The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-19

Amador County is costing the Explor-
alton Company of London about $780,,
coo, and nearly as much has been put
into the old Gwin mine within two or
three years. Other initial investments
on a similar scale are going on.
All these improvements go to swell
the immense sums of money distri-
buted all over the State by miners.
Some of the most notably successful
mines are turning more than their pro-
fits back into their properties. Many
new and costly shafts are being sunk
from 1000 to 1000 feet, and number of
large and profitable mines are doub
ling their milling capacity, putting in
large electric and air COMPRISING
plants, etc.
Into hundreds of smaller properties
men and companies are putting their
money, expecting soon TO reach the
point Of profitable production. A brief
general review of the mining field
shows that the estimate of 100000
as the annual distribution by this in
dustry in this State is low one. 1t
is likely that the total of cost and in
vestment will exceed the total value of
the mineral output in 1887.
In the case of California mine
owners-and Californians own most of
the mines-the profits also are mainly
invested here, thus adding to the
States total of wealth and improve
ments.
A very large percentage of the cost
of production goes to labor. The State
Mineralogist's report for 1S95S0 gives
the number Of white miners at 19,50S.
A very large number would naturally
escape this census. The number di-
rectly employed for wages has greatly
increased in the last two years. The
many million dollars paid out for
mining labor annually gets at once
into the channels of trade, fltering
through every little tradesman in the
mining regions into the greater field
of commerce and manufacture of every
description throughout the State.
1t is the revival of mining which is
building branch railroads, electric
roads, great electric power plants and
giving population and wealth to a
large portion of the State. Even the
thousands of prospectors who were
out from a week to a year in 1897 find
ing those 10000 prospects represent a
large amount of small business.
The Oroville Register, in its recent
mining edition, gives some very care
fully compiled estimates in this line
which are interesting. Butte stands
tenth on the list of gold producing
counties, its record for 1896, which will
be largely increased in 1887, being
$749, 316. With the help of the great
register and. a careful canvass of. the
county, it estimates the number of
men directly employed in mines and
mills at 1000. Small farmers who mine
half of the year were omitted. The
cost of labor for the year was placed
at 1912, 800 All other mining expendi-
lures were taken to be one-third the
amount Of labor, giving 81, go as
the expense of the mines. Of Butte
County in 1897. This is a part of what
mining is doing for the mining county
that is tenth in Importance
1t is the increased outflow of money
in this way that is putting a new
heart into great many mining COM
munities, filling the mountain roads
anew with teams, reopening every
abandoned old roadhouse and giving a
general realization that a new mining
era is here.
San Francisco is and will remain the
great depot of mining machinery and
supplies for the whole Pacific region
No attempt has ever been made to seq
regate the statistics of mining manu-
featuring from the total of the manu-
featuring interests of the city The
estimates Of the total output of mining
machinery in San Francisco in 1897,
given by several OF the leading firms,
range from S1,250,0 COO to 100000
Here are a few figures to show what
a tremendous stride California has
taken in the mining industry during
the past year: The records of the
Secretary Of State show that about 1400
mining interpretations have been regis
tered during the twelve months end
ing November Is last
Five years ago a new mining COM
pany would be heard Of only now and
then. Many Of these companies listed
have been formed to operate in Alaska
and some to operate in other parts of
the Pacific Coast, but the vast major
ity are associations of California peo-
pie who have secured claims within
the borders of the State line Zach
company has at least five directors
and shareholders, and the 400 COM
panies thus represent about 1000 peo-
pie.
The number of mineral claims To-
Gated in California during 1897 viii ha
fully 10000 A small proportion of
these are other than old claims. This
estimate is based on figures taken from