Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1911-08-18
JONES PROPOSES NINE
DEVELOPMENT COMPANY

mining engineer ana ullnln6 5SOipe'~'
for the Oriole Mining company, pro-
poses that home capital unite IN de-
yeloping a mine or mines In Jose
ph!ne county, not as an experiment
but as dividend bringer.
In an interview by The Courier Dr..
Jones says:
twenty-five years spent in active
mining engineering in the United
States, Mexico and Central America
has forced the conviction, regret
TO say, that southern oregon Is al
most quarter Of century behind In
its lode mining. These are two rea-
IONS why lode mining has Jagged
The first may be ascribed to the past
activities OF placer mining, which
have overshadowed quartz mining.
The second and more serious reason
that is hampering and handicapping
legitimate mining is due to the av-
erage prospector trying to hold down
too many claims and doing but little
or no development on any Of them
and asking the price Of a developed
mine for ten foot hole In the earth.
Lode mining In southern Oregon will
continue to lay behind its sister state
so long as this latter condition pre-
walls.
"There are some who contend that
the values do not go down. This Is
simply an idle assertion and not
based on sufficient evidence to JUS
tify such an expression. How many
mines in southern Oregon have reach
ed the moderate depth of seven hun
dred feet? This was the cry In the
early development Of lode mining In
Montana, Colorado and Arizona. But
some OF the lodes do persist In depth,
not all OF them, but goodly percent
age; Oregon Is no exception to the
rule.
what is needed In Oregon is in
telligent mining methods and tech
nically skilled men. But few mining
companies can hope for success with
out the advice Of trained men having
technical knowledge Of mining prob
lens. The best man Is the cheapest
man.
Intelligent development is needed;
but one must first be able to dlscrim-
mate between a worthless proposition
and one that will make good. Only
talent reinforced by experience OF
the highest order should be entrust-
cd In making selection of mining
property where mine is expected tc
be made. In these days the pocket
book OF the capitalist is protected b.
the iron hand and cold blooded meth
DDS OF his mining engineer. Any one
who has mine or q prospect fol
sale should remember that the da!
OF selling gold bricks" has practi
cally passed. Something real ant
tangible must be shown or no salt
10 effected. The people are becom
Ing educated and mining, when con
Quoted on the lines of lntelligenc
and conservatism is fully as safe
business as banking or merchandls
Ing"
Some town will, Of necessity, be
come the chief distributing center @
mining supplies In southern Oregon
VIII II be Grants Pass or will II b
some other point In Rogue Rive
valley2 The town that gets busy no
and lends helping hand to leglt
mate mining In southern Oregon wi
be the town that will control II
mining activities OF Rogue River va
ley.
IL beg TO say that will subscrl,
$500 or $1,000 to developmel
fund, provided forty or fifty OF Il
business men OF Grants Pass su
scribe a similar amount. Ten p
cent to be paid in when the assoc
alton organizes and selects IT, oil
GERS. Say five per cent thereafter
paid In every thirty or sixty days,
the board of directors may deem ne
essary.
"only gilt edged properties wou
be undertaken for development
properties that will make good
Such properties can be either wor
ed by the association or put In sha
and sold to bona fldo investors. ~
association could also handle on
reasonable commission basis such OF
or properties that its engineer mig
find OF merit after rigid examln
tion, Everything done by the ass
clation should be above suspicion
wild cat schemes An organlzatI,
OF this character would do more
build up and establish confidence