Gilpin observer., 1912-07-11
THE PRosPEcroa
AND HIS suRRo.
(salt Lake Mining Review,


burro. land would wear hobble skirts,
if you could. Where you get such
ideas such as you have been enter
tanning the past month, cannot even
guess, and l do not think that that
lop-eared, outlaw buck burro you
have been consorting with, of late,
could have inspired you to ask that
l adorni your hackamore with rosettes
the next time we go to town, and
that tie ribbons in your tail; all
of which, for burro, is as useless
and senseless as New York Of
flee for new and untried mining
company. Eut, you say, you cannot
see the connection between rosettes
and ribbons, and New York office
and would like to know what min
ing company could do with headquart,
ers. in the east, anyway; which
goes to show that you would use
more sound judgment concerning min
ing operations than you do when it
comes to matters of personal adorn-
ment; and, as have finished my
mulligan stew, and you are content
edly samp!ing that old ham cover
ing, 1 will relate how l was knocked
out, and took the count, some few
years ago, by the New York office
maintained by a company in which
ways interested!
"At the time / speak Of" continued
the prospector, 81 had made most
promising discovery in the hills,an1
was foolishly persuaded by my friend
to organize company for it's devel-
opment. 1t is true that could have
begun shipping on my own account.
as had the ore in sight, and plenty
of it; but. l was dazzled with the
idea of being mine manager for a
company with a figh-soundirg name
and with rosettes on its stock certi-
ficates, and so l was prevailed upon
to take in several promoters who
wanted 90 per cent. of the stock for
floating the company and selling the
treasury shares. This consented
to, although I really could not see
the use of selling treasury stock
when we could begin, within month
to ship ore that would bring us
5 900 a carload; which shows that
l was green in the business, and as
vain and giddy as you have been
since you have had hankering for
gay things. And, gay we were. The
first thing the president of the COM
pany did was to fix up an imposing
office on the 10th floor of the Sky
lark building. Here We had mahogany
desks, leather-covered chairs, tele-
phone, dictag-aph, typewrite-s, and
private consulting room, (all got on
tick) and an office boy all trigged
out in uniform. In ahlition, the COM
pany established New York office,
work Of art, but very misleading; a
feature, the president explained to
me. that was not noticed until the
edition was off the press, but which
would be fully explained to prospec-
tive stock-buye-s by personal letters.
l felt rather uncomfortable in the
company headquarters and among
such fashionable dudes, and so con-
that the best place for me was
at the mine. where l would not be
ashamed OF my old pipe and my sun
burned complexion; and so l hiked
out at the first opportunity, being as
sured that a remittance would soon
follow with which / was to begin ex-
tensive development Inside of al
month received check for $50, but
was owing my two men over a hun
dred. When two months had passed
would have gone to the city. as
my letters had not been answered,
and l was getting uneasy; but l lack
ed the ready cash for transportation,
and had left my check book on the
piano at my Fifth Avenue home, so
It was me- for the old log cabin with
only slab of sow-belly and a small
sack OF beans to live on until / got
word from the company. OF course
let my two men go. giving them COM
pany time checks, and then / spent
4 month in clearing the ground for
he proposed mill-site. By the end Of
hat time began getting bills for
company expenses. including printing
accounts, and vouchers for cham.
'aigne suppers. In addition. a great |
light came to me for which there was
10 charge; none whatever; and
ooted 1t down to the mouth OF the
'anyon. borrowed ten-spot from
he bar-keep. and was soon in the
'ity. 1t was late at night when I got
n. but l was up bright and early
a l.