Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1909-05-14
The Proprietor and BIS Burro

Some time ago" said the prospector
to his burro. I'VE were talking of ex
perts and mining engineers. and now
you seem to think you know all about
them, for your interest is more centered
In that empty tomato can than in what
/ am saying. But want 10 tell you that
! your knowledge of mining engineers i,
about the size of Il penny-ante, for
never allowed you to keep much com.
pany with that class. ] see that you
think am only knocking from force OF
habit, hut that is because your belly is
full and you feel more peaceful than
yon will i'll the morning when we start
to hike up that steep canyon
Just as there are burros and burros,
so are there engineers and engineers.
! And the number of good ones among
the engineers is far less than among the
burroS. But this is not compliment
to yOu, none whatever, for the engineer
of to-day is not III the same class us the
one we saw down by the river some IL
years ago. The majority of modern
experts are too much afraid of making
mistakes and hurting their regulations,
and so, many Il good property has been
turned down because the metal was not
coined on the dump and ready for ship
mcnt to the bank. Then, again, there
are some who will give rosy report OH
any proposition if they are paid enough
for the job. and this class is far worse
than those who want little mint with
Il fence around it.
But | want to tell you, Old Long
Ears, that the aforesaid specimens are
archangels compared to some l know
Of / see you sitting mp and taking
notice, thinking am going to describe
blood and thunder villain. But nothing
doing III the dime novel line; none
whatever. What l had in mind was
the double.standard engineer-the kind
Of fellow who will let you write Your
own report and then sign it. 1t makes
me blush, and it would make you, too,
if your brains were located in the right
place, to sec what confidence people
place i'll these so-called engineers re-
ports. know some parties. who. by
the way, would look well OH the inside
of n penitentiary, who sent out u high
priced engineer to look over certain
mining property. Before writing his
opinion he asked whether they wished
n buying or selling report. An honest
bunch would have cut him out right
there, but this outfit told him to go Us
far rs he liked, for they figured OH
selling to bunch Of suckers. The
report, which WIS masterpiece of
imagination, was fixed up in leather
bound prospectus about the size of n
full.grown ham. This work of art was
used to separate many hard dollar
from the casymark. who had far
better put his money up in game of
three card monte.
However, You Missouri mocking
bird. you must not think that there is
no value in good engineers report;
and that all of them are looking for the
coin, regardless. But what you want
is the straight dope. and sure it's none of
the engineers business what you want
it for. When you pay u man twenty.
five, fifty aud sometimes Il hundred dol.
lars or more n day for an expect opinion.
you naturally expect to get something
for your money. Unless you aro very
sure of your man, an engineers report
is just like so much hard mazuma sunk
in tho river, and there you are. Salt
Lake Mining Review.