Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1914-02-26
Observations From An
Engineers Notebook

letting the mine 80 for paltry $780,
900. True to their promise, on the
third day back came H and
R with $4,000 in gold in their
gripsacks, and we had to refuse It.
That was years ago. now. and we
have got the d mine yet"
No one win deny considering the
proposition from all sides, that ex-
actly the right thing happened in
this case, though. it is not always
this way These men, knowing their
property to be worthless, were yet
willing to impose upon the careless
ness of the two strangers, who were
really competent mining men, but
they were carried away by the sight
of good-sized face of rich ore, and
perhaps to some extent by the as
sumed righteousness of the owners,
and neglected to investigate fully. In
making mine examination ii never
pays to accept anything as a fact
without taking steps to verify it,
Some may contend that the claim
owners were under no obligation to
point out to the prospective buyers
the fact that the rich ore scarcely
extended beyond the face of the cut,
nor that the rock down the shaft,
| though looking the same as that in
the cut, was practically destitute of
gold | once asked "a noted engi-
neer, while discussing mining suit,
what he did when an embarrassing
question was put while on the wit.
ness stand For instance, said, dc
you tell the whole truth ?" "Tell the
truth, of course" was his reply. but
man need not carry his candor tC
the point of asinine stupidity"
suppose it makes lot of difference
on which side ones sympathies lie
Most people, | know, figure in tina
way, and | have noticed that ever
mining engineers are not wholly FREE
from this very natural weakness.
OBSERVATIONS FROM AN ENGl
NEER'S NOTE BOOK ...... $500. 81.
Men of means who pride them
selves on their success in business
not infrequently tackle the MINING
game, though not having the slight
est knowledge of the business.
have known men, dentists, lawyers
merchants, and even preachers, to &
into mining without experience in tn
business, even to the extent of RI
dimentary ideas of how things shoul
be done will venture to say tina
not one of these men would think @
turning his particular business owe
, to an inexperienced man, but non
Of them fear to go into the bushes
of mining because it is so easy, an
can be learned in short time-all
man needs is good business heat
This is the way they have it figure
, out at the start Some Of thes
, men, a very few. in time make eS
cellent managers They who hav
sense enough to realize early tina
they know nothing about it and Sc
themselves industriously to work I
learn, may succeed, the others ar
, quite as likely not to. came acros
business man once, a banker, VIII
! had taken an option on a small mine
= without any previous experience, wa
!, acting as his own superintendent Tn
, occasion of my visit was official TIL
property had been worked years b.
, fore, was equipped with b-stam
' mill. and had log cabin or tw
I for the working force. After Ion
a idleness this gentleman had unde
a taken TO reopen the old mine an
A was engaged in making what he cal
. ii a millnis Jrsr and giving the prof.
h erty thorough investigation Upo
! my arrival | found a number Of me
! ndustriously at work In and abot
!. the mine and mill. such as one vi
see about any small mine -
4 planned The nature Of my visit,
Z looked the mine and mill over an
3 VAS somewhat Interested Ia the r.
r suit Of this Investigation. as ! ha
4 known Of the old mine for a Ion
q time Everybody about seemed We
satisfied and 10 one apparently MOI
J, 80 than Mr. n himself Ait,
i lunch ~ al down on eonyeuieI
|, 500 70 smoke aud ehaf aisle
4 few preliminary questions 20 a
whleh be- save eheerful answer
: iir remarked Incidentally ! supp
r - ara npt D mi6lns man. 9eu kuo'
4 hm uke iht baslnfaa a#a fIHA
a an yets Simple eud lhluk sill sos
i Understand b ffom A ta n
q smiled in stsi ihsashi b. o.
3 psifea eay perhaps aai mlt
: 8eHtH nsd IS a. AZ ihw ta,hm
3 thHss sHtaaf tHffttf telAv 81
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70 fsany toat sae~ have ae 81