16S 



the Survey should completely develop their part-'uli'- ni'n'n" .-Treas nnd 

 open up their properties at the government expense. The absurdity 

 of this method or the fallacy of their logic never appears to be con- 

 sidered by these individuals, since two very important obstacles would 

 be presented at the very outset, the first of which would probably be 

 the protest made by every mining engineer against the encroachment 

 on the part of the government, through its staff, upon the rights of 

 the private individual and the consequent interference with his pro- 

 fession ; and secondly, the fact that very few treasuries could be found 

 which would stand the enormous drain put upon their resources if the 

 government should attempt the development of every mining location, 

 real or fancied, and at the instance of every proprietor or company, 

 while the staff necessary to undertake so extensive a system of work 

 would speedily assume such enormous dimensions as to be beyond 

 control. Thjre are, however, certain cases where the advice of the 

 government geological expert may be sought, and that with propriety, 

 although it frequently happens that when such advice has been asked 

 and obtained, the person giving it receives very little credit for ability 

 either as a mining expert or geologist. Very often this by no means 

 flattering result arises from the fact that some mining quack has already 

 visited the spot, and in the hope or expectation of finding a job, more 

 or less permanent, in the development of the property, has, by means 

 of a judicious employment of certain technical terms, concerning the 

 meaning of which he is very often ignorant, done his best to persuade 

 the owner that great stores of mineral wealth he just beneath the sur- 

 face, waiting only for the application of the skill which he may possess 

 for then" successful extraction How often this story has been told 

 concerning certam areas, when upon a careful examination not the 

 slightest indication of mineral wealth has been revealed, but su' h is 

 the credulity and the peculiar bias of the human mind that the opinion 

 most in accord with its own desires, is accepted, no matter how great 

 its improbability. 



It would appear desirable, also, that government advice should be 

 given when requested in cases where large interests are involved, which 

 are of more than a merely private importance ; as, for instance, where 

 the mineral resources of an entire district arc in question, as in the case 



