Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1914-02-26

Storms, appeared in a recent issue
of the Chicago Mining and Engineer
ing World.
1t has been my business for many
years to inspect mines, sometimes in
professional capacity, often Off.
ally, occasionally as a visitor. In
this way it has been my good for
tune TO have had large and varied
experience, and not infrequently
these experiences have been amusing
as well as instructive | think a
knowledge of some Of these expert
ences will prove interesting, and not
without value to other engineers, par.
ticularly the younger members Of the
profession. In most cases 1t would
scarcely be proper to give the name
of the property or the individual re-
ferred to, but each of the instances
to be related is true In every essen
tial particular.
Several years ago | was commits
stoned to make an examination of a
gold mine on the desert in California.
spent a week at the property, took
a large number of samples, and Sc
cured all the data | considered neces-
sary. Upon the assays being com
pleted found that, Notwithstanding
that fact that | had several samples
than ran over $50 ton. the average
of the mine was between 50 and &c.
This surprised me not little, as the
property was commonly reported as
belonging close to the bonanza class.
In talking with one of the owners
he admitted that he knew the mine
was too low grade to be made profit
able under the existing conditions,
and then added regretfully: 1--WE
could have sold this mine at one
time for $4,000"
"Why didn't you let it go?"
asked.
well. you see,' he replied, sit
was like this. Mr.. H and Mr. R.
had heard of the mine and came to
look al It, At that time we had this
cut the same as ii is now, and that
hole there was down about 80 feet
They we're wild to get the mine-l
could see that, and say, it did look
beautiful. You could crawl around
on your hands and knees there in the
face of the cut and see free gold
everywhere, but there was nothing
back Of II, for we had drilled holes
in and sampled the drillings, and
they showed the ore to be good
H and R didn't know
that, for we had plugged the holes
so they wouldn't be noticed They
took a lot of pieces, every one show
ing plenty of gold, and that they
We're satisfied ] felt sure. Finally
H said, How does she looh
down in the shaft said. Just the
same as it does up here. and it did
too, all except the gold Then | said
Don't you want to go down and looh
at it?' He looked down the shaft
and there were no timbers in il, only
crazy old ladder-we had taker
the windlass away He was a heavy
man, and shook his head, saying he
guessed he would take my word FOL
it. Then he said. viii you sell?
said Sure, we will sell anything.
What's your price, was his mex
question There he had me for
minute. You see, didn't know
what to say. for my partner and
had never fixed price on the min
at that time My first thought wa
$4,000. and you can bet We woul'
have been glad to take that pric'
for IL, but then | thought OF the ricl
rock, and that II ! said $4,000 the.
might think the price suspiciousl
thNs ~ I Hatu fANtNNNi an AhlH hhAHh
ing was done mighty quick. OF course
Wen take it, he said right off O
course he went on. We didn't brini
any money with us. but We viii q
10 Los Angeles and return day afte
tomorrow with sl0.0o0. and W. vii
, pay you the balance OF $4,000 IN 8
days said that was satisfactory
knowing that Ne would newer -
more than the first $4,000 bat TIA
eas good deal more than Ne =,
pectcd to set since we found ou
stat the rich ore vas anly q bunch
. That afternoon they drove o. %
. railroad and took the first train q
I t,as Angeles That evealnx We tal
ID ard y shat w. Ma
aoe rh-s t,ih wsei ~ n sfmpl
ana nlssa 40 ou' 81 e rhey ssi
kere taoia ia he the mine 4
o. ans saeh mangY bal thaf i .
saaa go n Nilh them tnA ceased
dstr sift pa ploFsety thsY hst
I iae yrlaiiy ihe ehols shlns Caal8
sla easlis FW siaaa aa 81 mhhh =
eaala e. ssoaaaa asssaa % al
sFahls tsaeea rhsY veFs - sai