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About The Sumpter miner. (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 22, 1902)
IO THE SUMPTER MINER Wednesday October 22, 1902 POINTERS ON PROSPECTING. Requires Both Scientific Knowl edge and Experience. Till) Kl'lll'HJM (if development of II llllll- cral region IciiiH with tlntt iiiiliHriHii lilc toller, lln prospector j tliu "Alad ilin," llic steel of whoso pick strikes the spark lliut limits, the lamp of discovery iiml reveals. Ilin iiuiiHTriiiH uoIcoikIiih tlitit urn f Hnri tiK nut their wealth of precious. iiii'IiiIh. .Miirh sympathetic truth Iiiim Im-cii written of the persevcrancu and endur unco of this liurily iiiilivlilinil, anil tho mciini results thut so often follow his efforts with thi'ir ntti'iiiliiiil privations iiml hardship. In tint days, aone, of "Ilin wild ami woolly wi'Hl," adventure added a spice to hin n-amli for treasure. Tin lie pr(ii'i'liir of today Ih a man of milder uiiitu. lit) Iiiih not stood Ht ill while thu world piorcM-od, hut Iiiih kept sicp with thu paco in (volution. HuIm no longer a mere illjjtfer in thu ".round, hut an oIi-itmt of things, tin 1h a read er of rocks whii'h It'll ho miifli of proha hie uiiui'ral valui'H. I If known some lliliiH of neology and mineralogy; can point out Ilin scdiiiienluricH thut mil niialti'icd ; known something of the perl ihIh to which they IicIouk; can distin guish ImiIwcuu slate and hIiiiIii; Itctwccn calciln and quart, ijuart. and felspar; M-rcKiili'H Hirphyrit'H and known their Miliio in couiicctioii with ore InhIIch. lie knows seuii'thiui: of nietiiniorphiHiu; that ipiartritit 1h altered sandstone; that the ureal maun of rocks, are chielly alter ed scdiuicularicH, and that valuahli! met als, are UHually found in regions of In tiuiie HH'kH. He In no louder exeluslwly searching for iiiart? iim the "mother of pilil," nor for granites, platen and nerpeiitiuen iin the only foriuatiounfaorahletoaluahle ore lushes. He Iiiih learned that it in not kiudn of rock, hut conditions which haw) preailed In the uiakiiiK or cliaiininj; of rocks, elemental ami physical, that Iiiih produced the coeled mineral. He also known, or nliould, the chaiacterintic, uilor, nlreak and hardiieH of all oren of coiuuiercial uluc. I he up-to-date prof pector Iiiih need of a wider knowledge than hln prcdeecHHor. Valuenare found wheie uuthonuhl of lnfore. Modern ini-t Ii'hIh of teductiou make thehuudllui: of extremely low jjrudo oies prolitalilc. It in often aNNfiled that tenderfeet have diM'ciM'ied most of our xuluahle uiiiieH. This is like the man who lie lices had luck will follow a home trade on Sunday. If it doer, he maken partic ular uoteof it, hccaiiMi he expects it; while uuiuiHirtant, that which comes of traden made 011 other dus, passes mi noticed. The "leuderfiHitV" liud at tracts attention hecam-e It in supposed he in iml apt to llml a mine. Thin Mlppo-illoli ih pioof that Ilin chaucen me not eipial to the man of ex-' peiieuce. There in no ahil leanou why technical know Icdye in not junt an alu ahle in prospecting an in any other call- iiK 'Ihe proxector who lacks it ma) I pass a Isuianra h , sell it for a son.;, or spend time and money holding a woiih less piece of croiiud. To he cxcrt in readiuu' surlace iiiihcatious, it in essen tial to know snuiflhliii.' of the how, whyj and pnihahle where. The puiely technical in not niilllcient. The student must w' over the ground, and into it; must come into contact with thliifc-s Imtli isual and nhxnical, though it In- rooks, Thin in the practical thut puts it tinisli on mental effort ; the com bination that produces a until til for the lleld. A man need not I hi a uraduato of sonic, school ol mines to U all th.lt in hero (minted out, and more. Thu world fn full of hooks, from able men and thu hook of nature in opuii to all. The pros pector will always he with us. Capital will not take to the burro and pack sad dle and thu rouKiicss of camp lifu on des ert and mountain. Thu discoverer, tin) often, meets disappointment whun his reward may Ileal his feet. Kor lack of funds he in unable to exploit his Iiml. His. time in lost and a valuable ore Isxly lies undeveloped. Thin break should he bridged, or rather prevented by a union of capital with thu prosector's time. and experience. At the discovery ntnke, knewledp: In hi tho main u bankrupt. Not a penny for development and capi tal lights shy. There aru no driftn, crosscuts and upraises with calculable tons in niht, nor assayers' certittcalii attesting thu value en masse. Capital and lalsirare interdependent. Com hi nation ih conservation of time mid money. Applied to miniim, it would result in moru rapid development of our mineral rcsourccH and reduce thu per centage of failures. An pointed out, thu prospector expends time and what little money he Iiiih, only to fail at the location MHt through lack of funds. Attain, cap ital too often fuila through misdirected effort and lack of kuowlim how at thu working cud. Capital In not meant here as millions; 11 few hundred, wisely ex IH'iuled, may bring rich returns. In a mining region the majority are interested in mines. Some invest in a few shares because they are told it in a good buy; or what in more, risky hhvu lation in stocks. A lietltir way to mine would he to form an association to keep an intelligent, well versed, thoroughly practical man in thu Held, (live him an interest and it salary that will leave hit mind free from thu shadow of want. Tho chances of realisation would bo far greater than in speculation. Mineral exploration ami development, judiciously conducted along these linen, will result in fewer failures than in ac credited by couiuierci I aueucien to Iran mictions in the business world. .1. I.. Mullcry in Salt bike Mining Hcvicw. Capital Bar r L TAYLOR & BEVIS, PROPRIETORS Our Stock of Wines, Liquors and Cigars is Unexcelled in Sumpter 9 9 9 i FINE CLUB ROOMS IN CONNECTION SUMPTER OREGON '.''''''''-.'' OPERA HOUSE SALOON SEI1:?, BEER QN DRAUGHT BILUARD'aND POOL TABLES Agents for Matting ly and Moore Whis key a 2o-year-old whiskey as good as Elixir of Life. All whiskies are out of bond and guaran teed the genuine ar ticle. Popular re sort for Commer cial Travelers and Miners. SUMPTER, OREGON '' j "Now it the ppDinUd Time." The (). It. iV N. Co. has just issued a haudsouielv illustrated pamphlet en titled, "Oregon, Washington and Idaho and their resources." People in the east are anxious for information uIhui' thu Pacitic northwest. If you will give the (). II. N. company ag ut at linker City it lint of names of cistern people, who are likely to Ik interested, I he Imoklet will he mailed free to such xr noun. Yourn truly, A I. 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