The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-06-22
The Prospector and His Burro---
Illustrating the Difference Be-
tween Legal and Moral Honesty
win C. Higgins in Salt Lake Mining Review.

You want to know" said the pros
pector to his burro, IF there are any
degl ee or limits to a persons honesty
and integrity, and If man can dc
any wrong If he lives strictly within
the law; for according to your way
of thinking, there is a moral obliga-
ton that should always be considered
that is in no ways connected with the
law, and which should have some in
fluence with ones dealings with his
fellowman, and with his burro, too;
for with the latter, the law permits
of ownership, but puts no prohibition
upon abuse, while justice and right
would prevent the lawful infliction of
injury; the moral equation being as
high in its ideals. If not higher than
the law. Therefore, a man can be
honest within the civil law, and, at the
same time, a precious rascal if the
dictates of this great moral law are
not strictly followed.
you say that you felt pretty clear
as to the matter before began answer
! ing your questions, but that you are
! somewhat muddled now that / have
interjected into my talk such state
ments as prohibition of abuse and
lawful infliction of injury which are
strange words not included in your
vocabulary, and 50, in simple terms |
will try to give you an illustration of
what l mean SO that you may ulti-
mately answer your own question as
to what the term honesty really
means.
"A few years ago." continued the
prospector, "a certain western man in
corporated a mining company to oper-
ate a group of claims in one of the
leading camps of the west. This
camp had its big mines and its regular
dividend payers; but, the property of
the Alaseo Mining company, for so
the new association was called, was
virgin territory and practically un-
developed. This western man of whom
for convenience sake, was quite sue
cessful in his efforts to raise money
for mine development for his friends
were numerous and he also had ach-
ieyed quite an enviable reputation for
honesty and financial ability; two
characteristics which go we'll together
not too strongly developed or oyerlaps
the other. AS a matter of fact, en-
thusiasm ran high among the stock
holders of the company, for work was
progressing smoothly and it was be-
lieved by everyone that a great body
of high grade ore would ultimately be
found in the Alasco for the location
of the ground was excellent, and ex-
pert examination led to the belief that
the master ledge of the district passed
through some portion of the ground.
However, nothing was found save oc-
casional stringers, as the years went
by and the tunnel had attained a
length of several thousand feet and,
as assessment succeeded assessment
shareholders began to weary and be-
gan dropping out one by one. To
make matters worse, the panic Of 1907
threw scare into mining affairs so
that it was almost impossible to raise
funds for future operation, the result
being that the work Of development
was discontinued with the exception
of that required by law, and Jones, al
though still manager and normally
honest, for he had done the best he
could took up another line of business
until an improvement in mining af-
fairs again became evident. A year
or two after a mining man from the
camp in question informed Jones that
he had heard that cave had occurred
in the Alasco tunnel and that it should
be caught up before other and further
damage accrued. So. one Sunday
morning Jones took a run out to the
Alasco and found, to his great joy and
surprise, that the caving of the tunnel
had uncovered splendid body Of