The San Francisco call., 1897-05-16

over the recent expected ASSAULT on QrlII
and quartz mining in Nevada County has
rather remained in statu quo during the
week awaiting the report and action OF q COM
mittee of the Sacramento Chamber of Com
merce, which visited Nevada City and the
mines in question q week ago yesterday. II
sufficient influence can be brought TO bear to
force the anti-de bris people 10 drop their
new cam paIgn there will b, peace egain but
If not the miners are ready for war, and mat
ters will likely take decisive turn this week.
When Manager Phipps of the Antide5ris
ASSOCIATION began suit in Sacramento County
against the owners of the Goding and Good
win gravel mines in Nevada County about
three weeks ago no injunctions were asked.
Then came the burst of ind gnation in Nevada
County over this new threat to the reviying
mining industry. and the threat of the Nevada
Clly Board OF Trade to boycott cramento
business men. This caused an investigating
trip by committee of the Sacramento
Chamber of Commerce. Manager Phipps was
advised not 10 go with the commi tee, and
when the committee reached Nevada CITY ana
Went out TO the Cooling mine near You Bet an
injunction was unexpectedly served on the
owner of the mine in the presence of the CON-
mittee The mine has since been closed down.
The owner of the Goodwin mine was TO have
met the com miltee, but learning OF the In
junction kept out OF the way. The committee
had pothing 10 10 with this operation. 5. h
Thornton of San Francisco, vice president OF
the Miners Association, had addressed the
Sacramento Chamber OF Commerce on the
issue, and accompanied its committee, which
is not thought TO be in sympathy with the
new move OF the anIi-debris people. The re-
port of this committee and the stand taken by
Sacramento Chamber OF Commerce, represent
ing the business interests OF that city, will
probably be the most influential factor in de-
term lining the course OF affairs.
The war OF the valley people for genera
ton has always been confined to hydraulic
mining which was almost wholly stopped at
time when the production was $40, ,OO0,O 600
year. The Caminetti law, the labors OF the
Miners Association, the dying out OF the bit.
ter feeling and the pending construction OF
large restraining dams on the American.
Feather, Yuba and Bear rivers are bringing
about resumption OF hydraulic mining un-
der the control OF Federal engineers, which
means much to the prosperity OF the mining
regions and the State. Now the Anti-debris
Assoc alton proposes to supervise and check
ground sluicing at drift mines and the deposi-
tion of tsilings from quartz mills
The indignant miners universally declare
that the new move has been made by the Off
GERS OF a dying organization simply to pre-
serve their good jobs by finding new way TO
| earn their good salaries, As Sacramento needs
! the trade OF the mountains, aud as the an IL
debris feeling is no longer very general or
| fierce il is possible that the new campaign
| will be abandoned. If not it will hamper and
| retard greatly the development of DRIFT min
! ing in the upper counties, form OF the in
dustry which has tremendous possibilities
ahead of it.
j. H. Neff, president of the Miners Associa-
ton, takes quiet view of the situation and
ut hat the association viii
take up the fight.
II believe that great number of the peo-
pie of the valley want TO see mining carried
on" be said yesterday, ''and that the good
feeling will continue. The Miners Associa-
ton was not formed to protect indiyid ual in
terests but those of the whole industry. 1t
doesn't want to oppose decisions of the courts
| or iniure neignbor. OF course, If this mat
| ter is pushed it will likely solidify all the
mining interests, for if they can stop ground
sluicng they can check nearly all drift and
quartz mining. But / don't think ii will
come 10 that"
| State Minera logist A. S. Cooper has returned
| from trip to Santa Bar bara, where he gave
interested attention to the progress of the tun-
mel into the Santa Ynez Mountains, by which
Santa Barbara is tapping the elevated water
reservoirs of the mountains 10 provide itself q
water supply. This comparatively new way OF
getting water without pumping is one of Mr.
| Cooper's hobbies, and in few weeks he will
make tour OF the southern part of the State
| to study geologic formations and the possibil-
tiles of developing this plan. The municipal
tunnel at Santa Barbara. four miles from the
| city, is now in HOO ieet. The tunnel
| is 1900 feet above the city, and
| the flow now is considerable. The
tunnel goes through sandstone strata tilted
| at an angle OF 80 degrees. separated at short
| distance by clay seams caused by the grind
| Ing of the strata when they were folded, and
| which serve to impound the waters of the
porous strata. There will be reservoir near
| the mouth ot the tunnel which will hold 5OO,-
| coo gallons at an elevation of 1900 feet and
provide power for the electric lig hting OF the
! city. reservoir OF 1,500. 600 gallons at an
| elevation OF 800 feet will supply the water
| pipe system. This reservoir is being lined
with asphaltum and Mr.. Cooper believes that
| this example of the use o. aspha1tum will do
! much to in crease lis use in lining reservoirs
and irrigating bitches in the future.
| During the present year the studies of Depu-
| ties Watts and Fairbanks and of Mr. Cooper
| in that region will be directed good deal to
| the possibilities of these elevated subter-
| raneous supplies, aud Mr.. Cooper sees In tn EN-
| the one thing needed to make long stretch
! of that coast region the greatest lemon
producing region in the world.
| No official Information regarding the gold
| producers convention at Denver in July has
| vet arrived, but as q formal invitation is ex-
| pected in q day or two President J. H. Neff ex-
| poets TO have q meeting of the executive CON-
! mittee of the Miners Association here this
| week to arrange for naming delegates. Presi-
| dent Nefr, Secretary Sonntag and other leading
| mem bers Of the association are much inter
| ested in what is to be the most important ss-
| sembIage of m lining men ever got together in
] the West, and California will doubtless send q
| large representation.
The Denver committee in charge of the affair
had taken up the idea that Colorados chief
contribution to the mining exhibit of the
| meeting shall be in the mines, smelters, etc.,
| of the Mining districts convenient 10 Denver.
There will be series of excursions during and
| after the convention to the most interesting 2
| things that Colorado can show in the minin z
| line This alone would amount to a prof Ia Bile
| session of summer m ming school 10 any intel
/ ligent minor, for the conditions in Colorado
| have resulted In many additions TO the science
| of gold mining and the efficiency of gold
/ saving processes.
! number of San Francisco people of small
1 means have organized the Santa Gertrudes
| Mining and Milling Company to find and work
one of those rich, old and lost Mexican mines
| that was once worked by Domi nican padre
| Nd he Ind nf a atnr