Gilpin observer., 1914-03-05
! THa aMD pzHss59TSs$ E,s evs"o ! @ !
(Salt Lake Mining Review

1T might be possible for you to
dance the Tango, with a little more
practice" said the prospector to his
burro. But, if you became ever so
perfect in the art you could never
associate, on par of equality, with
the better element in Burroland, any
more than a rough neck, because OF
his extensive vocabulary of profanity,
can expect to enjoy good standing
with the Evangelical Alliance. You
say you cannot see any logic in my
| remarks or what connection there
mining game, or how, if you took
notion to perform a dance that is
graceful, if your thoughts are pure
and holy, or adopt the slit-skirt eff
feet in the makeup of your caudle
appendage, what need there is for
your straight laced associates to cut
your acquaintance. And this feeling,
on your part, plainly shows that you
are lacking in the finer distinctions
and that, coming down to brass tacks,
it would be difficult for you to draw
the line between honest mining and
the elaborate schemes of the gold
brick manipulation.
''It is true" >, continued the prospec-
tor, that it is sometimes difficult
to distinguish between the two, at
first glance, for the gold-brick man
often has the air and bearing of
Sunday school teacher or a bank dir
ector In fact, he may even look
honest; but in the long run the diff
ference is easily to be seen, and the
honest man will be on the job long
after the g.-b. man has departed for
pastures new and green, for the To-
cality where a new lot of suckers
| is to be found. You say that you
are getting tired of this long pre-
ami BILE, and that if l have story
to tell, you wish l would get it out
of my system, as you are anxious
to finish the game of solitaire you
were engaged in when / began my
remarks about the tango. So, if you
will listen, without further Interrupt
tions, l will tell you of my expert
ence with two men out in the Red
land district a few years ago. These
two men drifted into camp shortly
after my arrival One was a quiet,
plain-spoken man who secured an op-
tion on promising piece Of proper
ty containing an extension of the
famous Blueberry lode. The other
wDre a flasher on his tie that arrest
ed the attention of every. skirt in
the canyon, and even the burros look
ed upon him with admiration. He
also took an option on some claims,
but they were clear off from the
mineralized belt and valuable only
for cactus raising and as a habita-
tion for horned toads, chuck-a-wal-
lows. The first man, whom we will
call Smith, began systematic work
in the development of his property.
The other fellow, self-styled, Lucky
Jones', performed the greater part
of his prospecting at the bar of the
Bucket of Blood saloon. He was the
great noise in the district, and
great hand at faro. Smith started
tunnel on his vein, and succeeded
of ore. He had many chances to
sell his mine, but he did not feel
justified in letting his friends in on
the game until he had fully satisfi-
ed himself as to the merit and value
of his proposition. In time, howev-
er, he took on two partners who
were as careful as himself in stat
ing the exact truth regarding the
condition of the mine which, in time,
became one of the most prominent
producers in the district. Jones, on
the other hand hardly put a pick
into his ground, but he was always
showing specimens Of rich ore, which
he claimed, came from his property.
AS a matter of fact, camp followers
became excited regarding the splen-
did showing in the mine of Lucky
Jones, who succeeded in sluffing 1t
off. one day, to bunch of tender
feet, for a handsome price with a
payment of 10000 down. That night
Jones jumped the town, leaving a
lot OF unpaid debts behind him, and
his flasher flashed no more at the
faro table in the Bucket of Blood
saloon; and there was a bowling in
the canyon when 1t was eventually
discovered that the high-grade he
had been exhibiting as coming from
his mine, had really been stolen
from the mine that Smith had made,
,,Ia f,, H..