Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-12-26
DECLARES MINE.
INDUSTRY To Be
GREATER STILL
State MineraIogiSt of CaIifor-
MA Says That Greater De-
nand for Metals Is Coming
With End of War;


san Francisco, Dec. 25.-Mming.
the industry which has played so vital
part in tho winning Of the war. win
assume position Of greater import
ance following the cessation of hos
tilitles then ever before. according to
Fletcher Hamilton, state mlneralogist
Development of new I1ining fields is
essentially pioneer enterprise. said
Mr. Hamilton. and activities of this
character have always been evidenced
in the periods after the important
wars Of the world The independent
open-air do and dare" spirit is en-.
sendered in the hearts of the soldier
and sailor ANA thousands of the
American boys who are soon to come
home from France VIII never again
be satisfied TO sit at desk through
the day and 20 home to a stuffy
room on city street at'night Min
ms lssthe type OF Industry which will
attract these men.
Three contributing factors. said Mr..
Hamilton. VIII assure the truth of tho
statement That mining, particularly
in California, is on the eve OF "A great
revival.
l. The demand for metals. struc-
tnral materials. petroleum products
and heavy chemicals which win ac-
company the reconstruction. rehabii-
tation and reorganization of the en-
tire civilized world.
.. The existence of all kinds of
mineral deposits, both developed and
undeveloped, IN every one of tho
fifty-eight counties Of the state, which
will make possible partial satisfaction
Of that demand, at least.
90 70.
hrains trai4d 10 tasks of the neces-
sary character. and the energy and
Initiative to- carry on the work. as
represented In the presence Of return
ed soldiers and Others who will look
10 the west for a field in which to be.
gin life anew,
The mining laws Of the state and
nation are so framed. Mr., Hamilton
said as TO offer every encouragement
10 the prospector and pioneer. When
Il mineral deposit is discovered on
public land-and there remain large
tracts of government land Yet open
for location in California--the stalk
ing out of n claim and recording of
that act in the local county recorders
office gives the locator possessory
title to the ground. One hundred dol
lars worth of assessment" work an
nually performed maintains such title
indefinitely.
In the beginning gold he said, was
the sole mineral substance produced
in California, Last year fifty-four
different mineral substances were,
mined and marketed, in fifty-seven
counties OF the state. Gold is still
big item in the total OUTPUT, but
where it constituted three-fourths of
the total value IN 1887 and almost
one-half In 1907, It made up only
one-eighth Of the entire amount in
1917 This in face of the fact that
the gold production itself was consist
emily increasing during the thirty
years mentioned, which means tina
scores of adopted and native sons
have slowly but surely applied bust
ness methods to the unearthing of
bodies of clay. asbestos graphite !
ochre, mica, scrapstone, granite, slate
and soda. as well as to gold silver, |
copper lead and zinc, and the many
structural ana industrial materials, !
and salines and petroleum which UNI |!
derlie the hills and valleys and deserts |
of our well PANIED Golden states"