Question

3 A Californian prospector would discover some rich ore. The news fell among excited seekers after wealth like sparks in gunpowder, and in a few days the wilderness was disturbed with the noisy clang of miners and builders. A little town would then spring up, and before anything like a careful survey of any particular lode would be made, a company would be formed, and expensive mills built. Then, after all the machinery was ready for the ore, perhaps little, or none at all, was found. Meanwhile, someone reported another discovery, and the seekers abandoned the young town. Why were mining towns abandoned? (paragraph 3)

Answer 1

Mining towns were often abandoned because the initial excitement and promise of wealth from mineral discoveries quickly waned when actual mining efforts failed to yield significant ore. After the discovery of rich ore, a town would rapidly develop to accommodate miners and builders, but before thorough surveys could determine the viability of the ore, companies would invest in expensive infrastructure, such as mills. If the mining operations turned out to be unproductive or if new reports of more promising discoveries emerged elsewhere, prospectors and miners would leave the failing town in search of better opportunities, leading to its eventual abandonment.