New-York tribune., 1899-06-12

and California. Four per cent Of the population
there have telephones In proportion to its SIZE
city in the United States 1t has over fourteen
thousand Instruments which is per o cent OF hos It's
one hundred and fifty thousand instruments.
weston, Tex. in the Southwest Grafton N D., in
the Northwest NewOreans In the South. and the
h M t be ot r1 INTO cnmmer
cial connection with each other, the direct use at
1850 miles / think the capacity Of the No. cop
per metallic circuits now In use Is about two thou
connection between here and San Francisco would
require copper wire at least as large as an or
binary broom handle.
'In the present circumstances cannot see where
there is room for any phenomenal developments
in the telephone system. Now. II some one
would invent n telephone repeater. corresponding
to the eegraph rePea&tsr Ter or
would revouonize our business and cut the
charges in two for 9ng.distance service e., Copper p
tion OF the cost OF maintaining the lines would be
enormous | Will give 100000 for either one of
W. C. Ralston. OF San Francisco. mine operator
in California. told Tribune reporter yesterday
afternoon at the Waldorf-Astoria that mining had
improved wonderfully In the last
IMPROVE few years. and that It was largely
MENT IN on account OF the fact that It Is
MINING. coming to be looked upon more and
n regular pursuit
There was a time" said Mr. Ralson. when
mining regarded as a sort or bunco game Dy
capitalists. Some greenhorn would be 'heeced by
a sharper and the rest of the business world would
condemn the entire mining business a fraud.
But | glad to say that this is no longer the
case. Large amounts OF money being put into
California mines. well as the mines in other sec
tons OF the country. Owing to the improvement in
machinery within the last few years, abandoned
mines which could not be operated with profit
twenty years ago have been reopened and pay
ing good interest the capital invested | am
manager OF the Melones Quartz Mining Company
We building a 120-stamp mill at Robin
sons Carson fIll. Calaveras County. The
quartz will not more than 50 80 TO IS TO the
ton-scarcey as much dust as you could pick up
between two fingers-but make a good profit on
IT, because we have the proper machinery"
Mr.. Ralston strongly denounces the ransporta-
Gated persons into the Klondke. and after taking
all their money. leave them stranded in barren
country man should not think OF going to the
KlonGike he said. unless he had $500 and a
return ticket.
Some OF the miners in my employ" he said,
went up to try their luck. but they all came
10 kill the hardest man The temperature in the
mines is about 5 degrees % above z SerS aa. and the
low. The sudden change is killing one Of my
men described It to me as feeling exactly as
into his lungs. Climatic conditions are a big
factor In successfr,, mining miner IN Ca,
than miner in the Kiondke who makes $40 day,
financially and in every other way.
Mr. Raiston ls a son OF the late William G. Raj
son one OF the founders of the Bank Of California
in San Francisco lie is vice-presdent Of the
California Miners Association, and member OF
the Reception Committee Of the American Institute
ing In San Francisco September 20 While In
the city he will confer with DR.. r. w. Raymond.
rsngemcnts for the reception and entertainment
OF the engineers.