The record-union., 1896-05-08
THAT MINING FRAUD.
Emphatic Disclaimer by the State
MineralOgiSt.
he Says That He is Not Responsible for
the Conduct of Civil Engineer
Dunn.

J. J. Crawford, State Mineralogist,
sends to the Record Union" the follow
ing communication, which explains it
self, and of which we give space with
pleasure:
State of California, Office of State
Mineralogist.
San Francisco. May 6, 1896.
Eds. "Record-Union": In the is
sue of your paper of April both
appears an editorial headed, 1.-The Story
of a Mining Fraud" in which certain
structures are made upon the conduct
of Russell L. Dunn in locating certain
auriferous gravel lands in Siskiyou
County for his own benefit, while acting
as Assistant in the Field" to the State
Mineralogfst In this editorial it is
made to appear that the State Mining
Bureau is in some way responsible Tor
Mr.. Dunn's action in this matter, and
that it assisted him in his schemes with
relation to private mining operation
by publishing a certain map and article
describing the deposits located. In con-
clusion you say: "The official character
of this transaction will not escape at
tention, and the State Mining Bureau
Is called upon to explain. It is equally
certain that he used the information
he obtained while in the employment of
the people of California for his own pri-
waite purposes, and the propriety Of this
the State Mineralogist can fully ex-
plain
In view of this invitation for an ex
PLANTATION I naturally expect you will
grant me the space to make it AS 70
what Mr.. Dunn's personal opinions or
statements may be relative to the ques-
ton Of mineral or non-mineral charac-
ter of lands on railroad grants I have
no interest, nor am responsible. It is
not true, however, as stated by you
that 'R. L. Dunn was sent by the State
Mineralogist to make certain inveSti-
cations of lands in Siskiyou County
relating to their mineral or non-min-
eral character" No Field Assistant was
ever sent to the field for any such ptr-
pose-Mr. Dunn or anyone else, and no
instructions of any such character were
ever given or implied. He was tempo
rarily employed as a Field Assistant in
1892 to visit the mining regions of Sis
kiyou and Trinity Counties, write up
descriptions of the various mines and
the mining regions in those sections of
the State and obtain the usual data for
the eleventh report of this bureau, the
counties. His manuscript was handed
in and published. In 1893 he told me
his Investigations led him to conclude
that there was a vast bed of auriferous
conglomerate in Siskiyou County, diff
ferent in character from the gravel
found in other sections Of the State,
conforming to a striking extent with
those beds SO profitably worked in
South Africa AS he had had consid-
cradle experience with the occurrences
of auriferous gravels of the State, and
gave what appeared to be good reasons
for his opinion, he prepared, by in
struction of the Board of Trustees,
special article on the subject, which
was published in the twelfth report
1S94), which is issued biennially. Some
few agreed and many disagreed with
Mr.. Dunn's conclusions as to the for
nation and character Of the gravel in
question. The article called attention,
however, to a large area of undevel-
oped mineral ground, which anyone in
terested might investigate for them
selves. That Mr.. Dunn had located all
or part Of this ground I had no knowl-
edge Of whatever at the time, and 1t
certainly never occurred to me that by
publishing a description of this char
acter any other than the general in
terest of the mining community Of the
State would be served.
AS to being a party to scheme" of
any kind, such as you imply, permit me
to say you are entirely misinformed and
mistaken. The bureau, its chief or its
employees, had no private or other
understanding with Mr.. Dunn or with
others as far as am aware in this way
or any other connection. If the field as
sistants of this bureau, OF any other of
the employees, choose, in their private
capacities, to locate mineral lands, as
other citizens may do, have no power
nor desire to prevent them. Mr.. Dunn
obtained interests in mineral ground in
Siskiyou County I understand, and also
obtained assistance to work the prop
erty acquired. Working tests proved
1t valueless and 1t was abandoned after