The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1908-02-07
a pARaArN IN SIGHT.


Who wants to buy volcano9 Not
volcanic cadaver. or q prehistoric ba-
sin. but real live. smoking. beiching.
scorching and eruptive specimen. All
school children. we suppose. know
something Of Popocatapeti. the old
mountain with the Astec name in Max
leo, which was such fearful mystery
to the simple natives Of the long ago.
Perhaps it may be asked why should
anybody want volcano? Well, as
The New Haven Register says, aside
from the absolute pleasure of being
the unique pcssessor of real Volcano.
there is enough sulphur around the
smoking mouth OF the dear old crater
to supply the world for generations.
perhaps indefinitely. Though DR.. Wiley
disparages the value of sulphur as an
article OF food. It still has CONNER
cial value. some 100000 tons being used
in the world annually. Sulphur is
worth $40 q ton. and the cost Of mining
It. even from Popocatepetl, II hardly
more than half of that. As there are
tons Of 1t there by the hundred mil
lion, the smoking mountain naturally
appeals to the man who loves money
as a pretty good investment. The last
purchaser found, however. that theory
and practice do not always agree.
That's one reason why he is willing to
sell. Mining sulphur on terra firma is
one thing, and mining sulphur three
miles and half UP among the clouds.
on the edge OF smoking, red hot cal
dron that drops sheer back nobody
knows how many miles toward hades,
is quite another. 1t win take vast
amount Of capital to construct an eie-
vator system that will make this occu-
patton safe and pleasant"
the Mexican owners reasons for
selling are good. we have no doubt,
ana II is intimated that ten million dol
lars in Mexican money win buy the
whole outfit. smoke, flames. lava de-
posits and everything pertaining to
the property. Here is the chance for
Mr.. Carnegie to dispose Of some Of his
surplus riches. or for some OF the big
spectators to make a good bargain.
Dealing in volcanoes may not be a
safe business. but we suspect that It is
about as safe as dealing In railroad or
mining stocks and some other things
that the rich gamblers are accustome
to spend their time and money in.
II the sulphur is as plentiful as de-
scribed there ought to be millions in
lH. 1t Il true that mining on the brink
Iiof volcano. where one false step or
slip might send one on an exploring
expedition in the reputed direction of
Old Nick's dominion, or where a sud
den outburss from below might scorch
and consume human being like
feather in a furnace. could hardly be
called an attractive vocation, but whai
Of that? Men undertake all sorts OF
risks for money and profit. and good
pay would .find plenty TO engage II
even this ticklish business.
But that is not all. The Mexicani
are a slow and behind-the-time PEG
pie. and we suppose they carry on thu
business Of sulphur mining just as was
done by their ancestors centuries ago
taking little thought Of safeguard
That is not the way Of modern Ameri
can operators. If there's money in 4
the inventiveness and adaptability o.
this people will find way to mine thu
sulphur without danger. II Mexic'
were not q tropical region. or II thu
old volcano were 1000 miles or such
matter further north, the ingenuity o.
the age would find a way to pump the
holiness from the mountain and dis
tribute IL to customers just as theI
now distribute water or gas. 1t woult
save an immense quantity of fuel. Il
is possible that the Mexieans nigh
use 1t for cooking and other purposes
where heat is q necessity.
All this lie speculative, Of course
The main point is that genuine vol
cano is on the bargain counter, as f
were, and that it is rich in possibilities
as well as in certainties, and there's, {
good opening for some man with mor'
money than he knows what to do with
to make o good bargain.