The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1914-08-01
Exaggeration Injuries Mining

Exaggerated reports of the Importance OF mine developments or
of new ORE discoveries IRE calculated to exert a sinister effect upon
mines Or camps and on the mining industry generally Mining men
and the mining press should endeavor to discourage, by every mean at
their command, the gratuitous dissemination OF unfounded, scarehead
rumors, in the guise of facts, and residents OF mining camps should
jealousy guard against the sending out OF any but strictly truthful re-
ports regarding the condition OF the industry upon which all are de-
pendent.
Nevada newspapers have lately been victmized through the mis-
directed enterprise of persons who, ever if they shall prove to have
accomplished no actual harm in this instance, have shown themselves
utterly unreliable, irresponsible and to be discredted in future. Win
nemucca papers received by telephone from the camp of National, and
published in good faith, reports of a bonanza discovery that was
teralded as a rival of the Go1dfeld Mohawk. The ore was pronounced
to be telurium, the same is the Mohawk high-grade, and the state
ment was published that there was rich ore already i'll sight worth
eight million dollars. This wild statement should, of course, have been
discounted and som effort should have been made. to verify these
glowing reports before according them publicity and tact credence.
The papers that first announced the reported discovery and played it
up IS big news. have since been obliged to confess that the report was
without foundation in fact-apparently the hystercal ebnltion OF per
sons surcharged with enthusiasm and carried away by a consuming
desire to boost.
Fortunately, in this particular case, no great or lasting harm can
result to the camp. National has made an envabe record of produc-
ton and is on a substantial footing. Other camps, however, have suf-
fered almost irreparable damage or have had their growth retarded for
years through the misdirected activities of rumor mongers and would
be boosters. Gold Circle, in Eko county, is one of these and Rochester,
in a different manner and degree, is another. One of the most garing
examples, however, is Jarbdge, which the volunteer publicity agents
succeeded in well nigh erasing from the map. One of the most active
and versatile of the bulpedding fraternity, and a whilom newspaper
man, by the way, sent broadcast a report, soon after the hst surface
discoveries at Jarbidge, that rich ore was exposed at many points in
the district and that one property, with a shaft down eight feet, had
twentythree million dollars in sight. That this grotesque statement
was credited in some quarters was apparent from the number of news
papers, chiefly those of the larger western cities, which accorded it
space. No one familiar with the history Of Goldheld will deny that this
camp suffered injury through similar methods Of publicity in its boom
times and, to some extent, the camp is still paying the price. News
papers must accept news at its face value and it is often impossible to
verify the accuracy of mining news, but the suppression of reports that
are papably exaggerated and the mental blacklistng of irresponsible
or untruthful informants and correspondents will aid materially in
eliminating this most undesirable feature in present-day news through
MT the mining regions.