The San Francisco call., 1897-02-04
BUFFERS AS A Lee TURER
The South African Mining Ex.
pert Talks to Berkeley
Students.
He Says There Is More Opportunity
for Mining Expert Elsewhere
Than in America.

BERKELEY, CAL, Feb. S.-Charles
Buffers, the mining expert who has just
returned from South Africa, where he has
been engaged in extensive mining opera
tions on the Rand for the past ten years,
department of mines at the State Univer-
sity this afternoon. Buffers graduated
from the mining department of the uni
versity in 1879 and after brief period of
experience on this coast went to Africa,
where within few years he accumulated
upward of $1,000, 900 through mining and
commercial industries. He said that a
young man, in order 10 make q living at
mining, must have faith in himself and a
knowledge of his profession.
The field is limitless," said he, land
mining engineers are wanted to-day as
they were never wanted before. To be a
successful engin eer it is necessary to be a
specialist, either in metallurgy or me-
chanics. Now is your time for develop
ment. The effect of the association with
great minds, such as are in tae university,
will make an entirely different man of
you.
I'm this country lucky few own the
mines. 1t is different in Europe. There
large corporations own the mines, and in
order to carry them on successfully com.
petent men, and many of them, have to
be employed. There you are placed in
authority by men of means, but of no
mining education, while in this country
it Is different to great extent. But little
confidence is placed in college educated
mining men in this country, as compared
with the European countries"
The speaker then gave his hearers some
what OF a technical review of various pro-
cesses of gold mining, drawing from his
experience in African gold fields.
Opposed to Tree-Planting.
BERKELEY, CAL, Feb. 3.-Contrary
to the general expectation, the proposition
to plant trees along the streets of Berkeley,
which was brought up before the Floral
Society last evening, met with strenuous
opposition on the part of several promi-
nent residents and property-owners. Con-
sequenily, debate lasting two hours or
more was precipitsted. Professor Carl C.
Plehn of the State University, Rev. H. H.
Dobbins and Attorney ]. NJ. Whitworth
led the opposition.
Professor Plehn objected particularly to
the tree planting act as not being legally
lustitiable, and declared that the growth
OF many trees would materially i'm pair
the healthfulness of the town.
Alter period OF cross-hring two resol u
tions were adopted. The first of these was
that the planting of trees ais beneficial
and desirable for the town Of Berkeley, -
and the second that 1.-THE town of Berkeley
comes under the provisions of the plant
ing act"
The Library to Be Improved.
BERKELEY, CAL, Feb 3.-The Public
Library-room in East Berkeley is to be
retitted and new quarters for the meetings
of the board are to be secured The par
tition dividing the main room is to be
removed, thus giving the entire space 10
visitors and to the storing of books Mrs.
L. Stillwell was last night appointed
librarian of the Lorin branch.
Milkmen in Trouble.
BERKELEY, CAL, Feb. 3.-Health
Officer Rowell caused the arrest of nj.