The San Francisco call., 1904-03-26


The official report Of the twelfth an
nual convention of the California
Miners Association has been issued
by Edward II. Benjamin. From this
the relative Importance that was at
tached by the convention 10 hydraulic
mining as A topic for discussion is made
10 clearly appear. The printed mat
ter covers l95 pages. The special pa
pers that were read and the speeches
of congratulation that were delivered,
together with the responses and the
formal resolutions, in which the pres
ent policy Of the association was set
forth. occupy one-half of the publica-
ton. OF The remaining 100 pages or
less The discussion upon hydraulic
mining takes fifteen pages, or about
one-sixth Of the whole.
The annual report supplies the exact
text Of the more or less technical ad-
dresses and papers that men Of promi-
nence submitted. and, as corrected,
they are now given for the first time
in their entirety. They are a valuable
contribution to the knowledge OF min
ing in this State.
During a period Of years the cyanid-
ing Of gold bearing sulphurets has en-
gagged the attention and enlisted the
experiments Of Professor 5. =. Christy
Of the College Of Mining of the Uni
Versity Of California. One of the lead
ing addresses TO the miners was de-
livered by him. There is continual
discussion Of the problems attending
cysniding, which is one OF the most
important operations connected with
modern mining. In general way
what Professor Christy said was re-
ported at the time OF the convention.
There are certain definite averments
that. devoid of technicalities. have a
claim TO be considered as adding TO
popular interest, which are now pre-
sented in Official form.
one Of Professor Christy's state
ments is that, IF this subject is given
the right kind OF attention it will be
easily practicable TO add 10 the annual
output Of the California mines from
$1,000. 900 TO $6, 600 900 a year, be-
cause it will mean that large num-
Der Of mines which now lie idle be-
cause they contain just enough free
gold 10 pay expenses. viii become pro-
ducers and profitable producers as
we'll" This puts the matter clearly
within the line OF commercial propo-
sitiOn. The entire address being in
the annual report, it is available to all
who wish 10 learn what Professor
Christy has been able TO accomplish
i'm experiments that have extended
through a period Of six years.
In Professor Christy's opinion.
whore there are produced from five to
ten tons Of sulphurets a day and there
is water available for grinding, there
is no reason why sulphurets cannot be
treated when they are properly COM
posed for favOrable treatment at a
cost Of IS per ton. Under favorable
conditions $25 material, which in many
cases does not pay now, might yield
q profit of SIS per ton ana possibly
more.
In the annual report of the Califor-
MIA Miners Association convention
there are also special papers by Mark
B. Kerr upon The Storage of Waste
Waters for Mining Purposes by Ed
ward A. Rix, on Compressed Air Min
ing Plants; by c. H. Dunton, on
Slate Deposits; by Harry P. Stow,
on Canvas Tables; by E. c. Voor-
heis, on The Use of Fuel Oil in Roast
ing Concentrates for ChlOrination" I;
by W. H. Storms, "on THE Mother
Lode in AmadOr County; by John B.
Tregloan. on The Development of
Abandoned Mines; by DR.. G. T.
Deane, on The California Oil Indus
try; by Frank w. Griffin, on THE
Gold Dredging Industry; by F. A.
Leach, Superintendent of the San
Francisco Mint, on United Methods of
Receiving and Treating Bullion -
There is enough in the annual report
TO make il valuable for general read
ing and also of interest in the Califor-
MIA classroOms where California min
ing is under consideration.
No obstacles seem TO be powerful
enough to restrain the enterprise of
the Pacific Coast mining man. Me-
chanical difficulties are overcome, re-
giOns far removed from centers of
supplies turn from desert areas to
mining camps extreme temperatures
ranging from the cold of the Arctic
circle to the heat of Death Valley are
cheerfully confronted; dangerous rap
ids are traversed, daily hardships are
encountered with stoicism that is
admira bic. no desert that is rich in
minerals nor any mountain range,
however precipitOus or difficult of ac-
CESS, can retard the footsteps of the
gold seeker or the search for other
valuable metals. Towns are founded,
run their period of prosperity and,
when the mines give out, unless they
have other resources, decay. But the
miner ever pushes onward, tireless
and fearless. These remarks are
suggested by one of the latest towns
10 be started. This is Camp Roch-
. ester in San Bernardino County, about
forty miles east OF Daggett and eight
miles southwest of Ludlow station on
the Santa Fe Railway. Around Camp
Rochester are several groups of mines
producing gold and copper A
very good account of the general con-
. ditiOns regarding climate. etc. are
supplied by the Mining and Scientific
Droce T-ndnr similar condifionS