Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1913-08-01
FUME DAMAGE IS
AN EXAGGERATION
IN CALIFORNIA
PROSPERITY OF THE SURROUND
ING LAND MADE POSSIBLE
BY THE SHELTERS.

In the current weeks edition Of the
Engineering and Mining Journal is
an article by l.. H Eddy on the ques-
ton of damage to California farm
and ranch life through the agency of
smeter fumes, and his conclusions
are that there has been no such dam
age actually done as has been re-
ported. His article will prove of
timely interest
Mr. Eddy says in part:
Il visited Shasta county in the
latter part of May, making 60 mile
trip through what is known as the
smoke belt" and interviewed
number of farmers, some of whom
were members Of the farmers asso-
citation / visited the county hospital
lands and saw growing oats, potatoes
alfalfa, fruit and flowers equal to any
in the country and eXcelling some
in other sections. The fact is that
neither the land nor the crops at
the county hospital had been dam
aged in the slightest degree and be
sides the visible evidence | was crde-
IDLY informed that there was ALSO
lutely no damage done at the time
the members of the grand jury made
their visit Owing to the long hot
ard dry spell there was some dis
coloration at the points of blades
or leaves of the oat stocks, which
is common in any farming section
during hot and dry period
There was absolutely no damage
done to these crops from any cause,
nor to any of the crops in all the
farming sections in the vicinity of
Anderson, Cottonwood, Happy Valley,
Churn Creek and Balls Ferry. These
sections are south of Redding and
distant from the Mammoth smelter
20 to 80 miles.
Il also visited the hay ranches
north of Redding and saw the heavi
est crops of alfalfa that have seen
in the state during the present sea.
son, in travel that included eight
other farming counties. | interview
ed farmers and others interested in
farming indirectly, particularly as to
any damage that may have been done
by fume in the past two or three
years. All of them admitted that
whatever damage has been done ii
that period was of slight consequence
and none of them could point to any
i'll effect from fume upon his crops
in the present season. The evi
dence was plain that the presen
crops over the entire country viii
exceed all other years, and IL is q
record that 1912 was the best yea
up to that period and that 1911 wal
great Improvement on former years
1T is conceded that in the year,
the Mountain Copper companys work.
was operated and in the years whel
the Bully Hill, Mammoth and Balak
lala were simultaneously operating
and before the Balaklala had adopte,
the Cottrell system and the Nam
moth had installed the playhouse
there was some damage done t,
some of the crops by fume; but thi
damage was not of an extent tina
should have caused the closing dow
Of the smelling plants and it woul
have been willingly paid for had tn
farmers been reasonable in their dc
mands. A great deal Of the so.calle,
fume damage was the result Of fros
or Of hot north winds; but It mad
no difference to the farmers what tn
cause might be, they endeavored L
make it appear that the smelter
were to blame.
I'm the period of fourteen year
since my first visit to Shasta count,