The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1894-11-23
THE STATE MINERS, CONVENTION.

The proceedings of the State Miners
which has just adjourned in
San Francisco, present many peculiari-
ties. The major portion of the time was
taken up in speeches protesting friend
ship for the miners. Recently elected
and recently defeated candidates for Con-
gress, including at least one candidate for
United States Senator, with the candle
grease from the torchlight procession
still on their shoulders, and the aroma of
the campaign still clinging to their skirts,
professed friendship for the miners, and
as reward received three cheers. AT
the conclusion of all the speeches where
an friendship for the miners was pro-
1essed the speaker was rewarded with
three cheers. The expressions which
were received with the loudest demon
STATIONS of approval were those which
declared the incalculable profit of mining.
One speaker, a candidate for public
office, declared that the gold mines of
California had added to the circulating
medium of the world 81, 400, 900, 900 of gold.
he was followed by a speaker. a repre-
sentative attorney from the mining re-
gions, who declared that there remained
to be extracted from the gold mines of
California three times the aggregate of
the output since their discovery, or 81,
200,000,000. Added to this was declara-
ton that the amount of gold still remain
1ng In the earth on the western flank of
the Sierra Nevadas was equal to double
the amount of all the gold now in exist
ence and held and owned by all the ma
tons of the earth. including the gold con-
sumed in manufactures. At the conclu-
sion of this speech the convention passed
a resolution asking Congress to appro-
pirate $4,000 to build a wagon road to
this gold.
This is not fancy sketch. 1t is not a
travestry upon the proceedings of the
convention. 1t is simply bringing the
actual transactions of the convention into
log cal relatiol. The statements herein
mentioned were actually made upon the
floor, and were accepted as moderate and
conservative; were believed to be true by
the delegates, and consequently were put
forth not as a test of the credulity of man.
Lind, but as the result of expert observa :
tion and as q reasonable probability. The
assertion that there remains in the mines
of California an amount of gold double
the entire gold coinage and manufactures
from gold in the world was made after
eober reflection and probable calculation.
1t must have been based upon indications
apparent to the practiced eye. The ap-
.plause accorded it attested the belief of
the convention itself in the conservatism
Of the statement.
The resolution asking Congress to ap-
propriate $4,000 to build wagon road to
this wealth, so that it might be extracted,
will be found in the recorded proceedings
of the convention itself. That such reso-
buttons are homogeneous and injurious
goes without saying. The miners are
asking that the industry they represent
shall be subsidized by the construction of
retaining dams, so that the injury to the
valley lands which might be enjoined
would not be inflicted, and thus avoid th e
inevitable injunction at the hands OF
property-owpers in the valleys of the
State.
Prior to the ssembling of this conven-
ton it's Executive Committee held con-
ference with Colonel Mendell, the United
States Engineer. We are informed on
what we deem reliable testimony that
Colonel MendeIl expressed to that COM
r,ittee his unbelief in the practicability
of constructing dams other than hewn
masonry securely anchored to the bed
rock which would stand the torrential
foods of the mountain streams. The
oonstruction of such dams would neces-
sarily be very costly. The question OF
,oo,o,ov ia raised thereby. The profit
,f oold mining is that amount in excess
Ut tho cost of extracting the gold. 1t to
.h;. COST is added stone masonry dams OF
.,fficient hight and strength and so To-
eotad az to retain securely the mining de-