The San Francisco call., 1897-01-31
Review Of Mines and
Mining In California

syz, HE recent announcement Of W. II.
"a y Mills, the Central Pacific land agent,
Ss6S that the railroad company will re-
go from sale for the encouragement of
-,,iriD, the mineral lands within its grant
-,ov, Datented to il or for which it may re-
ooive natents. and that it will afford free
onnortunitv to miners to discover and de-
veIon minerals on such lands, will attract
much interest among mining men. The
railroad company announces that it will
allow prospecting for minerals on its pat
ented lands under contracts the terms of
which are not specified, but which will
protect the prospector in any discovery he
may make. 1t is also proclaimed that the
company will formally relinquish title TO
any mine now actually operated on land be-
longing to the railroad and viii relinquish
claim to any such mine on unpatented
railroad land. The manner and spirit
with which the railroad company will
carry out these promises and the further
general one that it will be Its general pol
icy TO encourage the mining industry re-
main to be seen, as do the problems OF the
intention OF the company in relation to
the mineral lands bill pending in Con-
gress and the effect OF the announcement
on the fate of the bill. The idea of
railroad company Offering to contract
with prospectors for the latter's benefit is
certainly novel one. The campaign in
behalf of the mineral lands bill will, Of
course, be maintained as vigorously as
ever by the Miners Association.
the week has not brought any impor-
/tant developments in the pending legisia-
! tion at Sacramento in the interest of the
miners, but it has also brought no signs of
opposition which change the confident
prospect that the important bills proposed
will be passed with little amendment.
The State Mining Bureau seems certain
to receive the liberal appropriation which
its service to the mining industry aud the
present especial need of it warrant.
TREY L. Ford, chairman Of one of the
legislative committees of the Miners
Association, will be at Sacramento this
week, AID while there, in the general in
terest of mining legislation, will propose
an amendment to the bill reappropriating
$3.50 900 ior restraining dams. providing
that the proposed Comm issioner be sub
iect to the State Board of Examiners IN
expending the money. a Southern Cali
fornia miners convention will be held in
few days through the efforts OF the
Riverside County miners, and recon-
mendations concerning State mining
legislation will be formulated and sent to
Sacramento.
The Pacific Coast Steamship Company,
which watches indications closely, is not
figuring on the phenomenaIrush to Alaska
this spring which is being frequently pre-
dicted from the Puget Sound region. One or
the latest forecasts was that from 5000 to
10000 would measure the rush. Last year
the number was about 1000. at the gen.
eral offices of the steamship com pany it
is said that the anticipations are for con-
siderable but not a notable increase OF
business. The company, however, will
this year run a steamer from the sound to
Juneau and Sitka every five days instead
of twice month as last year.
Inquiry about Alaska has not become
noticeable in San Francisco but it is much
IiveieT at Seattle and Tacoma, and there
1 the merchants are much interested in
I Quitting those intending TO go. The
4 juneau merchants are vigorously carry
Ning on a campaign to induce prospectors
to wait until they get to Juneau to buy
their outfits and supplies and maintain a
bureau at Seattle for that purpose.
The Alaska Commercial Company will
probably further improve its Yukon River
service. 1t will have five steamers on that
stream this year instead of four as last
year, and irregular trips will be made
from st. Michaels 10 Forty Camp and
other points. One steamer will occa-
sionally reach Fort Selkirk, 23O0 miles
from the mouth OF the great river. This
year, as will each succeeding year, will see
some increase in opportunities and con-
veniences for travel and subsistence AMI
some amelioration of the privations which
prospectors and miners must undergo, but
there will be plenty of hardship to face
again this year, especially for men with a
short supply of money.
There is unqUestionaoly a great future
for gold mining in Alaska, however. and
it will be gradually ard steadily developed
at the cost of money, failures and lives
The presence of god placers along the
Yukon is of course certain evidence that
deposits of gold-bearing quartz are some
where distributed over d vast region.
According o reports from Washington
the United States Geological Survey has
published report of the expedition sent
10 the Alaskan goldfelds last summer.
The placer gold was traced TO quartz veins
along the hea1waters of tributaries of the
Yukon, and u gold belt 300 miles long was
outin d. The Geological Survey will
doubtless soon make more adequate re-
connoissance OF the region and into it pros
pectors will be going before very long.
An illustration of the fact that the time
has at last come when the debris ques
Zion can be debated calmly and with
kout fierce hostilities is afforded by a series
IN InI n II IA 1 nkM