Alois P. Swoboda

 Alois Philip Swoboda (March 8, 1873 - December 13, 1938) was an Austro-Hungarian-born American promoter of Physical Culture, and particularly his namesake Swoboda System of Conscious Evolution, as well as mining investment schemes, including offerings in the short-lived Valenciana Deep Mining Company and his Utah-based Mineral Veins Coalition Mines Company.

Reading

 * &mdash; reprints of A.M.A. reports
 * &mdash; reprints of A.M.A. reports

Mining Stock Offers (1924-'29)

 * "The following clipping from BARRON'S shows that there are several ways of catching 'Suckers.' Most financial men are familiar with the features of Alois P. Swoboda, strong man and physical-culture expert, through their frequent appearance in magazine advertising pages. It came as a surprise to many, however, to learn recently that Mr. Swoboda was also a mining magnate. As a side line, he has been studying mining for more than twenty years. To quote his own words he has 'a tremendous thirst for knowledge.' Now at last the benefit of all this study is to be given to the world for Mr. Swoboda is developing a mine which should produce 'at least six hundred million dollars.' With unparalleled generosity the strong man is not reserving the development of this great property for himself or even a select group. To more than half-a-million former pupils, Swobodians, he has offered the opportunity of participating in the enterprise. The extent of this generosity may be realized in the light of Mr. Swoboda's statement that 'anyone owning five hundred shares' — at five dollars each — 'can figure on being relieved for all time from worry, work, anxiety and limitation.' The financial district will watch with interest the progress of the versatile Mr. Swoboda in enlarging not only muscles but pocket-books."
 * "MR. SWOBODA, famous physical culture expert of New York, rehabilitator of men and women through the gentle art of calisthenics, and quondam promoter of Valenciana Deep, is cutting an ever-widening swath in mining circles in the West. Just what caused his incursion into the field of mine promotion he alone can tell. Did the competition with health exercises via radio get too keen? Or did the profit to be made look good? At any rate he is with us, and stepping wide and handsome. Men like A. P. Swoboda, so some believe, inject new life into mining. For he is a salesman above all else, and finds it no trick, it seems, to take a block of stock of some company that is bored with ennui or suffering from financial complaint and sell it. One can picture what a clientele he will have in time — the nobles and the burghers of the mining world waiting in his anteroom, with the stock with which they once were stuck, but which now is no longer wall paper, if only this banner salesman will consent to sell it for them. In the meantime he is making rapid strides. Valenciana long since disposed of, other operations have his kind attention. An option on large blocks of Chollar, Savage, and Gould & Curry companies on the Comstock is said to be his latest acquisition. From Alta. Utah, come stories of his 'great merger,' Mineral Veins Coalition, and he is likewise credited with the recent advance in the price of Sierra Nevada shares. There's the man who can do the trick. Promotion work of this sort, of course, necessarily need have no relation to the making of a mine. It may, but usually all it does is make a temporary market for the stock. How much of the money goes into plant or underground is a matter entirely separate. And if some of it does go into operation, nevertheless it takes ore to make the mine. For instance, it is reported that Valenciana Deep is closed for good. The tunnel on which the operation's hope was centered has failed to discover ore. Those who sold their holdings through Mr. Swoboda's efforts have reason to congratulate themselves."
 * "From his headquarters in New York City comes a pamphlet 'For Swobodians,' which touches lightly on the 'Swoboda Economic Principle,' without any indecent disclosure of particulars. Suffice to say that its application promises 'endless production and endless prosperity, thus permanently eradicating adversity.' For the purpose of achieving this, an alliance has been formed between Swoboda and an individual or a myth designated Dahlgren. We read: 'The great objection to mining in the past has been due to the fact that money had to be spent on the advice of geologists or mining engineers, with a view and for the purpose of finding ore and oil, and oftentimes the oil, gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, etc., etc., and then money is used for the purpose of reaching it along the shortest line . . . . Thus Dahlgren makes mining even more certain than a commercial enterprise, because the success of a commercial enterprise depends on the ability of the enterprise to sell its products, which oftentimes is a doubtful condition . . . There is always a market for gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, etc., etc. Therefore through Dahlgren mining cannot ever be a failure.' And much more, ad nauseum. If such literature is taken seriously even a minute percentage of the population, Barnum's famous estimate of 'one per minute' must still hold good, even in these enlightened times."
 * "From his headquarters in New York City comes a pamphlet 'For Swobodians,' which touches lightly on the 'Swoboda Economic Principle,' without any indecent disclosure of particulars. Suffice to say that its application promises 'endless production and endless prosperity, thus permanently eradicating adversity.' For the purpose of achieving this, an alliance has been formed between Swoboda and an individual or a myth designated Dahlgren. We read: 'The great objection to mining in the past has been due to the fact that money had to be spent on the advice of geologists or mining engineers, with a view and for the purpose of finding ore and oil, and oftentimes the oil, gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, etc., etc., and then money is used for the purpose of reaching it along the shortest line . . . . Thus Dahlgren makes mining even more certain than a commercial enterprise, because the success of a commercial enterprise depends on the ability of the enterprise to sell its products, which oftentimes is a doubtful condition . . . There is always a market for gold, silver, copper, iron, lead, etc., etc. Therefore through Dahlgren mining cannot ever be a failure.' And much more, ad nauseum. If such literature is taken seriously even a minute percentage of the population, Barnum's famous estimate of 'one per minute' must still hold good, even in these enlightened times."