The sun., 1908-06-06
JOHN HAYS HAMMOND, THE MAN
CAREER or THE MINING ENGI-
NEER TALKED or FOR OFFICE.
Has Made a Great Name for Himself In
His Professional Ills Part In tho South
African Troubles A skilled Worker
I'm Many Lines-Ilis Large Salaries.

The announcement that John Hays
Hammond was candidate for nomination
10 the Vice-Presdency by the Republican
national convention came so suddenly
and was 30 lacking in the familiar prelmi-
nary portents and omens that it at once
attracted wide and lively attention. The
reporters swarmed to MIR. Hammond and
ssk ked il the announcement was by au-
thority.
Yes" replied Mr.. Hammond, Il am a
candidate"
And he said nothing more. which may
I've an indication of a conspicuous trait in
his character which will be further Ge-
veIoped in this brief account of him and his
activities.
Added interest was lent to his candidacy
by the fact that for several years Mr.. Ham
mond has been extensively written about
as the highest salaricd man in the world.
1t was said that he got $500 900 year as
mining expert; then that he got 81 900. 900
wear This respectable difference was
in itself topic for interviewers. but Mr..
Hammond had nothing to say on that sub
iect. But why he has been paid 80 we'll
may be Of more interest even than the fact
that he has been 80 paid.
John Hays Hammond Is perhaps mem-
her Of the society Of Native Sons Of the
Golden West. Whether he is or not he Is
eligible to membership in that important
California association. having been born
in San Francisco in 1855. His father Ma jor
Hammond. n graduate Of West Point. served
through the Mexican war and then took
UP his residence in California. His mother.
Sarah Elizabeth Hays Hammond. was
sister Of famous Texas ranger, Col Hays.
Ma jor Hammond prospered in California.
where he was largely interested in the
mining business. so when at the age of
Il or 50 his son, John Hays. was prepa red
for college the Major sent the youngster
to Yale. where no was graduated from the
Sheffield scientific school in 1879 with
the degree of bachelor of philosophy. From
Yale Hammond went to the Royal School
of Mines at Freiberg, Saxony. where he
continued his studies in geology, miner
ology and engineering.
He returned then to San Francisco and
became member of a United States geo.
logical survey party, where his work was
practically ostgraduate course in mining.
When he left the geological survey 1t
was to undertake an important commission
as a mining expert in the examination Of
some Mexico properties. In this work he
displayed conspicuous ability, and upon his
return to San Francisco he was busy in the
profession in which he has since become
worldwidely known and also became con-
sulting engineer to the Union Iron Works
Of San Francisco-the works where the
battleship Oregon was built-and also con-
sulting engineer for the Central and South
eern Pacific railroads.
The mention Of these various employments
indicates the unusual equipment Hammond
had for his work. He was, besides being
an expert geologist. mineralogist and miner
a civil and mechanical engineer.
There is a saying among miners that no
one can look further into the ground than
the pick oes. This has a wise and con-
elusive sound, and therefore is not true
There are two kinds of miners who can
look further into the ground than the pick
goes the one who knows geology instinc-
lively and the one who knows all that the
schools can teach about it. Hammond was
able to look into the ground with both these
sights. Just to illustrate little, IL is worth
while telling that while Hammond was a
youngster in San Francisco the one other
man in California with the greatest reputa-
tion as a miner was the late Senator George
Hearst Of that State.
Senator Hearst had never troubled his
eyes with the print Of text books He was
an instructive expert. When Hearst told his
good to him, and he proceeded to its de-
velopment, his associates cashed his drafts
FOR 81 900 900 before he was prepared to in
vite them to make an investigation and
see for themselves that his instinct was right
Hammond, like his elder colleague Of
lo,,, hxa k,xzs MI
an accomplished students knowledge Of
what the signs meant. II was his reputa-
ton based upon these qualities and equip
ments which, travelling az far as South
Africa. induced the Barnato brothers to
send for Hammond S,aa, to & look into some SOM;
South Africa mining work. He went to
the gold fields of South Africa, studied
the problem, solved it and was then asked
to report upon some other property He
made an extensive investigation, sub
mitted his report and upon 1t probably
properties he recommended before they
proved that he was right.
At that time, 1893, stories came back to
this country that Hammond was receiving
q salary Of $50 200 year. That sum was
had a business interview with Cecil Rhodes.
As the story goes, Rhodes invited Hammond
to dinner and over the coffee said
Mr. Hammond, i should like to have
you make me a proposition as to terms
Tor entering the service Of the British South
Africa Company"
Five thousand dollars month"; was
Hammond's reply.
That is satisfactory to me- his host
said, and Hammond became practically
the head Of the gold mining industry in
South Africa. Within a year his salary
was increased by Rhodes TO 500 900. when
the expert became the consulting engineer
to the Consolidated Gold Fields of South
Africa as well as the engineer in charge Of
the Barnato properties.
At that time the .Outlanders OF Dom
Paul Krnger's country outnumbered the
Beers, owned more than one-half the land
and nine-tenths Of the invested capital
Of the country. But they had no repre-
sentation in the Government. Cecil Rhodes
and a number Of those who surrounded
him chafed under this condition Of affairs
and endeavored to correct 1t by appeals
to the Boer Government, but without
success. When they began to talk about
the injustice OF taxation without repre-
sentation they were talking on a subject
which had familiar ring in the young
Americans ears. and possibly that had
something to do with the ready sympathy
ne gave them. At all events when Col
Rhodes, brother Of Cecil. and DR.. Jameson
and others got together as the National
Reform Committee Hammond Joined the
committee
Concerning his connection with this COM
mittee MIR. Hammond has said little for
publication but from friends who were