The San Francisco call., 1898-06-19
The Mining Congress Looms Up Peacefully
 Amid the War.
Notes on the Copper Mining BOom-SOme of the New Plants and New Devel-
 OpmentS of the State.

The International Mining Congress. which Will meet in second annual session in Salt Lake City July 6-9, is attracting increaSlng attention as the time draws near, and the prospect of a great attend Nnce groWS daily. The secretary has re- >SiNe0 crhciA notice of the election of over lllo delegates from six States and IN c.-ieS, and many more will be reported canadian provinces, Mexico and some S-n-A American republics will be among tas foreign countries represented. Cali tcrola will send large delegation. Dele sateS nave been named by Governor Budd' the California Miners Association. Aayor FAelan and several of the mining countess Several thousand dollars have been raised at Salt Lake City for the en- le- IaInnent or the convention, and there VIII De many social features and excur- s!ons 10 make the gathering more enjoy able. large number of legislative and practical questions will be acted upon and the project of establishing a Cabinet de- p2rlnent or mines and mining will be given all the impetus possible.
 Present owners of copper mines, pro- ducing or giving promise of profitable de- velopment, can view the war and indus trial situation with complacency Next to reliable war news nothing is in more active present demand than copper. As With gold and other metals, this west half or America is of prime importance to the nation in this regard. A New York broker says; During the past three years no shares of any kind of enterprise have shoWn the remarkable and steady in- crease In values that the copper shares have. During the past year and half eight of the leading copper stocks have increased in value over $50 0O0. .000, and they have increased over S20 900 900 during the past SIX months. The total par value of their capitalization is only $16,000 900. The Rorhschilds and other big capitalists of Europe have agents exploring the entire western continent for copper properties ana large number of English bankers and operators have their American cor respondents looking up copper mines or large blocks of stocks in such properties Tor investment purposes. The ownership CT all the American copper mines is in the hands Of a very few people, and less than ID American copper mine overs control the world market for copper. The de- mand for the metal is greater than the supply, the total visible stock on hand was never so low as now, and would be exhausted entirely in two or three months If the. supply was stopped in any way" AS things are at present, it looks as though the world needed copper more than gold. It is predicted that copper will sel! for 13 cents before January l, 1899 It Is being produced at a total cost of less than one-halt that ngure.-Mining and Scientific Press.
 The Reward Gold Mining Company of Nevada City, Cal, has declared a divi- dend, No. 1, of 2l2 cents per share, pay able July l. 1898.
 At special meeting of the Butte Coun- ty Miners Association the following gen uemen were elected as delegates to the International Mining Congress: w. E. Duncan ST, president of the association; George II. Evans, manager of the Consol- dated Gold Mines Of California. limited; S. w. Gassaway, manager Majolica mine; F. J. Murry, manager Crystal Peak mine; A. Ekman, mine owner.
 A new twenty-stamp mill is being erect ed on the Alameda property, and several buildings, to be used as boarding houses, etc., are in course of construction.
 The dry season now at hand will again force upon the attention of the miners the feasibility of the construction of storage carns in the mountain canyons, where the rains of winter may be caught and held for future use, says TuOlumne County's Mineral Wealth. Those who have given tlls subject long and patient study are unit in expressing the opinion that in this course alone lies solution of the water question.
 Within the next few days the hoistins machinery and pumping plant at the Omaha mine will be run by electricity, ap piled direct, says the Grass Valley Union. his Is the nrst application Of electricity used Tn this way in the district and sue cess is watched with much interest by other companies who are thinking of us
  is very conservative in speaking about the Omaha. but says 1t shows considerable improvement.
 The old Ben Franklin group of mines near Allison ranch was bonded recently t0 number of gentlemen connected with the COulterville mine in Martposa Coun- ty. By the terms of the bond the com pany will begin operation within thirty days. The Ben Franklin is one of the oldest quartz mines in the State, but has never been worked below water level. It ,lroduce1 in the early eos nearly a quar- ter of d million dollars but has been tied up for long time by lawsuits. which are now all settled.-Grass Valley Union.
 William Thomas, an experienced mi ner. and party of tributers have started tO clean out and retmber the shaft at the old Scadden Flst mine. Nevada County, preparatory to working it.
 The Massachusetts Hill mine. Nevada County is keeping up its splendid record. The shaft is now down 1400 feet on the incline and sinking continues right along. There are about POO men employed on days pay and contract. These men keep from twenty to twenty-five stamps of the North Star mill in constant operation.
 Grading for the erection Of 30O-horse power compressed air plant. to supply the Central mine at Grass Valley, with power. has been commenced and within the next four months Superintendent FOote expects that the plant will be in successful operation.
 twenty years has been president of the Mayfower Mining Company of Placer County, has resigned the office.
 E. C. Suman has returned from Ply mouth. where he has been for a few weeks removing twenty stamps from the New London mill and freighting them to the Springfield mine, now called I47ci the and Harpending, the present owners of this mine, moved twenty stamps from the New London a year or so ago and have put them up on the mine and will have