Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1921-05-27
THE PROSPECTOR'S DREAM
CSan Francisco Chronicle)

(San Francisco Chronicle)
Two prospectors pick up a $4,000
chunk of gold in Shasta county creek
but far from being inflated by their
sudden stroke of fortune, they bark
back to last year when SIS was the
total return for five months work.
Averaging their extremes OF luck they
find the aggregate to be no more than
wages for their time.
But. while sensibly refusing to be
carried off their feet by their find,
these men reveal the secret of their
own persistence. and that of the whole
race of prospectors, when they say.
THE fun amt what you get, but what
the fever you have looking for it."
That is the whole thing in the pros
pectors life-the hope of n lucky find.
For that he viii endure long years OF
bare eristance. hardship and painful
toll. And that is all he ever gets out
OF il 90 times out OF 100. He probably
knows this in advance, but still he
can not divest himself of the thought
that there is a chance. He is prob
ably right, too. in saying that it is not
the fun of winning but the fever OF
hoping to win that keeps him going.
When he does make a strike it very
likely means much less TO him than
the dream of fortune that led him to
il. For he does not know what to do
with big money if he gets it. The dis
coverers of the Comstock mine sold
ont for about $4,000. blew it and went
back to work They were probably
relieved when the money was gone and
they could return to their old pleas
urable dreams. These were worth
more to them than the biggest bon
ANA in the lode.
Nevertheless it is this pusuit of the
will o. the wisp that has made the
mines Of the west and of Australia
and of south Africa. The prospector's
fever carries him on and on TO the
discoveries that make the industry
rich. though he seldom gets anything
out of it but a grubstake and the sat
isfaction of his passion But import
ant as he has been to mining, it IS un-
fortunately true that the prospector is
usually q blind seeker for treasurer.
He knows nothing but what he has
seen in some proven district and ne
looks only for that. Consequently he
passes more than he ever finds
1t may be taken as fairly certain
that the mountains OF northern Ceii-
fornia hold as much wealth stin un-
discovered is has ever been found
What is neede is the trained pros
pector. the expert mineral explorer,
who knows how to recognize the var
led forms of treasure, whether OF the
precious OF the no less valuable use
full metals But this man viii not be
satisfied by the pleasure of pursuing
an ignis fatuus. He wants more sub
stantial encouragement. He knows
that he will traverse much barren
ground to reach profitable area and
he prefers to have his rewards aver
aged as regular pay. SO far this sort
of explorer is supported only by the
great mining concerns like the Gug-
genheims. who enjoy many such pros
pectors. and it is probably true tnat
only private enterprise can do this
That leaves it, therefore, all the more
important that government should do
nothing to discourage and everything
to encourage the ordinary prospector.
who. in spite OF his limitations is re-
sponsible for the great majority OF
mines.