The San Francisco call., 1904-02-20
AUBURY SAYS NO RADIUM
IS FOUND IN CALIFORNIA
Declares That Claims About the Discovery of That Metal
in Marposa County Are Not True and Denounces Fake
Dredging About to Begin Near Historic Town of Coloma

State Mineralogist Aubury declares
positively that the claim that radium
has been discovered in Mariposa Coun-
IS. in this State, as claimed by the
california Radium Gold Mining Com
pany, is a fake puns and simple. Re
Gently the company in question has
been advertising largely and over one
portion Of the advertisement was re-
guest 10 the public TO investigate.
Aineralogist Aubury says that he has
investigated carefully, securing many
samples OF ore from the Fitch mines
which is the one operated by the Cali
fornia Gold Radium Mining Company,
and these samples were submitted 10
me chemist and assayer OF the State
Mining Bureau. Not one Of them, SO
says Aubury, contains radium.
1 do not believe that there is any
Faolum In California" so Aupury said
yesterday. What radium there is in
The world that is known has cost at
The rate Of s. 600, 900 a ton &c produce
and there is only two pounds Of il in
all This California company adYer-
uses that while IL takes eight tons OF
Lne European ore 10 produce one gram
oI raoium N is possible 10 produce the
same amount OF radium from few
ounces Of the MarlpOsa County ore 1
nave nal MI Preston examine many
specimens Of the ore from the F1tch
mine, the one on which glowing adver-
tlsements are based. and he has re-
ported back that there is no radium in
them.
a viii also refer you TO Professor
Arthur :. Eakie of the University Of
California. VINO has written an article
Oh the subject Of the alleged discovery
~ radium in MaripOsa County. He re-
ports that Professor Lewis has tested
The ore and has found il TO show less
Khan one One-hundredth part Of the
radio activity Of the weakest uranium
compound / viii take all possible
means 70 warn the public that this is
fake and hope that the admonition
. viii be widely read for the credit Of
The State. The fact that the ore upon
being scratched emits light is no indi-
cation OF the presence Of radium- Ne
Naoa ores have been discovered that
emit light under friction, but they are
merely zinc blende. There is no ra-
dium in the Fitch mine ore. The COM
pany that is back OF the advertising
Is trading on the spark Of light that
the ore shows. II is all d fake.
The statements Of the State Mineral
ogist are submitted for the good of the
public. Mr.. Aubury made other state
ments. but all TO the same intent as
the foregoing, so that it is unnecessary
10 repeat Lnem All.
WATER FOR THE MINERS.
If the rainfall Of the. last week in the
mountains could have been utilized by
restraining dams 10 hold il in check
there would have been water enough
10 operate mines for a long time. A
graphic account of the precipitation in
the mining region Of Nevada County
is given by the Grass Valley Union, as
follows:
In the mountains there was heavy. fall Of
snow THURSDAY night. The snow piled up 10
depth of six feet IN the higher mountains.
and with the old snow there is now m the
neighlorhood of eight feet al Graniteville and
Mountain House on the Washington ridge
over t1o feet of new snow fell while al. Low
el Hill IL showed some two inches when II
turnea 10 rain only trace q snow was
iu the hills where man only sscends in the
sumner tle sno. ls f-Is oeeI, ai.u t y al
probably last until the next season s storms
According to the Nevada County
Miner electricity viii be conveyed TO
the Deadmans Flat district for the ope-
ration Of mines. OF the result the
Miner says:
mans Flar district a-iil be the means Of re-
Viring the mining industry there. II will put
new life and energy into the companies who
are oDerating there and who propose 70 oper-
ate there in the future. one OF the great
dra WbackE in the past has been the lack Of
motor power. and this has greatly retarded
The Development of the veins. As has been
stated in these columns on different occasions
there is a bright future in store Tor Deadmans
Flat. Recent develouments there show that
be- possesses rich veins and that these will
some day develop into famous mines Nothing
that could be- suggested would help the dis
trict more than the Introduction Of electric
power
Considerable exultation is manifested
over the fact that the Oneida mine in
AmadOr County has been put in shape