The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-19
EXPERTS ARE ON
THE MOTHER LODE
They Are High-Priced Men,
and of World Wide
Experience.
MOVING MYSTERIOUSLY.
Some Belief That a Large Deal
in Mines May Be Under
Consideration.
MANY SAMPLES ARE AssAYED.
It Is Reported That Mr.. Wi1tsee, Late
of the Rand, Gets the Most of
the Returns.
MANY SAMPLES ARE AssAYED.

The keen eyes of those who know about
mines and men prominently connected
with the initiation of large mining enter
prises in various parts of the world have
recently been directed with curious inter-
est to the somewhat mysterious move
ments of mining experts from abroad, who
seem to be engaged l. the exploration of
the mother lode in this State. Not less
than a score of representatives of Euro
pean capital have been on the mother lode
during the past two or three months, sci
entifcally pros pecting and sending ore to
this City to be assayed, and resolving
reports to be forwarded to London
and other centers of capital in Europe.
These men are high priced and sal
aired. One of them is known TO have
drawn $4,000 salary in Australia some
years ago, and his price has been consider
ably advanced since then. The others are
well known in various parts of the earth.
Intelligent onlookers have no doubt that
the mother lode is being considered as
carefully abroad as the Rand in South
Africa or the Coolgardie fields ever were.
From the appearance here OF these ex-
perts 1t is assumed, and with a likeli-
hood OF sound reason, that the mother
lode Is considered by foreigners to be y
fine field Tor exploitation, the advantages
of climate and all other natural Aus to
uninterrupted mining having helped to
secure 1T favorable notice. One thing is
sure, which is that the expense of keeping
these men in the fl Id IS large. None OF
them work for small pay, and the Incl
dental expenses are heavy. Such expense
and trouble would be unwarrantable from a
business point of view, if the expectation
OF making large investments were not en-
tertained. This has led 10 the superstition,
which Is entertained by intelligent min
ing men, that deal of some size in min
ing properties on the mother lode is not
i'm probable. That such deal has already
been made is denied by dealers In mines
in this City.
VINO may be represented by the experts
who have been in the field is, of course, a
subject for guesses more or less shrewd.
Mr.. lrelan thinks that some of them may
| represent private parties with car ital of
81, 00U 600, but he has no knowledge that
any large mining syndicates have sent
their representatives here. Mr.. Wiltsee,
who has recently returned from the Rand
mining region in South Africa, said yes
! terday that he did not know that there is
anything unusual in the situation, and
was not aware that any largo deal is in
view. Rumor has it that the ore samples
sent down by the experts on the mother
lode for assaying are known to him by
reports of which he receives the majority
at least. Mr.. WiItsee was asked about
this, but answered only that he receives
reports of ores from all over the world.
He does not know who may be exploiting
on the mother lode, hut two mining
friends of his from London have been up
there recently.
The report is about that some of the
better-known experts have chosen to go to
the smaller hotels and have succeeded in
evading notoriety. Their acts indicated
that they did not desire publicity. Among
the experts who have been here are men,
toned the names of Gilmore, 1rowbrldge,
Sydney Barnett, Pascoe and MacNaugh-
ton, and the estimated mum Der of those
who have been recently on the mother
lode varies from dozen to twenty-five.
The men who are named above are all
welI-salaried men, ana most of them have
grown up under John Taylor & Sons of
London. They are supposed to be scat
tered over the southern end of the mother
lode. They are not inspec ing any mine
or group of mines. 1t is reported that one
assaying office in this City is making from
twenty 10 thirty assays and that the re-
turns are all made to Mr.. Wiltsee. The
young men now in the State have been
connected with the exploitation of the
Rand and West Australia, and also were
at Cripple Greek and the White Oaks and
Black Mountain in New Mexico.