The San Francisco call., 1897-02-28


many opinions of varied sorts about the wis
dom and unwisdom the Governor displayed
by the appointment, but that comes as mat
ter OF course; ana only time and Mr.. Cooper
can show what sort of administration will
result.
The appearance of the general appropria-
tlon bill which is now being milled al Sacrs-
men to does not at this moment promise that
the Mining Bureau Will be able 10 fulfill any
great mission during the next two years,
under anybody's direction. The appropria-
Y tion named is only $25, 900 for the two years
Just half what the lureau mas had during the
past two years. Il the amount is not increased
by amendment the bureau will have a con-
tracted and poverty-stricken career ahead of
IT.. The amount of $12, 500 just about pays
the "inside" expenses OF the bureau as al pres
ent Conducted.
TAis includes the salaries of the State Min
- eralogist tS3000), the secretary curator, chem
isl ct al, rent C$24O0) and the incidental ex-
= penses of laboratory, library, correspondence
sand Office work, etc. The important field
work, which is carried on By five field assist
ants, has used the balance. The law provides
that certain large proportion of the appro-
o prIation shall be spent in field work, and with
10 q total OF but S12 800 year there would have
10 be heroic cutting down and crowding to-
gether at Headquarters
.. The Mining Bureau is an institution which
could undoubtedly be made of immense
value il the wise encouragement and assist
ance it could give to the development of the
mineral resources of the State, and since its
institution it has been OF great value to the
mining industry, though that value has varied
with the chances of politics and the freaks OF
legislatures For the years 1SS9-90 the ap-
pTODriauon was 100000. The possibilities
OF State aid 10 the mining industry are strik-
.1nGly illustrated in some of the British colo
MES, especially those OF British Columbia,
Tae1 xvhe ha niniu
departments of the State governments have
been one OF the most effective causes of the
present mining development and prosperity.
20 The fostering care and the energetic assist
Rnce bestowed on the industry in these colo
nies contain too much paternalism for this
country, but they illustrate the value and i'm
.portance of governmental agencies doing
what nobody ese can or will do for an impor-
tant industry.
The Mining Bureau is highly valued by the
mining men Of the State. 1t is q ready and
convenient source OF all manner of practical
information, the'museum is visited by 40, 900
.-oE more people annually and its scientific in
@ vestigations and publications are of very great
value This early stage of great mining re-
vivaf is not thought by mining men TO be the
time TO cripple the bureau into career of
mere existence.
. The plump of English capital into the
Mariposa grant which was heard the other
day when the sale of Alvinzs Hayward's sixth
interest was announced viii doubtless soon
be followed by still more interesting develop
ments concerning this great property. 1t ap-
pears TO be the signal for the long-looked-for
development of the grant.
The was not made to the California Ex-
plorRtlon Company, as the papers had it
Prince sPouiatowsEIs big company was not
concerned The purchasers were Hamilton
Smith and his partner, NJ. Perkins, who
bought the one-sixth for S166 666 on the basis
of q valuation of 81 900, 600 for the entire
property. Curtis H. Lindley represented the
purchasers in the legal phase of the transfer.
Messrs. Smith d Perkins are the direct pur-
chasers, but ii is not known just whose money
will be paid to Mr.. Hayward. These great
mining operators are quite able to pay it
themselves and may have bought on their
own account, but there is a general supposi-
tioR that the Exploration Company of London
will add this to its investments.
This great syndicate, which is supposed to
number the Rothschilds among its hackers
ana which has invested nearly $50 OOO, 900 in
American mines alone, has for some time
been accused by rumor of being kindly dis
posed toward the Mariposa grant Hamilton
Smiths mining operations are mixed up with
LONDON sFndice tes in all sorts of WAYS and
when he buys property We will have to go to
him TO find out all about it. Mr. Smiths high
connection with the Exploration Company as
director and sort of managing expert.
toge ther with the fact that he has engineered
most of its big deals, provides the supposition
that it is the Exploration Company that has
invested British gold in Mariposa County.
Smith and Perkins may keep the interest
themselves, and they may finance the PROPOSE
tion in various ways in London and with one
or several syndicates. 1t is not likely that
Hamilton Smith, the Exploration Company
OF London or any other English syndi-
cate would buy sixth interest in big
mining property without expecting to get al
least g con trolling interest, and so 1t is wisely
surmised shat Smith knows what other frac-
tions he is going to get. These buyers are not
likely to make such investment in
slightly developed property with the idea
oof letting the investment sleep a lew
years, and thus it is very easy TO deduce
the probability that the Mariposa grant
lis to be developed at last and on
klsrge settle Last fail experts conveyed more
less information to Mr.. Smith, and in No
Sember and December there was a 1utter of
expectation that the Exploration Company
was about TO buy the grant and do big things.
But Smith returned to London number of
weeks ago after. making big deal in Idaho,
ana did not visit California. From the first
nobody directly concerned has given any
statements of anything but ignorance concern
ing the rumored negotiations and now no
definite information beyond the simple fact of
the sale is at large.
James Cross, president of the company and
representative of the one-sixth interest held
by The Hobart estate, said yesterday: "Mr.
HAYWARD has sold his one-sixth interest to
Hamilton Smith. but otherwise the property is
in Just the condition it has been in for a good
while and know nothing OF the Probabilities
of any further transfers or OF any development
being done
The future OF the property is mainly in the
hauds-of Senator Jones. who holds half in
terest and who manages affairs. John w.
Mlckay and the Hobart estate each owns q
sixth interest. The sale Of some of these in
sterests is expected before long. Mr.. Perkins,
Hamilton Smiths partner, was, by the way,
manager of rhe property when it was owned
years ago by Trenor w. Park OF New York, and
so Is well acquainted with it.
The grant, as is generally known, once
belonged to General John C. Fremont, and
rseched the present owners through a course
of mortgage troubles. Ii is q magnificent
domain in Mariposa County, embracing the
lower end of the mother lode and contains
dyer "a, 900 acres, or seventy square miles of
lEud, weli'wooded and watered. embracing fer
~ little valleys and irregular ramifca-
fon OF mineral veins. From the mineral lodes
the property derives its chief value and in
terest. The Josephine, Pine Tree and several
other mifes III various stages OF development
are on the grant.
The detailed map Of the grant shows several