase Of the great Ludwig copper mine
of the Yerington district for million
dollars cash:
THE PROPHECY.
"The calamity which has stricken the
Pacific Coast and which may prove the
greatest disaster ever experienced in
human history will, no doubt, exert its
influence upon the hourishing mining
industry of the State of Nevada. Pessi-
mists are inclined to believe that this in
fuence will be detrimental; that for
months to come the mining activity will
be crippled, and that mining stocks will
correspondingly decline. On the other
hand optimistic minds can see for Neva-
da silver lining trimming the dark cloud
which is lowering over the Pacific Coast.
Nevada, though in prehistoric times
the scene of tremendous volcanic up
heavals, has been singularly free from
any great seismic disturbances during
modern times. It seems as if within
her boundaries the plutonic forces have
spent themselves, become extinct and
left as reminders of their former activity
those unreasonable deposits of precious
minerals which are destined to make
Nevada the greatest metal-producing
territory the world has ever known.
1t requires an immense amount of
capital to develop these ore bodies and
to make their products available for the
service of mankind. The recent discov-
cry of these incompatible resources &C.
CURED at time when capital was not
favorably inclined to mining and pre-
ferred investments in real estate as safer
and more lucrative. Hundreds of mil
lions have been invested during the past
few years in real estate, especially in
San Francisco and Los Angeles, with the
result that according to the law of de-
mand and supply, property values have
very often doubled and trebled within
one year. This eagerness of capital to
favor real estate has created, in many
instances, entirely speculative values,
and the profits of shrewd real estate in
vestors have been. correspondingly large.
Under these circumstances the mine op-
operator trying to interest capital in the
development of mining properties had
hard task, and his efforts did not usually
meet with desired success.
The disaster of last Wednesday. cruel
and gruesome as it is, may act as cor
receive. 1t may serve as an object les
son that investments in real estate are
not by any means the safest and most
lucrative, but are exposed to deprecia-
ton from various causes. 1t may fur
ther call attention to the fact that legiti-
mate mining in Nevada, based on re-
sources of unquestionable richness and
conducted according to the latest progress
OF mining geology and engineering, as
well as on sound business principles, af-
lords today unequalled opportunities for
the investment of capital with larger