The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1915-04-24
PROSPECTOR
AND HIS RIGHTS

In a late issue of the Mining and
Engineering World, Chester I. KEENAN,,
a mining geologist and engineer of
Colorado Springs, writes interestingly
if sareastically on the subject: "Who
Is the Prospector and What Are His
RightssD Among other things he Y
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 "forest
reserve" and when he wakes from his
stupor in the morning, promptly plants
his ''stake" on a Camp Bird, United
Verde or Comstock, and forever after
enjoys the "unearned increment
when, by rights, it should have been
divided among the balance of us, share.
and share alike. Or, far better still,
the proceeds of the mine to be used 20
defray the salaries of the bureau s po-
litical tforest rangers" who seem to
be principally occupied in collection of
{ rents' and nbillsp and driving
~prospeetors ~ssout' and "off'v the
q forest reserves"
But who are these persons, the pros
pectors-clothed in legend rather than
soft raiment9 The moss-grown ruins of
their lowly cabins lie strewn under the
hills-silent tokens of battling disap-
'pointment of intrepid pioneers. They
are the blood and sinew which promise
long life to this republic. There is an
old axiom quoted in mining circles
that "prospectors are not miners. , >
This is only too true, though quite con-
trary to the publie's illusion in that
respect. Prospectors, as a rule, are ig
norant as the twelve apostles. If they
had not been prospectors, they would
have been hunters, trappers, fishermen,
pearl divers or soldiers of fortune.
History ~recites how, in the year 1925,
Liberto Wolters, from Stockholm,
leased the Rio Tinto mines of Spain
from the crown, having previously
made a fortune practicing his profes
sion as a pearl diver in vigo bay.
True, the prospector's perpetual
ideal is one short campaign to make
an everlasting fortune-short cam
paign, everlasting fortune sounds all
right, but it is a rare bird, visits US
seldom and halls from parts unknown.
In it's movements it might be likened
to Haley S comet, which appears in
the sky once in about IS years. From
many points of view this world is
small, but if one sets out to prospect
for things golden in the rock-ribbed
mountains, he Will soon be found ex-
claiming: "This is a very Large world.
There $ surely room for all to pros
pectl'
Though seldom successful ia his
search, be prospects a million acres
of the public domain and news a thou
sand caverns in the mountain sides in
his laudable efforts to discover the
natural mineral resources of our eoun-
try and increase his own an | the ma
tons available wealth. He prospects
in a thousand places where he never
locates a claim. He locates a hundred
claims he never takes to patent, but
allows them to lapse back to the pub
lie domain.
No other vocation is so often doomed
to failure and disappointment as that
Of prospector. OF necessity, he has to
bark to a very far cry, and tramp a
very long trail, which to him, at least,
often seems Observation-Disclosures
ly, patiently, laboriously trudging on,
listening to the ever monotonous
tramp, tramp, tramp, on his lonesome
path. Falling into quiet ~reverie, he
wonders whether for him this trail is
really Observation-Disclosures he will
ever come in this world to his reward,
whether his form, now tired as old
wagon wheel, will break down in the
road, and his bones lie bleaching in
whiteness with tho.e others
fallen by the way, mute witness to
the willing and courageous souls who,
in other days had boldly and bravely
gone forth into these vast Businesses
OF rough and rugged canyons, crags
and peaks, in wandering search of the
fairy god of gold-but never returned.
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