The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-10-21
MINERS SELECT
TIMELY TOPICS
Engineers to Supply Array
of Figures About Erosion
From Natural Causes

Taking advantage Of expert opinion
that will be furnished by practical en-
gineers, the California Miners Associa-
ton, at the coming annual meeting,
will consider the mining-debri ques-
ton in large way. The discussion will
undoubtedly begin with the reading of
a paper that has been provided for.
which will have the title of Natural
Erosion Compared With Mining Opera
tons" This will lead to accurate esti-
mates and much light will undoubtedly
be thrown upon a problem that has
caused more discussion than any other
in California.
At the annual convention of the Cali
fornia Miners Association in 1903 the
anti-debris men met on the floor of the
convention with the members of the
association. and a somewhat spirited
episode was the result. Since then
the California gold-dredger miners
have made UP report relative to
operations in the dredger fields in the
river bottoms. Within the last month
threats have been made by the anti
debris men to enjoip the operations of
certain mines Altogether the time is
ripe for a systematic study of all the
problems relating to erosion and to
mining debris, and great interest is
sure to center in the discussion for
which the California miners have ar
ranged.
The executive committee of the Min
ers' Association has decided to hold
the annual convention in the white din
ing-room of the Hotel St. Francis on
December 8. 6, Z. and possibly on the
9Th also Business sessions win take
place only in the forenOons, the after
Moons being reserved for excursions.
Trips will be made to the Selby Smelt-
VI. TT ID
works, using the Union Iron Works
tug for the purpose; to Mare Island by
steamer Slocum: to the Pacific Steel
and Wire ComDany's plant, the Cali
fornia Powder Works, and to other
places of interest. Before the assem-
bling of the convention a programme
will be sent out and the delegates will
have a chance to make selections of the
places that they desire to visit.
Mr. Benjamin. secretary Of the Cali
fornia Miners Association, has made
early application TO persons who have
been requested to prepare papers for
the convention. and has asked them to
get their communications in as soon as
possible, to the end that all may be
printed in time to be distributed in
pamphlet form at the convention. so
! that the discussion resulting may all
be from an intelligent point of view.
I Judge E. A. Belcher viii prepare pa
per on Mineral Land Laws" A COM
mittee is about to report 10 Congress
concerning such laws. and the topic
l is. therefore, of more than ordinary in
terest Among the papers TO be pre-
sented for consideration are the fol-
/ lowing:
'sTonopah and Goldfeld Regions" by w c.
/ Ralston. Gold Dredging Industry BY J. ].
Hamlyn. president OF the Gold Dredgers As
sociation; High Explosives, by Harry East
I Miller History OF Concentration" by George
/ johnson; Age and Strength OF Mining Tim
bers't by ". II. Storms: Place and Value OF
small Scale Ore Tests" by Ernest H. Simons:
Comparison OF Electric and Steam Power In
/ Copper Mining Operations" by Lewis T.
/ Wright.
Many other topics have been sug-
gested for discussion, and invitations
/ have been sent TO skilled men in the
many lines of mining TO contribute pa
pers. These cover practical methods
and, collectively. will make up a great
body of valuable. practical information
John Hays Hammond. Fred Merrill
/ W. j. Sherwood. T. A. Richards, F. +.
Thomas, Herbert Lang, Alfred Won der