The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-11-11

from mere corporars guard to the condition
OF affairs as it was when we began, and 10
those persons through whose early efforts this
great association was maue posi- ble
II 1891 Thomas B. Everett, a Placer County
miner. who, ike some thousands OF others,
had been having hard times OF 1t with the
closing down of the hydrau. ic mines, sug-
gested to J. a. Fl cher, editor of the Auburn
Herald, the idea of calling m iners' meeting
at Auburn, with a view OF holding q county
minors convention and ultimately one OF The
miners of the whole Sta te TO consider the con-
dition OF the hydraulic miners and. ii possible,
afford them some re ief. On the 18th OF No
vember, 1891, this meeting held and re-
suited in the Placer County Miners conven-
tion al Auburn, November %, 10 prepare for g
1ss9. - - ''O' = " W % ' ' 10
Among other things a committee was ap-
pointed TO Issue an address to the people of
the state calling aifentIon te tae deYlorahle
condition OF The InhiFlg Industry and fhe
measures of relief desiFed. This important
committee consisted OF Russell L. Dunn DR.
NJ. Schaebel, J. NJ. Fulweiler, George Il. Colby,
]. B. Hobson, j. A. Filcher, ]. n. Neff, Charles
G. Yale, DR.. n. Martin, D. w. Spear and a.
Stevens. After two days work the address
was issued for publication in the news papers.
1t was an appeal to the people of California in
behalf OF the miners cause and had the effect
OF creating a favorable impression, which was
borne out by the results OF the State Conven-
ton.
The standing executive committee OF Placer
County was given full power TO promulgate
the call and make the ARRANGEMENTS for the
State Convention This committee consisted
OF Charles G. Yale, John B. Hobson B. F.
Hartley, John Spaulding and myself 1t so
! happened that Mr.. Yale, who at that time
editor of the Mining and Scientific Press, was
| the only man from San Francisco who at
| tended the Placer County Miners Convention,
| and he was placed upon the executive COM
mittee and entrusted with organizing the
4 work in San Francisco. 1t was realized that
/ without the aid OF the People and press of the
metropolis of California little or nothing
! could be accomplished. 1t shows what the
| general Keeling was at that time against hy-
! draulic mining when IL is stated that it was
! only with the greatest difficulty any one could
1 be induced to take any leading part in the
| movement to rehabitate it or give it any
countenance whatever. Mr.. Yale was greatly
| aided in his missionary work by William c.
| Ralston, Robert McMurray, Thomas B. Church
and q few others, but though many promised
support, at the first meeting held 10 consider
/ the subject there were only sixteen men in
| this great CITY who attended or paid any at
| ten ntion 10 the matter.
Just think of it, gentlemen. In State
| founded on its gold mines, in a great CITY
/ built by the gold mines, filled with million
aires and merchants who had made their for
! tunes in mining, only sixteen men could be
! found al that time who were willing to come
! forward and lend their names and influence
| toward rehabilitating branch of the indus
| try, fallen into decadence through adverse ju-
dicial decision, and which had formerly
| poured ten millions of dollars in new gold an
/ nually into the channels OF trade in this City
Here was an investment of one hundred mil
! lions OF dollars lying idle in our midst, unpro-
ductiye, unused and yalueless We were not
! about TO ask 10 recommence our operations on
I the former basis and permit our tailings 10 go
where they would-into the rivers onto the
! farming lands. That time had passed. and no
one recognized it more than ourselves.
Poverty, distress, loss of property, litigation
and bitter controversy were hard sch ools of
/ experience, but had been ours. Idle mem de-
serted mining camps, crumbiing bitches and
reservoirs, rusted pipe lines, empty dwellings,
abandoned digglngs and the almost depopula-
ton of what had been formerly prosperous
mining sections had brought despair to thou.
sands throughput the mountains OF California
/ Their only gieam OF hope lay in a recently
| pub. ished report of a commission OF Goverl-
ment engineers, the first favorable sign for
| years OF the possibility of resumption OF opera.
! tions in the hydraulic mining regions. They
were about 10 meet toge Iher to ask the peopIe
! OF the City and the State for their assis tance
before Congress in favor of measures looking
to the relief OF this great industry, once so pro-
| ductiye, now fallen into decay. And yet what
q beggarly gathering in numbers was this first
meeting in San Francisco to inaugurate such
! q movement 1t is scarcely conceivable in the
I light OF what followed, and was discourapinq
! in the extreme.
So bitter had been the controversy on the
debris question and so long continued the liti.
| CATION that strong prejudice existed against
| the hydraulic miners which was strengthened
| by their having lost the fight in the courts
! The great opposing influence of the successful
and powerful Anti-Debris Association OF the
valleys had fostered this prejudice and in.
creased it. The growth in power and wealth
| OF the agricu ltural interests OF the Stale and
! the decadence in the mining industry d ue
greatly to the enforced closing down of these
very mines, had caused many to throw their
| influence against the miners side. The press
was either actively opposed 10 the miner OF
silent regarding him and his industry. Public
opinion was not IN his favor. 1t was thought
that agriculture and horticulture had almost
| entirely supplantei the searcn for gold and
these were the reasons for the small success OF
/ our first efforts in San Francisco.
But thos who had the work In hand were
not dismayed. As one VINO was appointed q
| delegate from San Francisco 10 the State con.
ventIon declined or few dropped aside an other
was chosen in his place, until finally the full
| quota was obtained. In the mountains they
were eager to come and no man resigned fol
| they realized all there was al stake.
Finally, on January 20, 1892, The first State
convention of the miners OF California was
held in San Francisco. and was an overwhelm.
ing success. There was complete revulsiop
OF popular feeling Even our old enemies the
valley men, held out heiling hand on be-
coming convinced OF the sincerity of our in.
tentlons and our desire 10 resume the mining
/ work only where the conditions were such as
| TO permit ii being ca ried on without material
injury to the nayigable streams or the lands
along the banks. The resolutions and me-