The herald., 1896-11-19
Furnished by F. W. EdeIstein at
the Miners Congress
SIX SOUTHERN COUNTIES
Have at Present Nearly Four thousand
Mines
There are 112 Miles in Southern Califor-
nia-Large Amount of Unex-
plored Territory.

At the recent meeting Of the Califor-
mia Miners Association, held in San
Francisco, F. w. Edelsten of Los An
reles delivered the following address:
To the President and Members or the
California Miners Association:
In appearing before the convention OF
the California Miners Association as
a delegate from Southern Caiiiornla, l
realize the disadvantages we LABOR uli-
der in not having regular county organl-
cations and sending delegates from
each as most of the northern counties
do, but as mining is comparatively n
new industry in Southern Californla,
and the camps are small ana very ilucH
scattered, it has been difficult to bring
the miners together. although we hope
to have every county in southern Gail
fornia well organized before the next
convention. Without going into details,
which would consume too much Vatu-
able time feel it my duty to lay rev
facts relating to the mining industry IN
the six southern mining counties or
Southern California before the conven-
ton. The counties of San Bernardino.
Inyo, San Diego, Kern. Riverside ana
Los Angeles contain 60,S32 square miles
or thirty-eight and one-half per cent of
the entire area of California. the first
four counties mentioned being the four
largest in the state, the approximate
number of mines in California, exclusive
of the six southern counties, as taken
from the reports of the State Mining
bureau. and from other sources, is about
1880; the number in Southern Califor-
mia Is approximately $780, or twenty-tw
per cent of the number in the State.
The number of mills in California is ap-
proximately 5S5. of which 112, or 20 per
cent, are in Southern California, and
one, the Golden Cross, Is the second
largest in the state. The total number
of stamps is given as $3.50, with 100,
which is twelve and one-half per cent
of the entire number in the six southern
counties. The capacity of the mills in
the state is estimated to be 13,S75 tons
in twenty-four hours; the capacity Of
those in Southern California has been
ascertained to be about 1000 tons in
twenty-four hours, which is Is per cent
of the total capacity in the state. OF
the entire mineral product of Califor-
MIA for 1895. wheich reached the amount
of s22 ,S44. .664.29, Southern California pro-
duced 161s per cent, or SO, 762, ,63O. 81, which
was an increase of $547 ,065 65 over 1894
The gold production of the six southern
counties was $763, 81. SO in 1896 The sill
Yer production was $456, ,953.S1, which was
over IS per cent of the states output.
Los Angeles county last year produced
979695 barrels of petroleum. valued at
$732,S17. These few figures plainly dem
onstrate the necessity of Southern Cali
fornia being represented, at this con-
vention, where matters of such grave
importance to the mining industry are
to be discussed. We probably have as
much undevelopedl and unexp plored pros
pective mining territory in Southern
California as in any other portion of the
state. and we feel the necessity of hav-
ing laws enacted for the protection of
our vast area of mineral lands. If CAL
ifornia succeeds in having a law framed
similar to that in Idaho and Montana,
he needed in each of the counties in car
rying out the details of work in classi-
flying the land and segregating the min
eral and we sincerely hope the inf1u-
ence of the association will be thrown
in the direction of urging upon the COM
mission the employment, where possi-
BILE. of engineers and other assistants
who reside in the respective districts
where the work is being performed, as
per the recommendation of this associa-
tion in the mineral lands bill. as 1t too
often happens that through political in
fluence people are brought from distant
points in the east who have no knowl-
edge of the requirements of the mining
districts and no interest in the welfare
of the miners.
AS the representative of Southern Cal
ifornia I wish to thank the Miners as
sociation for their courtesy in accept
ing my credentials. which, through the
ganizations. were not exactly as the con-
stitution and bylaws of the associa-
tion provided for, and I wish to say that
we are with you in everything that con-
Germs the welfare of mines and mining
in the great state of California