The San Francisco call., 1898-01-02

has been greatly increased turning to the oil fields, and State Mineralogist A. $. Cooper measures the increase of activ- ity as three times that of any year in the past The production for the year will probably not show the amount of prospecting for oil, the investment in oil lands and the preparation for develop ment work are undoubtedly three times what they were a year ago.
 The oil bearing formations of the State are distributed over practically the en- tire Coast Range and the development has been but comparatively slight. There is no doubt that there are fields as rich as those of Los Angeles, Summerland and Ventura County awaiting discovery or that this State is destined to become sec ond in oil production. The most notable development of the year has been in the western part of Fresno County where good wells have been sunk and where about 300 locations of oil claims have been made The recent decision of the Secretary of the Interior restoring oil to the list of mineral products governed by the Federal mining law will do great deal for the industry. Field As siStant w. l.. Watts has spent the entire season in Southern California, where he is unable to meet the crowding demands Tor his expert opinions from people who are prospecting properties. The discov- cries in Fresno County have helped stim- ulate the search in the counties south Of the bay, in all of which oil indications are frequent, but in which production is yet next to nothing. A number of wells have been driven in the region of Half
 
 prospecting is going on in Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Benito Counties. Last week J. H. Means of the State Mining Bureau went down to Sargents, in Santa Clara County, to make some studies of structural geology there for the benefit of the Watsonville Oil Company. This company has recently been prospecting for oil in that corner of Santa Clara County, and has driven two wells of about 500 feet, finding a little oil. Now, in accordance with Mir. Means advice, a well of 1900 feet will be driven in another location. This is one of the many re- gions in which oil seepages are plenty been done. It is likely that during the year extensive prospecting will be pushed ahead in Contra Costa County and other places in the bay region rich in indications but wholly undeveloped. EARLY GUESSING THAT COLORA-
 DOS GOLD PRODUCT MAY BE
 THE BIGGEST.
 According to press dispatches Director of the Mint Preston predicts that Colo Tado will lead California in gold produc- tion for 1897, and that for the first time in its history California will take second place. It is expected that Colorado's yield will be about $2O 900 900, and Cali fornia's somewhat less.
 It may or may not turn out this way. but it is much too early for anything but the usual newspaper claims made with big figures. Colorado will show very large increase in it's product which was about 900 in 1896, but its i'm crease will be almost wholly due to the activity and development of one camp Cripple Creek. The development of Grip pie Creek mines and chiefly the working of their low-grade ores by the aid of improved processes, cheaper transporta- tion and increased smelting capacity have run the monthly product of this district up to S1,00O,OO0, the figures reached in No vember and December. This is at the rate of SIP GOO coo a year, and 1t may be increased during 1898, for the ore produc- tion is now in excess of the capacity Of railroads and SmelterS to handle 1t.
 California is not jealous of Colorado because of the latters great Cripple Creek. and will take it philosophically if Colorado goes to the head of the class for one year. The increase of produc- tion in this State does not come from one mining camp, or from a dozen only. It comes, and will continue to come from every county in a rich gold-producing region stretching continuously for thou sand miles.
 Here new stamp mills are going up everywhere from the Klamath to the Colorado thousands of proSpectorS are scattered over mountain and desert from Siskiyou to San Diego, and investments and discoveries are as widespread, all or which shows the room ana the oppor- tunity the gold miner finds in California. The immense amount of development work which has been going on in the past year or two all over the State will not greatly increase the total output for an other year or two, but the boom which 
 increase of several million dollars from present operations alone. The $30,O000 900 mark is not very far ahead for Cali fornia. and there is no danger of it's long remaining in second place if it should be placed there this year. The total out put of this State for 1887 has been much reduced by a scarcity of water in some of the mother lode districts, where many large mills were shut down for several weeks for want of power, It is od likely oeL that the product will exceed S1S,OOO,O 900, and may approach $20,eO0,O0O.
 NOTES FROM THE FIELD.
 Julian Sonntag. secretary of the Cali fornia Miners Association, has received from w. s. Adams, editor of the Jerome (AriZ) Mining News, a request for the constitution, reports, etc, of the associa- tion and the information that an effort is being made to organize similar asso- citation for Arizona.
 The proceedings of the sixth annual convention of the California Miners As