The San Francisco call., 1897-03-07


ing Mr.. Cooper and the official career which
he is about to begin, and what he announces
concerning his policy will be read with in
terest.
The term of MI Crawford expired February
2S, but Mr.. Cooper. on account of private al
fairs, will not assume his duties until April l,
allowing the present regime TO be maintained
another month. The new official will mean
time have on his hands the pleasant task OF
deciding on the distribution of the patronage
OF the office for which there is the usual
scramble.
Mr.. Cooper is yet willing to speak only in
very general way about what he will do
That OF course, depends mainly on the appro-
pria tion allowed by the Legisla lature. II the
amount allowed for the support OF the bureau
should be but the $l2,2 200 year allowed by
the Assembly committee the minera ogist
could be little more than the keeper OF mu-
scum, but Mr.. Cooper is confident that the
$4,000 now named by the Assembly for the
Two years viii be allowed, and that he will be
able to carry out the work he conIemplates.
The gold miners, whose interest is mainly
in the gold fields, have been slightly suspi-
cious OF the new official because he has not
been known as gold miner, as his predeces-
sors have been, and have wondered. II he
would not wander 100 far from the mother lode
and forget the shining me tai in the asphaltum
fields and other deposits of baser treasures
A brief conversation with Mr.. Cooper yester-
day Indicate that he appreciates fully the
ch ief Importance OF gold mining, and will en-
desvor to make the institution of the best
practical service to the industry, and that he
is inclined to exalt petroleum, water and
other resources somewhat higher than other
State miueralogists have done.
Mr. Cooper followed his father into the gold
fields OF the State in 1852, and was gold
miner for some years. For a good many years
ba rhare md
civil and mining engineer and otherwise has
been concerned chiefly with the asphaltum,
petroleum and water resources OF that region.
How he will apportion the energies OF the
Mining Bureau remains TO be seen, but it is
promised that the minor minerals of the State
Will receive increased attention.
''The economic geology Of California is to
be the keynote OF the new administration,
and its WORK is to be practical" Mr.. Cooper
is especially fnte rested in two things. One is
the development of a great subterranean
water supply tor regions of Southern CaIifor-
MA, for winch it can be developed by boring
tunnels into the Coast Range OF mountains
ana tapping the water reservoirs formed by
impervious strata.
'Wate is the great thing" said Mr.. Cooper.
alt will transform desert into paradise.
II is our most precious mineral product, espe-
cially south OF Tehachepi. The possibilities of
experimenting the surface supply with e sup
ply from underground are great and but little
studied. At Santa Barbara the tunnel which
has been bored into the mountain range for
1000 feet now yields 200, 900 gallons daily,
aud the supply increases with each foot
advanced At Pomona q tunnel yields 200
inches per day, or ten times as much as at
Santa Barbara.
THE Santa Yuez range will undoubtedly
yield water enough to irrigate the entire mar
row sire tch OF land along the coast for 120
miles from Point Co0eeOtion tn the San Ruena-
ventura River. This is the best lemon-produc-
ing region in California, but it lacks the
needed water. In this range the water is OBJ
tainab.e in this way because of the geologic
structure. The strata when they were up
lifted and folded on each other formed by their
grinding action veins OF clay, which i'm
pervious to the water, while the sandstone
formations between them act as a sponge to
hold the water. The mountain ranges of the
State, especially of Southern California, are
worthy OF long and careful study, with
reference 10 the possibilities OF their thus
Welding permanent water supplies. Hardly
any study in this direction has been made
and it is worthy of the attention of the State
Mineralogist. 1 shall give my personal atten-
ton largely to this and TO the oil fields
"CaIiforni ia is third among the States as an
oil producer and it might be first. We have
an oil belt extending from Humboldt County
10 Orange County, yet If the Market-street
Railroad Company used oil for fuel 1t would
use the eutire product Of the State itself
There are oil indications along the entire
Coast Range and yet there has been virtually
no prospecting for oil done. The discoveries
of the Summerlsnd and Los Angeles fields as
well as others have beef made while boring
for something else. This suggests the great
possibilities of the range when capital takes
hold. It will cost good deal OF money 10
study the formations. 1 would continue the
IA xvbi ha-
been done by Mr.. Watts, possibly with some
notifications and would extend the study
along the entire coast 10 the extent that the
possibilities permit.
1.-THE most valuable work of the bureau is its
field work and this should embrace the eco
nomic geology of the State and be wholly
practical The undeveloped and slightly de-
veloped mineral resources of the State are
great and varied The building stones, es
q pecially the limestones, of the State deserve
4 especial study. AS one of many things take
The matter of hydraulic cemants. We import
y vast quantities from England, Germany and
Belgium and manufacture very little, yet the
materials of required excellence undoubtedly
existin the State and will be revealed with
the study of its economic geology"
"Gold-mining is, of course, the chief thing,
said Mr.. Cooper, when that was mentioned
al think that IL would be good thing for the
Mining Bureau to study what processes are
best adapted to ores sent in rather than to
simply make free assays and show the amount
of the precious metals in them. Especial at
tention should be given to mining processes,
for scientific processes are becoming more i'm
portant every year, and research should aid in
adapting these processes to California ores.
Everything done should be practical and
economic. have not settled on any particu-
lar lines 10 be followed, but l shall not try to
find out whether the Coast Range or the
Sierra Nevada Range Is the Oldest for instance
No; the mother lode has been studied unttl
the mother is tired The daughters ought TO
have chance. For one thing don't think l
shall advertise individual mines in q direc-
tory"
This observation relates to the descriptive
roster of the mines in the State contained In
the last and in two or three old reports of the
State Mineralogist.
Il don't think 1t important to tell that this
shaft is down so many feet and that the horse
power OF that engine is so much. l would
give less attention to what man has done and
more to what GOD has done.
HWell, as to particular subjects OF inquiry
there are many. For instance, there are the
gold-bearing beach sands along the southern
coast that deserve study. These sands are
: thrown up mainly by certain kinds OF storms.
and so can be worked but irregularly, and
they are crudely worked. Improved methods
and processes might be found adapted to
them"
Mr. Cooper's offhand remarks thus given
=. Cfnfo fsr,nr la3xse -.