Gilpin observer., 1910-09-01
THE PRosPEcToR-
HIS AID TO MINING

to be deprived of his advantages. H
will no longer be able to roam, at
his sweet will and plant his stake
where good indications of mineral
call. This conservation business is
| likely to cut into his success. He
will be restricted, more or less, and
probably have to prove all he claims
and that he is not a timber shark
and merely out for syndicate of
lumber baron5. rhe prospecting ground
is narrowing every year, and wha.
with the withdrawal of millions of
prospector as unit in mining af-
fairs, his position must soon dwindle
to a cypher.
OF course efforts VIII be made to
reestablish his necessity. He is not
entirely suppressed only restricted.
He should be encouraged. The mining
industry cannot dispense with him
He is a necessary institution and to
deprive him of his rights is a blow
at mining progress. Were it not for
him the west would be fifty years
back of what it is today. He made it
possible fer all that is so strikingly
pioneer of all pioneers. He is the
first to penetrate any section, and
the more dangerous the locality or
seemingly impenetrable the mere de.
termined to go there at any cost.
Fear is not in his vocabulary. He
does not consider whe;Eer lie Is do
ing wise or foolish thing. All his
thoughts are centered on the results
The hardships to be endured never
enter into his calculations. 1t is not
? call of the wild. Rather, he would
establish precedent in discovery.
The discovery made-he hardly ever
goes beyond this. The goal attained,
the future to him is only as it opens
to his view from day to day.
This has been suggested by what
has lately come to pass in connec-
tion with the various conservation
measures lately introduced in Con-
gress. While they do not entirely re-
strict the prospector and miner they
make tangie Of red-tape and that
prevents the freedom of action here
tofore his. The Colorado Chapter of
| the American Mining Congress has
taken up the matter. 1t would learn
the sentiment of mining men in this
regard ana dev,se measures to estab-
liSh the status OF all concerned. II
does not appear that the prospector
and miner was TO be deprived of any
of his rights, as previously enjoyed.
But it would seem to place the min
ing industry under stricter regula-
tions. The freedom heretofore enjoy
ed may have been abused. For in
stance, good location was always
at the, mercy of the unscrupulous. In
this sense. all that the prospector had
to protect him in his right of dis
covery was possession with n good
display of nerve and a revolver back
of II. A man makes 4 great discovery
in new and isolate section. Others
come in and before ever the assess
ment work, survey or recording the
find is at the mercy of anyone car
ing to despoil the discoverer. Pros
pectors have ever recognized this dan
ger. Miners rights, as adopted by a
new section. are upheld by mere force
or rule of the majority. There is
nothing to prevent the majority from
over ruling minority or an indivi.
duals; but it IS possibly as good a
law as that adopted by our legisla-
ture, for the courts have been known
to uphold miners rights in a new
camp remote from courts.
1T is not hoping the prospector' 5
days are numbered On the contrary
it is the desire that he remain long
in the land; but it must be recogriz-
ed that the circle of his activities
are ever growing smaller. With that
view he should be given more liberty
OF action. be better safeguarded; in
fact given every encouragement,m more
than he ever had and it is certain
that should he not reap all the ad
vantages of his discovery someone
else will, and, in general sense, the
world is the gamer by the discovery
made by the pioheer-the prospector
ApprcpoS of the above, an an
eodote is going the rounds that Is
well worth repeating. 1t is from the
Journal Home and State:
I'm a western town stranger re
Gently stood in the hotel parlor and
gazed absently out into the street
1t was a gloomy day, and as he look
cd n small funeral nroressinn nossef