Amador ledger., 1903-04-03
COMMUNICATION.
JACKSON. March 81.

column dedicated to the local mining
news of your last issue, you point to the
Bunker Hill as an example of what you
refer to as ''timidity of capital to in
vest in mining operations in the face of
the possibility of labor trouble, no mat
ter how remote" This property, you
add, has been developed to the point
that the erection of twenty stamp
mill was decided upon by the board of
directors at their last meeting, but
owing to the unsettled condition in
labor circles word was sent to firm in
San Francisco to whom an order had
been given for that number of stamps,
to hold the order in allegiance pending
further instructions, and so forth. l
infer that you derived your notion of
said timidity of capital from a direct
source, that is, from the directors
themselves. Now sir, being one of the
many only modestly interested in the
development of the Bunker Hill mine,
[ beg leave to make few remarks on
the aforesaid statement.
l am not sympathizer with either
the agitators of the labor or the agi-
tators of the capital question concern
ing mining affairs in this state. Both
agitatfons in my estimation, seem to be
born out of a wrong departure from
moral sense of justice, and the meas
ures of expediency to be fostered, merely
by an unwarranted apprehension on
one side and demagogue principles on
the other. But to come down to the
subject. Why, may 1 ask, the Bunker
Hill particularly should concern itself
with the labor question? And why not
the Fremont, the Keystone, the Ken
nedy, and many other mining opera
tions as equally concerned in the sue
cess OF their enterprise underground?
The Bunker Hill Consolidated Mining
Company is Incorporated with capital
stock of 200, 900 shares at the par value
OF 81 per share. A few prominent citi-
zens, well known in financial and politi-
cal circles of this county, were the
promoters of said Incorporation. They
paid for the property about $50, 900.
They had reserved for themselves and
their intimate friends something over
100, 600 shares of the so-called paid up
stock, with the understanding that
the other 100000 shares should be
fioated in the market for investment by
people OF modest means on the install
ment plan, for the purpose of raising
the needed funds to develop the mine,
and bring it to paying basis. The in
vestors in this working stock, who,
with few exceptions, are persons of
modest means, have contributed out of
their earnings at sacrifice sometimes
OF their comfort and the comfort of
their families, the sum of S115, 600 for
its development up to date, They have
exerted their patience and good nature
during almost four years, in the anxious
expectation of realizing legitimate re-
turn on their investment. The capital
already invested, the time and labor
already expended in the development
OF said mine, by any conservative min
ing expert would be considered ample
to establish with degree of certainty
whether within that spot of the mother
lode there is mine or not, and it has
been stated that there is one. Mean
while the promoters have contributed
so far for their paid-up stock, consist
ing of 100000 shares, the sum of SIS, :
600, that is, besides the price paid for
the mine and other items. They have
had an easy time all along, and never
worried themselves for single day of
their life, for they knew they had a
mine and good one.
DO you mean to say Mr.. Editor, that
these gentlemen would bring forth to
us now such silly pretext as ''the
timidity of capital to invest in mining
operations in the face of the possibility
OF labor trouble no matter how remote"
l cannot believe possible that these
able and worthy representatives of the
mining interest of our county would
make such usage of their trust. This
alleged fear that our mining work
could be disturbed by few demagogues
or idealistic fools, strangers to our COM
munlty. who are not concerned in our
affairs, and cOllld do nO harm ,rba+so
ever If we did not want them in our
midst, would only tend to raise a very
serious comment upon the directors of
said mine by other parties equally in
terested. | hope this is merely a joke
of the editor of the Ledger. The labor
agitation! What in the world has
capital to contend with the labor uues-
tion in these mountains, where the
whole community itself having the
welfare of the mining industry at heart.
pushes the wheel. Labor agitation!
Indeed some legitimate question may
arise anywhere in manufacturing and
Industrial centers upon which some
times the laboring class has had, and
may have yet, the right to demand
redress for suffered abuses, such de-
mand may be highly justified in their
connection with set of employers,
who by mere chance may rise to power
and wealth, and have the inclination to
Cypress the poor. There are besides