THE AVALANCH
VOL. l
McCarthy, Alaska, Saturday, September I6,i9i6.
NO. 6
Mining* Shares
Editor Avalanch;
The relative advantage or dis
advantage of investments is as
sessible mining shares or those
that are made non-assessable by
the articles of incorporation is a
subject of constant discussion
and is one upon which there is a
difference of opinion. This dif
ference of opinion seems to ex
ist according to experience and
knowledge of practical mining
or the lack of the same knowl
edge, those who have followed
the mining business all their
lives and who give their time
.and energy to actual develop
ment, taking the view that if a
business is worth investing in
it should be worth doing well,
and that mining for ore (not for
stock selling) requires constant
expenditure of labor and mon
ey, machinery and appliances for
extracting, reduc ng or treating
and testing all classes of ore, no
matter of what grade or value,
if means can be found for con
centrating, milling or smelting
the products and by-products of
tne mine.
Eastern investors h ive been
led to believe it was safer to
take a tiyer in shares that can
not oe assessed, but the exper
ience of legitimate companies
seems to be that the best re
sults are not always obtained on
the first expenditure of their
treasury funds; in fact this sel
.dom occurs, and unless addit
ional means are available, the
enterprise must come to an end,
and a really meritorious proper
ty must lie dead and unproduc
tive until another ownership or
management takes hold. Min
^ig is not only a scientific busi*
ness requiring the highest ord
er of intelligence and training in
minerology, chemistry and en
gineering, but is very practical
hard work.
So few eastern people have an
adequate idea of what mining
really is, what intricate prob
lems frequently confront the
management in the exploration
of ore bodies, the tracing of
veins which have become faulted
or displaced, the occurence of
nonrmineralized ledge matter or
country rock in the veins, usu
ally called a ‘horse’ by the min
ers, and many other geological
problems too numerous to men
tion, which often puzzle the best
talent to overcome, all these
must be surmounted to block
out and bring within reach for
extraction a sufficient amount
of ore to warrant building a mill
or establishing some system of
treatment before a mine can be
made self-sustaining. In the re
collection and personal knowl
edge of the writer many valu
able and dividend-paying mines
have been almost continuously
worked for 10 to la years before
they became regular dividend
payers. It is frequently com
mented on by the successful
mining companies that their fi
nal success came after long and
trying efforts to reach success.
In my opinion the greatest
bane to mining is the class that
are seeking for ‘gold brick’ in
vestments, and who not only set
out to deceive themselves but ex
pect to get ‘something for no
thing, and then try lo unload
their nothing upon an innocent
and confiding public.
Mining has passed from the
mystic feverish stnge marking
earlier history. Every prospec- J
fc.is writer will tell you that. It
is more of a plain, comprehensi
ble business now. People gen
erally understand that a mine
has to be developed, and devel
opment should be gauged by j
natural indications of values; th d
putting money into development
where agproved by expert engi
neers is almost sure to result n
gain. Treating low grade ores
by the most economical process
known is as certain an n est
ment as realty itself.
These facts are common in
formation. An evidence that
they are acted upon by the mass
of investors is seen in the style
of advertisement adopted by
brokers and promoting compan
ies.
Several years ago a promoter
sought to dazzle or bewilder the
investor. Statements were
made that might be accredited
to those medieval alchemists who
sought to manufacture gold.
Promoters dwelt in elaborate de
tail upon the enormous wealth
won by stockholders in some
(continued page 2)
Arctic Brotherhood
Camp McCarthy, No. 33, Arc
tic Brotherhood, was formally
installed last Monday evening.
Grand Deputy recorder, A. E.
Todd, assisted by T. W. Clonin
ger and F. H. Estabrook of Camp
Chitina No. 26, and Warren Nel
son of Camp Nome No. 9, laun
ched the new fraternity. A
large class of candidates appear
ed and were initiated into the
mysteries of trail and glacier
travel.
The following officers were e
lected to serve for the ensuing
term; Past Arctic Chief, O. A.
Margraf; Arctic Chief, Frank
H. Foster; Arctic Recorder, Gtis
Priesner; Chaplain, Fred C ope,
Keeper of Nuggets, Herman
Ketterer; Ira Marker, Vice Arc
tic Chief.
After the installation of the
officers the following special of
ficers were appointed by the
Arctic Chief; Trail Guide, Chas.
Nystrom; Trail Blazer, Clarence
Bussinger; Camp Cook, George
Rust; Keeper of the Inner Toll
Gate, Charles Labelle.
Arrangements have been made
to lease the M tr.shall building un
til the local camp can build.
Regular meetings w 11 be held
every Sunday night.
The Mother Lode Mines have
still had increasing values a d
n’oduetion in all their workii gs
since last issue and when s' u
ding begins it will be a 1 usy
Grail to the camp. J unes , .
Jodi'rey, President of the con -
pany is expected north sooi
uid will m ike some extensive
mprovements in the camps fa*
odities for shipment.
M. A. Heckey, formerly fore
man at the Bonanza mine, Ken*
necott, has spent the last week
in examining copper properties
in the vicinity of Chititu and al.
so properties in Pourth*ol-July
pass. In company with Judge
Barnes, he will leave tomorrow
for Strelna for other investiga
tions before leaveng for the out
side.
A. R Trim and O. S. John
son started Friday for Chisana
with a big packtrain of freight
and they expect to return to
j McCarthy as soon as it has been
delivered.
No matter how small, every
town has a ‘town fool,’ a buttin
sky.
C. P. M. Cole has left with a
pack train of freight and mad
for Chisana.
The political platform pound
ers will soon proclaim their par
ty pledges, listen!
McCarthy is mushing ahead
and must be numbered among
Alaska’s most thriving towns.
School has opened with Miss
Ethel M. Case as teacher, and
about fifteen pupils in attendan
ce.
The improvements on first av
enue extending to the depot has
made this the lightest grade to
and from the station.
We need a moving picture
s low at McCarthy this winter,
it would be well attended, who is
going to start this?
The new /one line to the Ni
zina country is now in tirstelass
w irking order and is a great im
provement to creek service.
Fifteen new familier have so
fir been listed as add’fional res
ide n«s ot hi o< hrti y this wi r.t t< >?*
and there are more to be hea.id
from.
Tho recent snow and rains
a a e iooled the workings of all
campi on Chititu but tlie snow
is aeout melted and streams are
r ceding.
George Handy has arranged
to stock the copper properties
of Peter S. Erickson and will
soon leave for the east in that
interest.
Win. Lindig is on the spot as
an up-to-snuff bar-keep, if they
look too wobbly he shows them
the water that is going to waste
in the pot-hole.
More buildings are under con
templation and some more new
ones have been started, McCar
thy is on the boom and real es
tate is soaring skyward.
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Boutin
are again greeting friends in
McCarthy after spending the
summer in the Chisana diggings.
They will spend the winter in
McCarthy.