Mohave County miner., 1903-05-02
Oegeneracy of California's State Min.
ing Bureau.

The misleading aud unreliable re-.
ports given out by profess sors of the
California state mining bureau is not
only giving that institution a bad
name among mining men, but it is
making laughing stock of the men
who are supposed to represent the in.
situation In the field of mining of the
Golden State. No one doubts the
ability OF Lew Aubrey, state mineral
ogist, but it would appear that his
subordinates are selected for the
amount OF political pull and not that
they may be qualified by scientific
education to fill the position. Two of
these men have been giving out state.
ments anent the supposed placer strike
near Needles, that shows how little
confidence can be placed in any re-
port they may make. We take the
following excerpts from Oil, Mining
and Finance, the Los Angeles mining
paper:
prof. Pease of the State Mining Bu.
reau, who has visited the field, states
that queer strike was made in a can.
yon near lvanpah, through which the
Clark road is being constructed. He
states that workmen, while piledriving,
split pile, aud on uithdrawing il mug
gets were found imbedded in the soft
pine. The laborers all quit work and
are now averaging from l0s to 25s
day washing out gold"
Now, Ivanpah, the alleged location
Of the placers, is nearly one hundred
miles from the actual locati Ii, and
mountain range intervening, and there
is not one laborer Of the Clark road, OF
any other lsborer making ten or fif-
teen dollars per day washing out gold,
nor are there any laoorers making even
an attempt to do so. In fact there is
not hing in Mr.. Pease's statement, with
the exception that it is stated by some
parties that at hex, San BernardiDo
county, a short distance from Needles,
MIR. Orr, who Is driving piling for
retaining dam, had occasion to pull
one of the piles aud found some gold
in the shattered end. Outside of this
there il nothing to warrant Mr.. Pease's
statement, nor do we believe he ever
visited the field, and if he did so he
shows his thoroughly incompetency
for a position where scientific knowl.
edge and good sense should obtain.
Another professor, G. E. Bailey, who
ought to have known better, makes
use of the following language regard.
iug the placers:
speaking of the placer strike at
| Needles, | will say that 1t is genuine.
The real wealth of the ground has not
been determined, but gold, coarse gold
and nuggets Of good size have been dis
covered. The discovery of this field
was nused about San Francisco FIVE or
six weeks ago. The real story of the
strike Is about like this. The Clark
road. think il is the Clark road, il
building down a canyon between Nee
dies and Goff, and the men had occas-
ion to drive several piles. One of the
piles split and 1t was withdrawn, when
several nuggets were found imbedded
IN the piue. WOTu Oh tne stflht WAS
sent quietly to San Francisco aud seg
eral well.known men from there came
out ard located. Since then the Klein
felier discovery has been made and
the country is all lined over with 10
cations and relocations. | believe the
field II to develop into permanent
one, and may yet grow to large pro-
portions"
Now, we have known Prof. Bailey
for many years and we are surprised
that he should make statements that
we're not fully covered by fact. Such
statement might be all right from q
mine promoter, but coming from a
mem Der OF the state mining bureau it
carries weight with the miners of the
state and causes them to take expen
sive trips for nothing. At Needles, the
other day, we met an old miner from
northern California, who stated that
he had been attracted by the statement
of Profs. Pease and Bailey and had
spent nearly all the money be had on
earth 10 get to the mines, to find that
there was nothing for him. A jacking
up by the chief OF the bureau might
do these men good.
John w. Gerritt returned yesterday
from the Dempsy O'Dea mines and re-