The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-03-19
divided into several classes:

trade is the selling of Autographed
paper. He ranks with the sharper
who advertised sewing machine for
dollar and then sent his victims a
needle. When subscriptions for his
stock come in freely he speaks OF his
business being good. He does not
concern himself about any mine de-
velopment. Usually he is wise enough
to provide himself with patent, a
mine, or some alleged asset. Pat
cnts can often be secured for s. or
$40 piece, and mine may be a
claim anywhere.
?. The semi-dishonest. Those who
acquire real property which they cap
italize and sell to the public at an ex-
orbitant valuation uniustified by any
actual conditions and unbelieyed in
4 by themselves.
). The honest but ignorant. Those
who deceive themselves and with no
wrong Intentions deceive other peo-
/ pie who listen to them.
4. The visionary Exemplifed by
Col. Sellers
There is only one of these classes
which is easily subject to the atten-
ton of the police, district attorneys,
or the post Office inspectors. This is
class l. They are frequently run to
earth and punished for example, Let
son Ballet, Alfred Goslin and Dr.
Flower. The schemings of the gem
try of their class make good newspa
per stories. and add considerably to
the general hilarity, but after all do
not cause the loss Of very much mon
ely in the aggregate. although in in
dividual cases the yproduce the same
anguish as the hayseed feels after he
has bought a gold brick.
1t is classes >. 8 and which are
the dangerous ones but ii is seldom
that they can be tripped though we
may feel positive that the public to
whom they appeal for money is be-
ing misled. 1t is only occasionally
that one of them makes the palpapbly
false statements that the promoters
of the Clover Greek Quicksilver COM
pany did year or two ago and thus
becomes subject to post office fraud
order One of our correspondents
proposes state inspection of mines.
but how could such be carried out in
any safe way? When our great min
engineers, make the mistakes which
they do; when the property of the
Greene Consolidated was originally |
condemned by good engineers, and |
the company was brought out by full |
page newspaper advertisements, just |
like many at present; what would !
the opinion and dictum of district I
engineer lead us to? Simply to this, I
promoters would advertise that their |
property had been passed on by the
state, just as the Black Sand and
Gold Recovery company now brings
the names of the United States geo.
logical survey and the federal gov
eminent into their literature,
This would be an evil worse than
any we have now. The present min
eral land law requires discovery of
mineral to be made as preliminary to
location, and the inability of the gov
eminent to enforce that apparently
simple provision is proof enough of
the inability of the state to regulate
mine valuations by inspectors. The
only remedy for mining and other
frauds Is an improved morality on all
sides: greater reluctance among pro-
motors to father undertakings they
have not properly investigated; care
fulness among newspapers about ac-
suspicious (the newspaper not being
bound to print anything it does not
see fit to-; education of the public to
exercise the same caution which it
displays in investments in familiar
lines: publicity in corporate affairs.
In the last connection we believe that
a federal corporation law supple
mented by state laws modelled after
the British. would be decidedly ad-
vantageous. But even the latter does
not prevent Whitaker Wright scan
dals and it must be recognized that
even the best and most stringent laws
can not keep every one honest
Campbell Cahill.