MANAGEMENT OF QUARTZ MINES.

Cromwell Argus, Volume III, Issue 125, 2 April 1872, Page 5

MANAGEMENT OF QUARTZ MINES.

(To the Editor of the Cromwell Argus.) \ (' Sir, —Now that quartz-mining bids fair to i ll become one of the principal industries of the i s Province, a few remarks by a practical man v I may not be considered out of place. Some may say that I only tell them what they al-1 v ready know by bitter experience ; but if 1 A , | can succeed in showing them how they may ; \ j for the future avoid the fearful mismanage- ' l ment which has been the cause of so many I | lamentable failures, my object will have been | 1 1 j attained-. What is most remarkable in quartz-' ll ’ reefing districts is, that every one, no matter f 1: what his proper occupation may be, assumes i! " to know as much about mining, timbering, j 8 i | crnsliing of stone, retorting of amalgam, Ac., 1 . | as those who have been making their living 1 ; j by those occupations for the greater part of i f ; ' their lifetime-. This unfortunate idea causes 1 ;! men to be appointed to situations under com- ; 1 ■ i panics for which they are totally unsuited ; I ■ and, the management being bad, failure is J 1 ; j the natural consequence. This—which un- i l ' happily too often occurs- is caused in various 1 1 ways ; but may be traced chiefly to the fob ,: ? lowing causes ; 11 1 1. Neglect of duty, or incompetency, of j i 1 directors.—2. Appointment of an unsuitable ;' ' legal manager, and misapprehension by him ; of his duties.—3. An incompetent mining I' | manager.—4. Tlio endeavours of individual | shareholders or directors to render the ing tercsts of the company subservient to their j private advantage.—s. Attempting to make | . a reef pay at once, without the necessary j preliminary dead work.—6. Starting in debt, j I and working on credit.—7. Unsuitable mal chincry and appliances. L As to the appointment of directors : —I , should approve of thoroughly good bur;in:ss |

men of known probity, rather than merely actical miners wanting those qualifications, it the danger is, that such men accept the sition as being an honourable one, but, ing too much engaged with their own afirs, and their interest in the mine being mparativoly unimportant, neglect their ity to the company. Having secured the rvices of a legal and a mining manager on 10m they can fully depend, their duties come chiefly financial, —always providing forehand for the probable expenses of the ine, tmd compelling the punctual payment all calls without fear or favour. This I nsider the principal duty of directors : for 'thing can be more unfair than to collect obey from all the honest and straightforird shareholders, and at the same time allow c dodgers and schemers to hang back, waitg to see whether the mine will pay or not, d meanwhile speculating elsewhere on the ry money which properly belongs to the mpany. The legal manager should be a first-class countautof well-known honour anddionesty, rose truthfulness can be fully relied on. If s duties are to be 'executed with credit to e company and comfort to himself, ho will quire to possess both patience and affability, , in addition to keeping the accounts, he ill be required to answer the enquiries of e shareholders, and to deliver the orders ansmitted through him from the directors the mining manager, lie should never, t any chance, interfere personally with the irking of the mine ; but should he discover at the mining manager is incompetent or iglectfnl, he should report the matter to the rectors, and allow them to deal with it. e should cultivate a friendly understanding ith the mining manager, in order that the fairs of the company maybe carried onliaroniousiy ; and always bear in mind that riting, not mining, is his business. T come, in the third place, to what is of all hers the most difficult to procure, namely, good mining manager. By this 1 would we understood, not simply an underground anager, (or, as they are called in Cornwall id other mining countries, a captain,) bn I man capable of managing .1 quartz-mill, iperintending the working of the mine, hirig and discharging the men, and under whou; ic captain is as a foreman. Ho ‘require; i possess a good knowledge of chemicals,— diicient at least to enable him to keep hilates and quicksilver in proper order, so thal i case of any injurious mineral —plenty o! hich exists in quartz lodes—being intro need, he may know r what acids or other re icdies to make use of. It is also necessary >r him to be an educated man, as he will )u squired to keep an account of the wages, tin qieuses of the mine, <Vc. ; and also to write report of the mine and its prospects whei squired. If a company bo fortunate cnougi i obtain a man having all these qualiiicaons, in addition to sterling integrity, the;, muld consider wages no object, as succes. c failure depends much upon this officer ad most of the lamentable failures of mines nth in Victoria and here, may be distinct!; ■aced to the ignorance of the managers. There is nothing more certain than that : ery large proportion, if not the majority F the mining managers in this Province an icompetcnt for the duties they have under ikeu ; .and, strange to say, many of these ven whilst admitting their own inconipe moy, have been forced to accept the situa on by the very directors and shareholder; hose prospects they were bound to ruin his happens through the insane idea ilia ny man who has been about a mill for : mrt time can manage one. That this is not ic case all experienced men know'; but aareholders are in general of that opinion, cannot take up your space in explanation of ae many ways in which both gold ami quiekilver can be lost ; hut I will mention that have known the plates destroyed in many istanccs by the ignorant use of nitric and uiriatic acid, and still more effectually by odium. I have also been credibly iuinned that a manager of my acquaintance, uit who lias not been in this district,) want-

ing to silver new plates, put a quantity of silver into the stanip-lmx, and said the plates ! would silver themselves. Yet shareholders, ! after appointing such men, complain of their 1 want of success ! What can they expect ? Would they send their watches to he repaired by the nearest blacksmith I or engage the first bullock-driver they met as a bookkeeper I 1 find. Sir, that this letter is reaching a! most unreasonable length, so that I will not! at present enter on the other reasons of failure mentioned in the beginning. If you I and your readers desire it, 1 may do so at! •some future period ; but if I raise a hornet's nest about, my ears by unconsciously treading too liard upon the toes of some unknown persons, 1 shall, with your kind permission, retire into my shell. I now conclude with the following advice to shareholders : —• Appoint as directors honourable men, who will show no favouritism, but compel all to pay up their calls, and will see that all the liabilities of the company, wages especially, are paid regularly, and in cash. Sec tl'At they appoint a respectable, and above all a | truth telling legal manager, . therwiso you will bo deceited, and mischief will be made between the directors and veo mining manager. Get the best mining manager pos--1 siblc, and pay -€lO a week to a superior man, ; sooner than oven nothing at all to an inferior, i i am, itc., Crusher.

"Billings says : It is a statistical fact 'hat the wicked work harder tew reach hell than tin righteous do tow get to heaven. A (‘aliform.™ jury, in a r.nici l c car.-:- lately, found tire following verdict: —“ We, the jury, find that the deceased war. a "