Gilpin observer., 1913-04-03
THR RROSPECT0R
KND HIS BURRO
(salt Lake Mining Review)

last night,'' said the prospectcr to
his burro, land my stomach was so
upset that I didn't sleep much all
night. l know that mulligan is
supposed to contain all kinds of
meat and scraps from the table, but
draw the line on flies, hornets and
beetles, although have known old
time prospeotcrs who would not. fit
an eyelash if they knew that a dead
rat had found interment in the stew.
You say that l am too dainty and
particular, and that shouldn't bak
at nothing less than rattler or
, horned toad, when 1t comes to diet,
| and that you take in nearly every
thing concealed in the depths of a
garbage barrel or heap; but, l want
to tell you that it is the little things
that spoil a dinner or the success
full operation of a mining PROPOSE
ton. The big things can be seen
and taken care Of as they come. The
| little flies and the little troubles will
come along and go down before one
realizes the situation, however, and
this is why vie are loaded down with
grief and feel at outs with the world
nearly half of the time. You want
to know if my fly-blown condition is
apt to keep up for any length of
time, and arguing that you will take
a lay-off for a few days, If l answer
in the affirmative But none what
ever, for 1 am fully recovered, now,
and expect to use you tomorrow,
on prospecting trip, and will load
you up with provisions and tools
until you feel prematurely sway
continued the prospector, it DIS
really the little things that count
in life, and in mining more than any
thing else. For instance, l know of
a mining company that had Install
ed a splendid plant of machinery,
but had failed ito keep on hand dup
licate parts that were likely to be
easily broken. This company was
operating out (in the desert, far re-
moved from railroad facilities, and
sometimes it took weeks to get in
provisions and supplies. Well, one
day the piston to the engine broke,
and could net be repaired at the
mine. AS a consequence, the mine
was shut down for month. Go
ing to the nearest railroad point, the
manager wired to several supply
houses in the west, but none of them
kept the part wanted in stock, and
so an order had to be sent east;
and even then, sad to relate, the
piece of machinery wanted was not
to be furnished, and had to be made
before it could be forwarded. This
delay cost the company a lot of wor-
ry and trouble, and loss of about
$4,000 that the mine would have
made during the enforced shut down
So, you see, it was the little thing
that made all the trouble, and which
could have been avoided, had the
management paid more attention to
the details connected with his Of
| flee and less to the game of stud
poker and stuff. / can call to mind
another instance where company
lost money>-beoause of the inatten-
ton to little things. In this case.
lot of powder and fuse had been
ordered, but the management was SO
busy getting high grade sample
to send to the eastern office that
he clean forgot to order caps also.
In due time the powder and fuse ar
rived; but when the holes were
charged, and the foreman called for
caps, they were not forthcoming. AS
consequence, force of fifty men
was laid off for a couple Of weeks,
and the company loss cut deeply in
{ to the next dividend payment. At an
other time the company was entire
ly out OF candles, which the man.
ager had forgotten to order, and an
other shutdown was recorded. with
a still further loss. And once
knew man who ordered all kinds
OF tobacco, only to find, when he got
out into the hills, that he had fopr
gotten to take his pipe along. AS a
result, he had to hike back home,
thus losing day and half, be-
sides almost dying for good smoke.
81 want to tell you, Old Long Ears" !"
concluded the prospector, II you will
take care of the little things. the
/ big ones will take care Of themsel-
yes. II you will keep the flies out
of the mul1Ygan, Will engage to
eat the whole mess, no matter what
else Is I'm 1T. It is the little things
that count, the silver in the foot
and the scratch on the finger which,