The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-19
One Big Producing Mine.

Angels. Calaveras County, has just had
an experience in which there is moral for
other mining camps or towns. The Utica
mine, the biggest gold producer in the
camp-and in California, and once in the
United States and in the world-had dis
astrous fire which caused shutdown
while the mine was flooded with water and
then pumped out again. For weeks no
ore was taken out and no ore was milled.
The mine was the big one OF the place, but
MANY people could not see that it was any
benefit to them or the town. For the past
three years, during financial depression
all over the country, Angels was lively and
pros porous, but few could see it was due
to the presence of large and prosperous
mine. But the enforced idleness
of this property even for short
time brought hard times to the
usually prosperous camp because the
usual large payroll was cut off. The miners
now see that the presence OF mine of this
character is q more important factor in
their prosperity than they had imagined.
The resumption Of work was hailed with
delight and brass bands. The good accru-
ing to the town from the Utica Company
presence is now recognized. The fact is
that the presence of one very large pro-
ducing mine in active operation is of more
Importance to the average mining town
than a dozen or more small companies
which are trying to prove they have a
mine. The lesson is a good one for miners
in other places to learn and remember.
The Miners and the Railroad.
The committee on protection of mineral
lands OF the California Miners Association
has formulated its reply to the PROPOSE
lions of MI. Mills of the Southern Pacific
Company, and it has been published in
THE CALL. This letter merits the careful
attention of all the miners in the State.
Moreover, it must be remem bered that
upon them devolves the responsibility and
expense of carrying on this contest with
the railroad companies. If the mineral
lands are to be preserved for the miners
the preservation rests with the miners
thems elves. If they are apathetic, careless
or economical, and the lands pass from the
mineral domain to corporations hands,
they are themselves to blame. The Miners
Association and its special committee
with this matter in charge have,
without fee or reward of any kind
to any individual, attempted to pre-
vent the alienation OF the mineral
lands, ana are still engaged in that work.
| But to succeed they must have the support
of the miners themselves. Without this
| they can accomplish nothing If there is
failure, it rests with the mining COM
munity of the State The railroads are
powerful and jealous of any interference
with their customs. They have been ac-
! cnstomed to have their own way, and this
| opposition incenses them. That they will
accept the situation without active antag-
onism is not to be expected. But the
miners, and not the association committee,
will have to be responsible for failure. The
| committee can have no power to enforce
compliance with its views unless the
miners back them up. If the men who are
directly interested fail to actively interest
themselves and support their committee,
then they will probably see gradual alb
sorption of the mineral domain by the rail-
road generations.