The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-01-11
DAYS OF OLD-T|ME
PROSPECTOR GONE
D. c. Jackling So Expresses
Himself in Reply to
Query.
REQUA THINKS SO, TOO
Not Many Mines Now 'Stick.
ing Out of Ground" in
United States.
REQUA THINKS SO, TOO

In symposium IN the pan frdnclsco
Mining and Scientific Press Of recent
date in reply to the query, "What Is
the Matter With Prospectingf' are the
following expressions of opinion from
mining authorities we'll known IN Urah:
D. c. Jackling-In my opinion the ap-
parent lack Of interest IN prospecGhs s -
due more TO the lack of fertile flelds lot
such exploration work than 10 indine!-
ence on the part OF anybody TO the dis
covery OF new mineral deposits In otnet
words, the mineral bearing areas 0l tiie
United States have been pretty wen COW
cred by investiga tions and developments
to varying extent There is scarcely an
not been investigated by engineers either
for tho government or through the ac-
tivities OF private individuals or corpora,
tions, and. furthermore. the business OF
much more OF q scientific character tnan
applied to II in earlier days In iact' IL
is becoming business conductsd IN e
general way. at least along lines OF
fairly definite principles, whereas IN the
days Of active prospecting In unexplored
areas the general idea OF mining lnVesG-
ga lions and opera tioDs partook IN some
degree at least OF the spirit OF adventure
I believe there is just as much money
available as there ever was Tor the IN,
vestigation and development Of mineral
resources; but, on the other hand, be-
Ieve the days OF the old-tine prospector
are gone. and with them the time when
money can be secured as !. used 70 De i,eons LOT
The modern way Is TO send an engineer
to places that are reported through vari-
Gus channels to Indicate promise o. MIN
spending months travelling by wagon or
afoot. the engineer goes TO point near
hts destination by train, and IN all prop
ability travels the balance OF the dis
tance by automobile. and II the indica-
tions justify II, he reports In definite
way, and the result is development on
practical scale; the whole thing re9ulrins
months or years. On the whole, l think,
however noble the prospector's vocation,
the time is past when 1t car be either
lieve that, taking into consideration the
possibility OF finding new minerelized
areas, or new deposits IN known min
eralized areas. the development and COM
mercialization OF the countrys resources
is going ahead al u more rapid rate to-
day than II ever has at any previous time;
There ere variations in this activity, OF
course, depending on industrial condi-
tons. the price OF metals, etc; but con-
sidering periods OF time long enough 20
cover such variations from maximum to
true, and | think the statistics and his
tory OF the mining Industry In the United
States for the last five TO ten years VIII
substantially bear out this view.
NJ. L. Requa-It is not true that money
is no longer available for developing
prospects. Probably at no time in the
history of mining has there been keener
competition for meritorlous prospects TO
develop. The great trouble is the lack
OF satisfactory prospects. ] think IL is
h.galy probable that there is greater DIFF
fculty being experienced now than ever
in finding grubstakes, for the reason that
experience has proved that II is very diff
ncult in these days for the ordinary pros
pector 10 find something sticking out OF
the ground. L think il has become more
and more evident that the mines OF the
future must largely be developed In ter
ritcry that shows certain geological con-
ditions. but where ore-shoots are not out
cropping upon the surface. The percent
age OF successes Will probably be rela-
lively small. l do not believe in govern
ment aic 10 prospecting or prospectors.
II the government is going into the busi-
ness, IL would better do the whole thing
the prospecting and the developing-and
reap the rewards Prospecting methods
and conditions do not need improvement.
II resolves Itself into two great divisions:
Prospecting in the effort to find some
thing that Is sticking out OF the ground,
and prospecting In the effort TO find an
ore body that Is indicated by certain sur
face conditions, No great improvement Is
demanded In prospecting for deposits
that show upon the surface; possibly
there may be improvements Cor prospect
ing for hidden deposits There IS an am
pie and voraclous market awaiting the
development OF mineral lands that show
any value. Boiled down to a few words,
the facts are that SO far as the United
ings have been pretty well found, at least
! believe they have In the future, de-
Volopment work must be done with the
hope OF finding ore bodies that do not crop
on the surface. This is expensive and
probably will not be popular form OF
mining and Will be done only by few
concerns. In the meantime. the prospec-
tor must seek other fields. 7 believe that
there are still many areas IN the world
that afford the possibility OF finding ore
S So0,ss ,sh showing upon the surface. but 7
tty In the United States.
d. w. Brunton-It is only too true
tnat prcspectors do not now receive the
same backing and support from business
men mat trey did ten years ago. III
Colorado this is due principally To the
TACT that no new mining districts OF anl
Importance have been discovered during
the past twenty years. Nearly every
winter, when the snow is deep and the
mountains Inaccessible. fairy stories OF
important discoveries appear In the news-
the districts are accessible. the values
vanish. Funds and support can only he
obtained by making mining more profita-
BILE and by preventing the organlza ton
of wildcat promotions and other fraudu-
lent methods OF imposing on the public
through which legitimate enterprises are
made to suffer. II. by government aid.
yon mean tde subsidiziug OF prospecting
and mining operations, I would say no.
as We have altogether too much pater-
nallsm now. The United States geological
dIb lHt OF flineS are now
doing much more for the Industry than
any direct grant OF funds, and IL the ap-
propris tons for these two branches could
be incseased, there Is no doubt the In
dustry would be immensely benefited
thereby improvements in prospecting
methods can only be brought about by
greater knowledge and skill on the part
81 the proapectors. Where prospecting
mas 10 be carried on IN the forest re-
serves more common sense and less ''red
Tape on the part OF the forestry officials
would be extremely desirable and de-
cidedly penehclal not only To the pros
pectors, but TO the forest service as well
An undeveloped prospect is a good deal
Ike lottery ticket, and. like the latter.
VIII mol pe q very desirable acquIsition
unless the prizes are not only large. hut
sufficiently numerous TO Justify the rIsls
To this end the complete revision az n'Tr
present mining laws is extremely desl,-,
BILE. SO that, should a man be lIolfy
enough to open valuable ore BODY, he