The San Francisco call., 1899-12-04

use in boarding out crazy folks and pay
ing his doctors, and then perhaps IL could
not. State Mineralogist Cooper disclaims
any intention OF fghting the Governor on
these grounds and the Trustees are keep
ing mum, but the interesting tangle Will
likely become entertaining soon in va
rious ways. II is held that with the pro
vided" knocked out OF the law. the whole
appropriation would 90 to the regular
bureau. This is the interesting and doubt
ful tangle that politics" has got the
Mining Bureau into.
AS things stand the State Mineralo-
gist and trustees have control OF but $15,-
900 a year. This is asserted 10 be only
enough to keep the doors open and main
tain the present inside force. When Mr.
Cooper took the Office he made no re-
movals, and that makes his present fix
more irritating. The bureau by another
act was allowed $500 worth OF State
printing besides the $50, 900. The Governor
will not get whack at that for print
Ing reports OF his experts without fight
Mr.. Cooper proposes to use 1t in publish
Ing bulletins. maps. county mining regis
ters, etc, whenever he can get the State
Printer started.
Many people are grinning at the spec
tacle OF Governor Gage, NJ. E., Ph. b. and
Doctor Of Political Pap. as State Geolo-
gist. and are wondering what sort OF fist
as far as he has got. But. perhaps. they
are only jealous. and perhaps he will
make a record in the scientific world
Others can't help thinking that IL needed
scientific work In this field IS to be done
Il should be directed by the men and the
Institution set to do this work for the
State.
Friends OF the bureau regret to see 1t
so completely made political tunkshop
and are afraid that II will inture 1t In
public opinion and make II suffer in the
future.
It is important that able men be sent
into the California mining field at the
n z N n W. u mir In ha
Ing industry, and when so much helpful
scientific and practical work needs TO be
done. but yet the personality OF the Held
than the principle and method which have
brought the Mining Bureau TO its present
low estate.
There is already a howl going up
through the State. and II will soon be
louder. A sample one is waited down
from San Andreas. The Calaveras Citi-
zen makes this roar:
Governor Gage has appointed one
Stephen Bowers, editor OF the Voice. a
Prohibition party organ OF Los Angeles.
| as Examiner OF Mines. an office created
by the last Legislature. No min
ing legislation then accomplished created
have been pulling wires and exerting in
iiuences toward having the biggest men
among among them selected by the eTscu, ;Tsu.
in both the northern and southern
mines who were recommended and who
would have been satisfactory 10 a ma
jority Of those interested. The position
| is an important one and should have been
given to man acknowledgedly at the
| head OF mining affairs-one whose merits
would have been Instantly recognized all
over the State.
When Bowers appointment was an
nounced the mining men OF Central and
Northern California were dazed, and on
| recovery grew indignant. Not only was
| fitness ignored, but sectional or geograph-
| cal courtesies were utterly violated. The
| spontaneous question among mining men
was, Who in Hades is Bowers?' And
| echo answereth not. Little is now ex-
| pected from measure authorizing the
| expenditure OF $4,000. and from which
mining men generally had great expecta-
| tions."
A Needles dispatch to the Los Angeles
Times says: "a rainfall OF nearly 10 Of
| an inch at Needles last week and a much
heavier fall in the adjacent mountains
and on the desert has added impetus 10
prospecting. Many old-time prospectors
have been waiting for rains IN the noun
| tains, so that they could venture into
otherwise waterless regions in search OF
mineral. More interest is being shown in
mining and prospecting than for some
years. II is estimated that a much larger
| number OF prospectors Will be in the
mountains this fall than ever known be
| fore. Capital is also being attracted this
| from many and distant points regarding
| the mining and mineral outlook in the
| Colorado River Valley"
| The Vermont Marble Company IS In
| vestigating marble quarries in Mono
| County. which surely has future in the
production of fine marbles.
| This is the busy season in the line Of
| assessment work. Only month remains
| In which TO do assessment work required
| TO be done by the end of 1899. OF course
a great many claims will be simply re-
| located right after the first OF the year
| il nobody else locates them first. an un-
just right bestowed by the present Fed
eral mining law.
Some rich developments have been made
in the Big Bonanza mine, south OF An
| gels Camp, which have caused the stock
| to take a jump from 30 cents per share
| 10 81 So says the Calaveras Prospect
Sinking is going on and the shaft has
| reached a depth OF 300 feet. At this point
| some rock was encountered, some OF
which will go as high as $500 TO the ton.
The big new stampmill at the ARIZONA
mine in Tuolumne County has been put
| in operation after some difficulties with
A rich strike OF eight feet Of high-grade
ore has been made in the Ford mine OF
| Calaveras County.
The Utica is now running wholly by
electric power and other Developments
and improvements are vigorously under
The Pennsylvania Of Nevada County has
yielded another monthly 2O-cent dividend
TIE quartz mill of the Gray Eagle mine
| in Sierra County is about Completed
There are 1000 tons Of ore on the dump.
Dan T. Cole and F. r. Wehe have
| bought the old Ante Up and Brush Creek
mines OF Sierra County for $3.50, subject
| 10 liens amounting to 5000.
The people who are preparing TO ex-
| tensively dredge Yreka Creek in Siskiyou
| County have, after much searching for
information, estimated that $50 600 900 in
placer gold was taken out OF this creek
| and the tributaries in its basin along a
| distance OF twelve miles.
Rich new strikes In the wonderful Grin
| pie Creek district OF Colorado have made
It's rate OF production probably so 600 ON
a year. The Isabella recently shipped
j. q. DENNY.