The San Francisco call., 1895-10-15
Hugh Craig Incorporates Some
Interesting Facts in His
Speech.
SOME HOT SHOT FROM NEFF.
The Chairman Lays Serious Charges s
at the Door of the Railroad
Companies.


State were absent from the fourth annual
convention Of the California Miners Asso-
citation when its three days session opened
at Pioneer Hall yesterday morning.
Appropriate decorations had been ar
ranged, conspicuous among which were
the bannerets indicating the location of
the various county delegations, giving the
tout ensemble of the chamber the appear
ance of political body. The most con-
spicuous decoration was the huge oil paint
ing at the head of the hall showing the
miner and the farmer in an attitude of
friendship and harmony.
a striking feature of the assem- blage was
the many heads fit for wise eounsels, a
large proportion of the delegates being un-
doubtedly qualified to give personal rem
iniscences of the days of forty-nine. By
reason of this absence of the younger ele-
ment little time was consumed in flights
of unnecessary oratory, business being dis
patched with great celebrity, considering
the large and varied interests represented
by the 500 delegates.
AS means of defraying the expenses Of
holding the convention silver button-hole
badges were sold to the delegates for 25
cents each, and every representative
showed an eagerness to possess one as a
souvenir of the gathering.
In the address of welcome delivered by
Hugh Craig, the significant fact was
brought out that the gold production of
1895 was likely to reach $500, 900, 900, the
largest for a year in the history of the
world. He also emphasized the great i'm
portance to and interest taken in the min
ing industry in San Francisco.
Chairman Neff's address struck re-
sponsive chord in the minds of his hearers,
judging from the long and loud applause,
when he charged the railroad companies
with chicanery and deceit in the matter of
mineral lands, and declared that the only
thing left for the miners to do was to make
a fight to the finish and not depend on the
specious and procrastinating representa-
tons of the railroads attorneys and agents.
When the proposition of adopting the
report of the committee on order of busi-
ness and permanent organization came up,
there was considerable debate over the
time to be set for the election of officers.
In the course of it the contest for the
secretaryship between w. c. Ralston, the
incum bent, and ]. Sonntag, the present
treasurer, was brought incidentally to the
attention of the delegates by r. P. Thomas,
strong supporter of Sonntag, who pre-
dlcted an easy victory for that gentleman.
In this connection it is only fair to say
that Mr.. Ralston is undesirous of retain
ing the office, and he will probably ask
that his name be withdrawn before the
vote is taken for this Office.
he oil - If g
1:3o P. N. to-day.
President ]. II. Neff of the California
Miners Association called the convention
to order at II A. N. sharp, and observing
Congressman J. A. Barham in the audi
ence invited him to a seat on the platform.
stating that while he would not then be
asked to address the convention they
hoped to hear from him later.
Hugh Craig Of the Chamber of Com
merce on behalf Of San Francisco well
coined the delegates in an address replete
with facts and fancies, embracing the his
tory Of the mining industry of the Golden
State for the past forty-ive years. He
stated that most of the men now promi-
nent IN the ranks Of other commercial
pursuits IN the State were drawn from the
miners of the early days. Continuing he
said:,,
/ have seen statement lately made by Mr..
Valentine Of Wells Fargo & Co. which shows
that in the past forty-ive years So OOO, 600 900
IN gold has been produced in the United
States, and that OF that $1,316,000 900, or
nearly two-thirds, was taken from the mines OF
California.
During 1858 the gold output of the world
was S153. .OOO,O00; in 1894 the output was
$17O,O0O,0 900. For the first six months of this
year the output reached 1927, ,O0O, 600, and it
Is fair to assume that the total output for the
current year will not fall short of $500 600 OOO
any one year.
In other countries where the mining indus
Try Is not nearly OF so much consequence as it
is here there is a minister of mining such as
they have in Victoria and other coionies In
view OF the importance and value of this in
dustry to the whole country, it seems to me
that the least that we should expect from
Washington is a secretary of mining Instead
OF throwing obstacles in the way of the miner
everything should be done to help him.
This $1,316 ,000, 900 has come from near the
grass roots, and California is only in ts infsncv
In mining. But the San Francisco man dearly
loves shot at mining, and If you will LET us
IN on the ground floor you have no idea how
muen money you can get out of us. We are
with YOU in this mining question because. al
though ii has become the fashion to sneak of
the decadenee OF mining, yet the farmers know
that the miners are their best customers. Then
the nnanciers have begun to realize that 1T fs
worth looking into again.
Sah FRANCISCO reallZeS that 1t was the mining
industry that made the foundations of the
State deep, wide and long, and she feels she
can never do enough to show her Appreciation
OF the early explorers of the bowels OF The earth
in this State. She Is with you heart and soul
in every movement that is intended to benefit
or forward the mining Interests of the State.
On motion of Ames of Placer a COM
mittee on credentials was appointed, con-
sisting of one from each county, repre-
sented as follows:
Alameda. Thomas Jeffrees; Amador, John r
Tregloan; Butte, Edward Harkness; Calaveras.
J. Frooman; FL Dorado, E. ]. Carpenter: Ne.
yada, +. ]. Rector; Placer, Harold 7. Power
Plumas, w. W. Kellogg; Sacramento, John II. .
Bacher; San Francisco George Stone; Shasta.
A. b. Paul; Siskiyou, Andrew g. Myers; Sierra
William Fl. Byington; Trinity, John McMurry
Iuolumne, William Sherwood; Yuba, James
O'Brien.
On motion of Grant I. Taggart of Ala
media the delegates to the convention
chosen by the San Francisco Chamber OF
Commerce, Board of Trade and other COM
mercial organizations and the Board of
Trade of Los Angeles were admitted to
seats without reference to the committee
on credentials.
The convention then took a noon recess.
On reassembling shortly before O'Clock
the report of the committee on credentials
was accepted. 1t showed representation
of 500 delegates, as follows:
Alameda County-Professor Samuel B.
HAwFA n III nA1w~