The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1921-02-03

Inc present serious wave OF ue-
preston that has swept over the met
al mining industry of the world is of
particular interest to all civilized peo-
pies, because mining is one of the two
basic industries of man. The other
primary pursuit of the human race is
agriculture. and though of earlier ORR
gin than mining it is now almost en-
tirely dependent upon the manufact-
ured tools made from the earth's min
erals
Here in the United States in 1920
the farms of the country produced
record crops, while the metal mines
worked only part time or not at all
That is the difference between min
ing and agriculture: The first is SEN
sitive to every business fluctuatiOn.
while the second. as a general rule,
goes on nearly full blast, whether the
times are good or bad.
Among the metal mining industries
the production of gold is a business
apart Gold mines are not affected by
adverse business conditions as are
other mines. The prosperity of the
gold miner depends upon the purchas-
ing power of the' dollar. and this is
sometimes least when prosperity
seems greatest. Gold, therefore, is a
story by itself
Mans ascent to his present plane OF
intelligence was a slow process so long
as he merely scratched the surface
of the earth in an endeavor to Guilt
vate food crops. His real advance did
not begin until he discarded his stone
implements and his wooden bow and
arrow and dug down into the earth
and secured materials from which he
made the pillow, the hoe, the ak and
the sword Agriculture was a print
tive pursuit until the coming of metal
tools Science and engineering were
crude arts until metal devices made
experimentation possible the diffu-
sion of knowledge an accomplished
fact. and the control of steam and
electricity a common reality. With
out the metals there would be no
great transportation systems on wa
ter on land or in the air throughout
the world. There would be no print |
ing presses and consequently no liter
allure. We should have no telegraph /
lines, telephones. cables, harvesting
machinery or lofty skyscrapers. All
of us would have to fOrsake the big
towns for the woods, for without met |
ais there would be no water or sew
erage. and our cities would soon be-
come dangerous pest holes.
1t was the mines of England and |
Scotland that transformed the small |
British nation into the greatest of
world empires during the nineteenth
century. Up until 1871 Great Britain
produced more coal than all the other
countries of the world, and it was no
longer ago than 1885 that the British
produced more iron than all other ma
tons. The United States passed
Great Britain in it's total of yearly
iron production in 1897, while in the
matter of coal the American output
did not surpass the British produc-
ton until 1900 Early in the present
century Germany commenced to forge
to the front as an iron producing ma
ton. and in 1905 the Teuton output of
iron ore first exceeded that of the
British.
without doubt civilization has been
developed on a metallic basis and the
miner has been the real pioneer of in
dustry and of empire. The story of
the early progress of man is really
tale of the gold of Ophir, the silver
of the Laurion mountains in Greece
and the copper of Mount Sinai in
Egypt Hannibal, the famous Cartha-
ginian general, would never have been
able to conquer Rome in the second !
Punic war had it not been for the ;
metals obtained from the mines of I
IBERIA. When Carthage and Rome {
were overthrow mining practically {
ceased. the dark days of the middle }
ages commenced and the advance OF
was halted. The discov-
cry of a great new world beyond the n
sea in 1892 marked the beginning OF
a new era of romance and adventure {
in which the hardy pioneer again s
came into being and played the prin- I
cipal role.
First came Cortez Pizarro and 9TH 4
err pirates who looted the accumulat- {
ed treasures of the new world. 1t
was unfortunate for Spain that many
of her pioneers were fiIibusters VINO
destroyed but did not develop. Fol s
lowing the spoilers came the Cornish
and Saxan miners who introduced
the art of mining into the new world q
It is true that trade follows the flag
but far in advance of the flag was !
the man with the pick.
No news that ever circled the earth
created greater stir or caused such
a mighty tide of migration as the re-
ports of the discovery Of gold in Cali
fornia. It is fortunate for the United
states that back in 1S4S there were no
speedy and efficient means of COM
between the outposts OF
civilization and the seats Of govern
ment in this country and Mexico;
otherwise the map of North America