The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-24
MINERS LOOKING AHEAD,
President Neff and Others
Talk Over the Coming
Convention.
Opposition May Develop From Ire
gidGo and Thomas of Nevada
County.

President J. H. Neff and President
Samuel Thornton of the Miners Associa
ton called at the State Mining Bureau
yesterday afternoon, to talk over matters
with Charles G. Yale, who is the secretary
ing member of the executive committee
OF the State association.
No opportunity was had by Mr.. Neff Of
seeing Secretary Hoke Smith of the In
terror Department during his visit to
Washington. nor could he meet the Presi-
dent. Secretary Smith was in Georgia and
the President was at Gray Gables. The
only Cabinet officer of any consequence
seen by Mr.. Neff was Secretary Carlisle
but as the province of the Secretary OF the
Treasury does not include the miners
grievances, othing OF importance came OF
that interview.
The visit to Mr.. Yale was simply to dis
cuss the preliminaries of the coming
miners convention of October IA. MIR.
Yale is of the opinion that the convention
this year will be fully as we'll attended as
last years was, when there were $40 dele
gates present.
Nevada County is the only one thus far
which has acted in the matter of selecting
delegates. She has chosen a committee to
pick out delegates, and the committee has
already named forty out of the 100 to be
sent here. Placer County's association will
meet on the 18th inst, and the other
counties will soon follow.
One more meeting of the executive COM
mittee will be called before the convention.
The date has not yet been fixed, but MIR.
Neff will return to this City on October l,
and a meeting of the committee will then
be arranged for.
The San Francisco association will be
called together to choose delegates by
President George Grayson some time dur
ing next week.
There is considerable speculation al
ready as to what the convention will de-
velop, 1t Is understood that an opposi-
ton to the present policy and regime will
make itself apparent under the leadership
of President Alfred Tregidgo of the Ne
vada County Association, and Richard
Thomas. 1t is said that Mr. Tregidgo's
disappointment in failing to get a State
debris commlsslonership has something to
do with his antagonism; but that is the
story of those on the other side.
Whatever may develop President Neff
and Secretary Ralston say they will not
accept any nomination at all, if offered, in
this years convention. They think their
labors have been but poorly appreciated
by the rank and file of the State associa-
ton and that it is about time for them to
ness of their own. Attorney Ricketts,, too,
who is chairman of the mineral lands
committee, proposes to go into the back
ground.
Secretary Ralston may be back from the
East Just in time for the convention, but is
not expected earlier. Such, at least, let
ter received by Mr.. Yale from him yester-
day would imply. Mr.. Neff went back to
Colfax last night.
There is a general apprehension felt
among those whose interests he represents
in various branches of mining that the
hydraulic miners will not come forward as
heartily as they should in support of the
movement TO protect the mineral lands
from the greed of the railroad companies.
In the past the association has fought hard
for the interests of the hydraulic miners,
with the result that the State Legislature
passed the debris commission bill and
made the $250,000 appropriation (contin-
gent upon Congressional action), and Con-
gress passed the Caminetti bill. About the
only thing now wanted by the hydraulic
miners is Congressional appropriation.
The quartz, drift and petroleum miners
however, hope that the hydraulic miners
will fall into line to a man and fight fo1
the mineral interests OF the State as a
whole.