The San Francisco call., 1901-10-23
THE MINERS CONVENTION.

no other State in the Union is there as general
interest in mining in California. Here the
st great production OF gold in the United States
We were ahead of Australia in the discovery and de-
veopment of large deposits, and fame as gold
producer went foNh into the world ahead of Siberia
Nearly all of the improved processes of mining have
originated in California, have been the discovery
or invention of California miners Our other indus
tries are great and permanent but there is scarcely
enterprising who does turn to the mines
as last resort to make recruit his fortune. Nearly
every prominent public man has had something to
do with mines. Our senior Senator Perkins,
sailor, a merchant, and is large ship-owner
but still he is miner. The great fortunes made in
this State have been in the mines, in their be-
ginning related that industry Even the four build
ers of the Central Pacific Railway had to the
foundation of their wealth to the building of line
originally intended to reach the mines of Dutch Flat
1t is no wonder that the State Mining Association,
which is now holding its tenth annual convention in
this city, has a membership of nine thousand, the
largest believe, Of any industrial organization in
the Union, and perhaps in the world in proportion
to the population it represents. 1t has done much
for mining but much remains to be done. California
should no longer permit the State of Colorado to
have the leading School of Mines in this country
of mining from all the world. California has
furnished the greatest mining experts and engineers
known to that industry They have developed the
mines of Africa and developing those of
China They are consulted by the Russian officers in
Siberia. Naturally the State from which they hail
should have great mining school, in which the
gineering, metallurgy mineralogy and geology of
the subject should be taught to all comers This
State should permit longer to appear that Wash
ngton University in St. Louis and Johns Hopkins in
Baltimore have to furnish the mining chemists who
the reduction of the refractory copper of
Arizona and the rebelous ores of Oregon California
has excelled all others in the mechanical appliances
of mining and in the engineering of mines But
mining requires the union of chemical with
chanical skill and knowledge, and this State should
60 forward to that branch of the subject in the know
edge that rich rewards await the experts who
solve some of the great chemical problems presented
by the large variety of our ores and by the combna
tons in which the precious metals are found.
Between this State and great iron mining industry
lies barrier that mechanics and chemists must
bine to solve and when smelter rises in that solution
will export iron instead of importing it. If the
genius of people is trained and brought to bear
upon these problems of reduction and we learn how
to the value of metals from close-fsted Ma
ture, the metallurgical of the world, which is
now at Swansea, Wales will be transferred to this
coast and will rise somewhere upon the shores of
San Francisco Bay.
The Miners Convention has before it practical is
sues of immediate Importance, but it should have
forward lcoI toward these other issues which affect
the pernanence of mining and the location of its
greatest and most complete expression here
There is no doubt that all of these interests would
get great impulse if the industry could secure repre-
sentation in the Cabinet This is the greatest mining
country in the world Our iron, coal, copper, OIL
stone gold silver salt borax and soda make up the
greatest group of precious and economic metals and
minerals found the planet
Look at this list of these products mined and pro-
duced in commercial quantities in California alone
We produced for the season of 1900 1000 antmony,
chrome brick clay, potters clay, COAL copper, fuers
earth glass sand gold, granite, gypsum, infusoria
earth lead limestone and lime litha mica, stone for
macadam, magnesite, manganese, marble, mineral
paint mineral water natural gas onyx and travertne
paving blocks petroleum, platinum, pyrites, quartz
sand quicksilver rubbe, salt, sandstone serpentne
silver slate and soda, to the aggregate value of $3o
oooo We boast ustifably of the rich variety of the
products of our soil in field and garden crops and
fruits and timber and of waters in fish. But Ma
ture has not been content to endow with these
of the rocks an equally amazing variety of metals and
minerals.
1t is goody land and that part of its interests rep
resented by this Miners Convention is in good hands