The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-11-13
DESERT PROGRESS.
OIL BOOM NOTES.
LIFE IN THE MINES,
MOTHER LODE GROWTH

orally joined in securing joint locations of
100 acres One combination of people has
thus secured control Of 1910 acres.
From Mono. County comes the report
that oil is to be bored for on the islands
In Mono Lake Many locations were filed
last week.
The fling of forty-five oil locations in
Kern County in one day last week Illus
trates the present activity in that region
During the week a tract of 5000 acres with
oil possibilities in 1t, between Kern River
Newton of Los Angeles, who will begin
boring at once. The reported price was
$4,000.
The Alcatraz Company has abandoned
its wellknown Carpenteria and La Patera
asphalt mines in Santa Barbara County
and Will concentrate its energies on its
big deposits in the Sisquoc district in that
When an oil boom is on it is not sur
prising to read the boom announcement
that there is grease on the rope at the
Blank well which is now being drilled.
With that evidence that oil has been
struck the shares will likely go up.
The general mining situation in South
ern California is thus described by the
Los Angeles Times: Reports from the
interior are that the weather this season
has been the most favorable for mining
operations ever experienced in this south
western region. From all camps comes
news OF activity, the annual assessment
WIN 10 DcIHS uOlics prospects are DclilB
developed, tailings are being probably
worked over through the agency of the
cyanide and other processes and mines
that have been allowed to remain idle
through want of the necessary capital to
develop them are again being worked
with the result that trade in all branches
is being helped thereby. The news is good
news all along the line"
The Inyo Independent reports the sale
OF the Barnes & Anderson mine near Cit
rus, in 1nyo County; Some picked sam
Y11Ir ant 70 ne
Angeles went over $4,000 per ton in gold.
The purchasers of the property are
Messrs. Geraux, Phyler and Stewart, and
the terms of the purchase are that
Barnes and Anderson are each to receive
500 month for twelve months, and at
the expiration of that period $4,000. In
the event of failure to comply with these
conditions the mine reverts to the origi-
A report from San Diego states that
by Willhite & Hill, named the Surprise
mine, is developing into a better prop
erty than was at first supposed Some
San Francisco capitalists have been
looking it over with a view TO purchas-
Ing t. fononn.s,,ru oo-...nonso..
Los Angeles Mining Review writes thus:
More than twice as much mining is be-
ing done this year in the various camps
north Of johannesburg as was being done
at this time last year. In the Panamint
country and the Argus and Slate ranges
to the south of It there is hardly a claim
but is being worked, while several Of
them are milling ore taken out in devel-
opment work A difficulty that the min
ers In those sections are still laboring un-
der is the want of teams to haul their
supplies from this point. The freight
teams hauling to Searles and camps
north of that are as busy as they can be-
but there are not enough teams to do the
work. The freight house here is always
piled up with stuff; it seems to come in
faster than ii can be taken out"
Dennis Searles passed through Rands-
burg on his way to the borax works a
few days ago and is actively employed
start up the works, says the Randsburg
Miner. There is material enough on hand
to run some months and during the time
the works have been shut down every
thing has been cared for and kept in COM
plete order so that it won't be long until
the plant will be agaip in operation:
Regarding oil and other mining fakes
to which California seems no longer a
stranger, the Mining and Scientific Press
says: THE great industrial activity that
now prevails throughout the United
States is nowhere more marked than in
mining of every class. Not only are the
precious metals being exploited more gen
fore but copper, iron, quicksilver, lead
and zinc mines are being operated to
their fullest capacity. OH, also, is at
tracing attention, particularly in Cali
fornia This widespread activity, taken
together with the creation Of trusts and
combinations of industrial enterprises,
large and small, has proven great m
centive to many scheming men to seize
the passing opportunity and make some
thing out of nothing, and, as result, the
country is flooded with prospectuses of
this or that mine or oil well. Nearly all
Of these alluring pamphlets contain more
or less extravagant statements, but some
of them deal in absurdities, and were
very evidently written by persons wholly
unfamiliar with either the subject of
mining or of oil boring.
Most of the mines along the mother
lode, especially in Tuolumne County,
which shut down in September owing to
lack of water, have resumed full opera
ton.
The sale of the turquoise mines near
Vanderbilt, San Bernardino County, to
New York man is reported.
The Mountain Copper Company has or
dered large supply OF roofing slate from
the Ell Dorado County slate quarry, which
resumed operation some time ago.
The largest oil engine ever built for a
mining hoist has been erected by a San
Francisco firm for the Yellow Aster Min
ing Company at Randsburg. 1t is four
cylinder vertical engine of $50 horse
power, and is calculated to work the hoist
to possible depth of 1000 feet.
Ballast In Inyo County is one of the
mining camps enjoying a boom. The ac-
tivity in the Panamint district and in the
- j. o. DENNY.