The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-07-25
L|NCOLN'S1
MESSAGE TO MINERS
SAID PROSPERITY OF NATION
DEPENDED ON PROSPERITY
OF MINING INDUSTRY.
(Goodwin's Weekly.)

| (Goodwn's Weekly
The miners of the west have been
hard put to the task Of keeping their
great industry moving. So far. al
though one Of the most vital agencies
available for winning Of the war. II
has been the least favored of all. The
government, of course, has a thous-
land serious Governments in hand
but somebody at Washington should
be able to spare sufficient time to give
the great mining interests of the
country the much needed attention
That the operators have thus far been
obliged to play a lone hand. and in
an unfriendly game at that, can hard
| ly be accounted for as an unnten-
tional oversight on the part of the
administration. What with soaring
wage scales, exorbitant prices for all
kinds of equipment and operating
materials, unprecedented transporta- :
ton troubles, labor agitations, and an
unstable market, the miner Is expert
encing more than his share of grief
during the war period. The once
lflourishing industry has been severely
crippled; the little fellows have been
put out Of commission; and the big
operators are having a desperate time
Keeping the wheels turning.
Common sense would seem to dis
sible encouragement to the metal min
ers of the west If the war is to be
prolonged it is imperative that this
Industry be maintained at the highest
possible point of productive efficiency,
as war measure Of the utmost i'm
portance. Then. in the reconstruction
period that will follow, the demand
Tor the precious and useful metals
Will far surpass all previous records.
For this reason If no other, we should
see to 1t that our mines are prepared
10 meet this demand with heaping
measure. Through no other channel
viii 1t be possible to contribute so
effectively to the processes of rehabil-
itattng the war-torn countries that
VIII ensue in the wake of peace.
Quite by accident, we happened re-
Gently to run across Lincoln's inspir-
ing message to the miners of the west.
Its significance Is no less striking and
timely today than it was in 1865. 1t
Is worth while noting also, as point
OF additional interest, that the mes
sage comprised one of his very last
uterances, entrusted to Speaker Col
fax of the house of representatives
on the afternoon just preceding his
assassination. At that time Mr. Col
fax was preparing for a journey over
land to the Pacific. The message
Encourage Mining.
Mr.. Colfax, ! want you to take a
message from me to the miners whom
you visit. l have very large ideas OF
he mineral wealth of our nation. II
believe 1t Is practically inexhaustible |
1 abounds all over the western coun-
'ry and its development has
scarcely commenced. During the war,
When we were adding couple of
Millions of dollars every day to our
rational debt. l did not care about
encouraging the increase in the vol
lme of our precious metals. We had
he country to save first. But now that
he rebellion Is overthrown, and we
NOW pretty nearly the amount of
ur national debt, the more gold and
liver we mine. We make the payment
4 that debt SO much the easier.
Now, / am going to encourage that
n every possible way. We shall have
OF thousands Of disbanded
oldiers, and many have fear that
heir return home in such great num- 4
ers might paralyze industry, by fur
ishing, suddenly, a great supply of
lbor than there will be demand for. !
am going to try to attract them to }
lie hidden wealth of our mountain Q
inges, where there is room enough 8
'r all intend to point them
the gold and silver that wait for I
lem in the west. Tell the miners
n me, that l shall promote their in
rests to the utmos. Of my ability, p
scause their prosperity Is the pros d
erity of the nation: and we shall s.
owe, in very few years that we a
e indeed the treasury of the world" u