Gilpin observer., 1911-03-23
THE PROPRIETOR
AND HIS eURRo.
(salt Lake Mining RevicwD

, (Salt Lake Mining Review)
years ago." said the prospector
to his burro, there were two min--
ing camps out in the Rocky range
which were only three miles apart.
They were both fairly prosperous for
a number Of years, until mismanage-
ment and failure to keep prospecting
ahead OF production put them both
to tho bad; and in time they became
but memory, mere relics of the
past. Between the two camps we'll
worn trail crossed the high divide,
dreds Of minors scores upon scores
of times. On the summit, as usual
thing, the visitors from camp to
camp would halt for breathing
spell, and the rocks and boulders
scattered around were worn smooth
by those who found that they afford
ed quite comfortable seats. But, no
one thought that here, under the very
feet of the ever-passing miner there
existed one Of the greatest gold
mines ever found in the country.
This was years ago, and yelping
coyote or passing jackrabbit were
all that gave signs Of lie in this
lpace of solitude. One day. however,
a prospector came along driving his
two burros ahead of him. At the sum-
nit, as matter of course, halt
was made for few minutes rest.
The prospector sat down on one of
the boulders, as many others had
done before him. and scanned the reg
ions far below him. AS is usually the
case with the prospector, he had his
pick in his hand, and aimlessly, al
most unconsciously he began hammer
ing at the rock upon which he sat.
Picking up a piece he had broken off
he was about to throw it at a ground
squirrel, when he noticed, just as it
was about leaving his hand, that it
seemed unusually heavy. Instead,
therefore. of annihilating the sQuir-
rel on the spot, he began to examine
the fragment, and was surprised, as
we'll as elated. to find that the rock
was fairly plastered with wire gold.
He found. also, upon further investi-
CATION. that the rock upon which he
had been seated, was an outcrop of
quartz, that the ledge was in place,
and true fissure: but that the out
crop was so weathered, so common
looking from ages OF exposure that
svr,a rty,r thot .
was mineral-bearing. After making sew
eral locations the prospe :tor made d
quick trip to the rearcst town. and
here he found, by assays, that lis
find ran up into the hundreds Of dol
lars to the ton in the yellow metal.
in course OF time he sold a small in
te-est in his discovery .or big for
tuna. and his remaining interest Is
yearly bringing him in a conf )rtable
little income
You ask what this has to do with
burro who is anxious 10 get back
to camp. and seem to thins ] am
telling you littlo fairy tale in order
to keep your mind off the barley
night. But. none whatever; and this
goes to prove to me that you are
about as much Interested in prospect
ing as were the miners who passed
over the old trail for years without
finding out that the moss-covered
boulders on the divide were literally
lousy with the yellow metal; for. like
them, you seem to be more interest
ed in what is going on in camp, in
the whirl of the roulette wheel. In
the clicking of the glasses on thu
bar. than you are in making discov-
cries which may put you on Easy
Street for life. You seem to bo a
little hurt over somewhat personal
want to know whore my Easy
Street is, and how it is that. II l
love to prospect In the hills moro
than l like the comforts OF town,
have not a little wad Of the long
green to show for my years OF toll
in the mountain ranges and the point
is we'll taken, and shows that even
a burro has small gift OF reason
ing power. But, appearances are some
what deceiving. and II you only knew
of the fat bank account have in
Reno you would think as much Of me
as IL wore diamonds and went
around over the country in a choo-
choo wagon. AS a matter Of fact.
started my bank account many years
ago. soon after made my first i'm
portant discovery.
= "As ! sec that you are becoming
interested in what am telling you"
continued the prospector, 81 will tell