Gilpin observer., 1909-06-10
THE PRosPEcroR
AND HIS eURRo.
(Salt Lake Mining Review

AOW SAA"iA VIII
grow into big things. Even a little
talk, little joke, will spread from
mouth to mouth, until the gossips
nave magnified a harmless remark to
scandal of gigantic size. And this
is the way with small enterprise If
legitimately carried on and pushed
with Drawn and muscle and honest
intent. AT first the project is given
but scant attention by the CONNER
cial and mining world, but in time it
becomes one of the solid institutions
Of the country, just as the little oak
grows into a magnificent tree in time !;
and such enterprises do not get their
inspiration from the roulette wheel
or from the alluring faro table, but
emarate from the breasts of men who
depend upons their own exertions for
start in the world. When | first
brought you under subjection to the
pack saddle you were little might of
a thing, and you simply imagined that
all you had to do in life was to gam
Dol at your mothers side and look
sweet and pretty. AS a matter of
fact, every day was kind of honey
moon to you, and you were as inno-
cent of the stern realities of life as
were the young married couple we
met on the trail yesterday. To be-
gin with l put pack on your back
weighing but a few pounds, as / did
not wish to crush your spirits, or
break your back. Gradually in
creased the size of the pack until you
became serviceable to me and had
attained full growth and strength
and now see what you can do?
You can carry 200-pound man Or
your back and a pack weighing eqal
ly as much, and you think nothing
of it; none whatever. And, while
you are little slow, you get there all
the same, and in this respect you are
a good pattern for small enterprises
to follow, even if you are a burro.
81 see you do not see what l am
driving at, but this is not to be Won
dered at, as your gray matter moves
as slowly as those little feet of yours,
but l will enlarge upon my subject
so that you will see the difference be-
tween the four-flusher, who over-loads
his mining proposition at the begin
ming, and the really successful man
who lays his foundation little by III
tie until he has raised a superstruc-
ture that is lasting and enduring.
If you will remember" continued
the prospector, I'VE passed through
desert Nevada camp some few
months ago where there was consider
able excitement. The little town was
full of people, mostly four-flushers
and shot-string men, who spent more
time at the bar and around the rou-
lette wheel and crap table than they
did in the hills. Most of these men,
who had ample capital behind them
but none before them, wanted bonds
and options on desirable properties,
and promised to incorporate compan-
les and build mills from the sale of
treasury stock. Now, wouldn't this
make even burro laugh? The idea
of building mills before even a ten
foot hole has been sunk in develop
Ient work, And yet this is the way
rs catch suckers and those wanting &
sure.thing tip. A mill is chincher,
and will catch the unthinking invest
or as easily as can attract your at
tention by shaking an empty barley
sack in your eyes. Well, l see that
you are beginning to savvy, just as
you have begun to know the differ
eace between a 'steerer' ard a real
player at the roulette wheel. The
man who talks mill. building on a
large scale for an undevelopod prop
erty Is steerer, for ho steers un-
wary investors against the stone wall
of failure, where they mourn their
lost plunks as Rachel mourned for
her children; for they are not: or
words to that effect. The camp ! re
ferred to now has but one mill, but
this was not built by the man with
capital behind him. but by two min
ing men you would hardly notice in
n crowded bar room, so humble
would they seem in the midst of the
four-flushers who make themselve:
the observed Of all observers. ant
who generally leave camp between
two suns. But hereby hangs tale,
as Jim Shelton, of Rhyolite would
say.
These two men were miners from
| tho prnund nm rrho, ,unro ninnnH fhl