Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-28
EVOLUTION IN MINING CAMPS
New Men, New Methods, but Still the
Daring Spirit.
CHANGES WROUGHT IN THE WEST
Italians, Greeks, slsvs and Others
DIspIseIng Natives, seOtchmen
and IrIshmen-AbdIcRtiOa
of kinG Luck.

of KinG Luck.
No part OF the far west bears stronger
evidence OF the changes that have been
wrought In the empire on the other side
Of the Missouri river within a quarter of a
century than the mining regions. The
spirit OF modern progress Is manifested
through the introduction of the applied sci
ences, labor-saving machinery and the ad-
vent of men of trained technical skill. The
topography, the survival OF certain ancient
and deep-rooted customs and the prospector
are about all that are left OF the mining
camp OF the good old days with occa-
sional traces OF the old spirit Of romance
and adventure that characterized the early
mining communities and lent an irresistible
charm to western life. -
The miner OF today as well as the mining
investor is depending more and more upon
science and less and less upon luck. Dis
coveries in metsllurgy, a wider and
sounder knowledge OF geology. mechanical
inventions and improvements in methods OF
operation are constantly lessening the ele-
ments OF nance in mining and are grad
ually Transforming what was once a haz-
ardous occupation into something like, a
legitimate industry.
Perhaps no single fact Is more RESPONSE
Bile for the change that has taken place In
the character of western mining camps
than the cessation OF placer or gulch min
ing. A placer mine was the ideal poor
mans mine. from which. with the simple
contrivance OF a sluice box. he washed out
precious nuggets OF gold from the graveily
soil OF the mountain gulches, with only the
-. - ~
"flums." Ths placer mining days were the
ones that produced the Jack Hamlins and
Tennsssee's Pardnsrs These types were
later Transferred and reproduced in the
lode" mining camps, where the mineral
hes in veins and requires more>tools' than
q pick and shovel to get it out. but they
are rapidly disappearing. as mining con-
tinues to make increasing demands upon
capital for successful operations.
Except in a few isolated localities there
are no mining camps in the west today like
the first one l ever saw from the seat OF
honor beside the driver Of a stage coach
IL was a settlement of log cabins and rough
board shacks in an opening between tive
mountain peaks. too narrow to be called q
valley and too wide TO be called a gulch
Main street boosted twenty-four saloons
three dance halls and a variety theater
and the flotsam and jetsam OF frontier lf,
was 50 uproariously in evidence that. q
p0raphrase a mining region poet
II was all day in the day time,
And there was no night in camp.
In one respect the wild. reckless life o.
that camp m the false life OF our
large cities OF today. where an elemen.
devoted to ~frivolty and vice work all day
to earn money and work all night t,
spend It.
That was a period when Luck was king
His most favored subject. for the time be
ing. in that particular part of his realm
had just converted a mine into a half mil
lion dollars of real money. 1 did not Sc,
him, because he was then in Denver In
dulging In the luxury OF a champaign
bath. Not a bath in the sense of ex
cessively drinking the sparkling beverage
but of literally immersing himself In a tut
OF II and having himself after a fashio,
that would have satisfied the yearning o
Omar Khayyam.
From another part OF the kingdom W
had reports that King Luck had bestowe
several millions OF dollars upon a subtec
who could not read or write or tell the tim
OF day. but who at once had a watch mad
for him. with the cases studded wit
precious stones. When asked the time q
day by facetious friends aware OF hi
deficiencies he would exhibit his iewelle
timepiece, and with native wit retort
Look for yourself, ye might think wa
lynn to ye."
One OF King Luck's curious benefaction
a few years later was in the case of
miner who exhausted all OF his resource
In sinking a shaft without discovering or,
A friend came to his rescue with a loar
ne resumed work, sunk his shaft through
watershed. flooded his mine" 1t was I'm
possible to proceed without machinery I
pump the water. When ready to abando
the property his wife won a cash prize /
a lottery. bought the machinery. sunk m
shaft, struck rich ore. took out $500
worth OF it, and sold the mine for 81. 30
more
successor's of Luck's Sons.
I recall another favored son OF Kin
Luck In the same camp. who. when n
came into his fortune, gratified his chi,
desires in life by purchasing a magnificer
black riding horse and a silk hat. No on
shot at the hat because il was the custoi
OF this knigh Grant OF fortune to con
mand the doors OF saloons to be opene,
30 as TO admit him on horseback, whereuuo
he would ride in and order drinks to /
served to all present. and as long as the
were any remaining to accept his hosp
tality.
In the established mining camps OF III,
region today King Luck has nrsc,icsu