Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1912-01-13
DESERT FREEDOM LURES HIM ON.

TO the resident of the big city with its street
ears, its water supply piped right into the houses,
its splendid buildings all supplied with everything
conducive to human comfort and convenience
where what man wants may be had instantly
if he has money and is willing to part with it, the
denzen of the desert is an enigma Why should
intelligent man leave behind the music the
crowds, the bright lights, places of amusement,
everything. to live out in the sagebrush, generally
in small hamlet of rudely built shacks and tents,
and often whore water is scarce and fuel dear?
Why does he wear rough clothes an sleep a
hard bed, and stay i'll country where nearly
everything he eats comes put up in tin or pre-
served in salt9 In short, why is prospector a
prospector and why do other people follow him /?
The answer to these questions is easy, Free
dom and the greatness of the game. In the case
Of the prospector he is the nearest to a free
man of any human being Given few burros
and an outfit Of camp stuff, small quantity of
grub. and few dollars with which to replenish
his larder and he is the embodiment of in de-
pendcnce. Wherever he is is home He may UNI
load his pack and make camp when he peases
and where he pleaseS and there is no one whose
permission he must ask. When tired of one place
he puts his home on his burros and no one inter
fcreS. If he finds nice green spot by the side
Of stream, up goes his tent and down goes his
bed. lie may fish or hunt to his heart content
and no game warden has any tcrrorS for him,
for there is game law in the mountains. =
His wants are few and easily supplied Any day
any hour, or any minute. he may find that
for which men work and scheme, and rob- muir
der. lie and steal Gold, silver and the baser
metals beyond human avariee hidden in the
mountains, and here and there great sources oil
this wealth peep out through cracks in the earth
If a prospecor find of these outcrops
he has gained fortune Others have found
them and others will find more 1t is merely q
question as to who will be the fortunate one
The kind of men who usually become prospectors
men who if they lived in the thiekly settled
sections. in the cities would be wage earners
They see nothing ahead but living and that
with the consent of employer The prospeetol
lives. and only has employer occasionally, and
when he does work for wages he has no fear oil
losing his job. for as soon as he gets grub stake
he is going to quit any way. His preference i
for the open country. where there is always
chance"
The same things that lure the prospector af
feet people in other lines. The opportunities fol
acquiring wealth presented in a mining country
lure men in the same manner and for the sam,
reason that people buy tickets in lottery. \
little invested in chance may draw the bis
prize No thought IS given to the, number q
chances against one. lie sees no reason why h,
may not be the next lucky man.
In addition to the capital prize the big bonan
IA, there are always smaller prizes A small
pocket u few hundred or few thousand dol
lars i occasionally faund, and these only Serv,
10 keep people ia the game
There j. charm Ia life in a mining cam
which holds q man. once be- comics within It's IN
hucnce People ara more democratic la thei
iieas, aud there less rules aud regulations o
soeiety o. b. observed Clothes eut little figure
and money less. IL fact men and women AZ
judged hy the faN theY 8rt and not ~ VIVA
they wear ~ what thsN have There Is higue>
ansl freefem ahant the IFS mere than compensate
iaf tht ahsenee 90 Tbs fFlls and fancy thing
% na htt % ihe aiflasi communities waa8s
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