The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1915-04-22

pector, his business, or his life" But
who. in fact, is this prospector, what
is his business anyway on this planet
we call our home?
True. the Rockies" cannot boast the
venerable antiquity of the Alleghanies
or the Adrondacks, with whose
shrunken frames. lowered peaks, and
rounded shoulders, these stalwart, rug
ged, and youthful forms of the Rockies
stand out In comparison as parVenue
Ridge and the hills around Hudson's
Bay have sunk beneath the wave our
Rockies will still tower in lofty aiti-
tude. daring the second coming of the
prospector must find for mankind the
natural mineral wealth hid away in
the Rockies-that's his business!
Who Is This Person. the Prospector?
Mr. Pinchot and his kind believe
him to be one who mounts his auto
mobile laden with quail ON toast and
cold bottles, sallies into the 'fores
reserve" and when he wakes from his
stupor in the morning, promptly plants
his stake" on Camp Bird, United
Verde, or Comstock, and forever after
enjoys the ''uneIrned Increment
when, by rights 1t should have beer
divided among the balance of us
share and share alike. Or far better
still. the proceeds of the mine TO be
used to defray the salaries Of the
bureaus political forest rangers" who
seem to be principally occupied in col
lection of "ents" and bills" and driV-
ing prospectors "out" and off > the
forest reserves"
But who are these persons the pros
pectors-clothed in legend rather than
soft rainment?
The moss grown ruins of their lowly
cabins lie strewn under the hills
silent tokens of battling disappolnt
ment of intrepid pioneers. They are
the blood and sinew which promise
long life to this republic.
There is an old axiom often quoted
in mining circles that "prospectors are
not miners" This is only too true.
though quite contrary to the public's
Illusion in that respect Prospectors,
as a rule, are ignorant as the twelve
apostles. If they had not been pros
pectors, they would have been hunters.
trappers, fishermen, pearl divers, or
how, in the year 1925, Liberto VOTERS
from Stockholm, leased the great RE
Tinto mines of Spain from the crown
having previously made fortune
practicng his profession as pearl
diver in Vigo bay,
( True, the prospectors perpetual
ideal is in one short campaign to make
an everlasting fortune-short cam
paign, everlasting fortune sounds all
right. but 1t is a rare bird, visits US
seldom and halls from parts unknown
In its movements it might be likened
to Halley's comet which appears IN
the sky once in about 76 years. From
many points of view this world Is
small, but if one sets out to prospec'
for things golden in the rock-ribbef'
mountains, he will soon be found eX-
claiming: This is a very large world '
There Is surely room for all to pros
pect!
| Though seldom successful in his
search, he prospects q million acres OF
the public domain. and heWs thous-
and caverns in the mountain sides in
his laudable efforts to discover the
natural mineral resources of our coun-
try, and increase his own and the ma '
TONS available wealth. He prospects
in a thousand places where he never
locates a claim. He locates hundred
claims he never takes to patent, but
allows them to lapse back to the pub
lie domain.
Prospector's First Fate.
No other vocation Is so often doom
ed to failure and disappointment as
that of prospector. OF necessity he
has to bark to a very far cry, and
tramp very long trail, which to him,
at least, often seems interminable-
industriously, patiently, laboriously
trudging on, listening to the ever mo-
notonous tramp, tramp, tramp on his
Lonesome path Falling into quiet rev.
erie. he wonders whether for him TINS
trail Is really OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
he will never come in this world to his
reward. whether his form, now tired as
an old wagon wheel, will break down
in the road, and his bones lie bleach
ing In CHASTITY whiteness with those
others fallen by the way, mute witness
to the willing and courageous SOUS
who. in other days, had boldly anC
bravely gone forth into these vast
Businesses Of rough and rugged can
yons. crags and peaks, in wanderlnf
search of the fairy god Of gold--ou'
never returned.
The fascination of the lucky chance
and that noble element Of eternal mop.
planted in the human breast, stronger
perhaps, in his than in others now anf
ever leads him on in his endless quest
He grows to have sublime faith y
-, zaloo, of fortuna He drpa m