Year: 1865




Yearly every paper received from the agricul-
turai districts of the State is recommending the
sale of the mineral lands. They argue that as
the farmer is required to buy the land he wishes
TO cultivate, SO also should the miner be compel
led to purchase his claim from the Government.
They add, as clncher, that such purchase
would render his right and title perfect, which
is not the case at present. These cow-county CO.
lemporaries have very limited knowledge of
the mining interest and in their lack of iuforma
tion propose to stranglc the goose which lays the
golden egg.


The farmer runs but comparatively little risk
in his purchase OF land or its cultivation. lie
has fair opportunity to examine and judge of
the value of what he is about to purchase, and
his labor is nearly always rewarded by more
or less plentiful crop. In the pursuit of riches
his progress may be slow, but so much the more
certain. One great advantage he undeniably
possesses and that is the fact that after years of
toll his improved farm is worth ten fold and Of
ten an hundred fold the amount he paid for It.


Now as to the miners chances. He prospects
piece of ground, thinks it might pay. and then
commences work. He is obliged to spend humid
reds often thousands of dollars, to open his claim,
and after he has expended his means and labor
finds the ground worthless. Expending as much
labor and more money on his claim than the far
iner did on his land. is the ground he worked
worth any more than it before he touched
it? Certainly not and it is worthless for any
purpose. The same result would follow were he
successful in his mining enterprise. After a few
years the claim is exhausted, and hundred acres
of the ground is not worth many cents The
farmer after working number of years has an
4
her of years of labor is the possessor of hund-
red square feet of barren bedrock. Both are
certain of the above results, and yet our agri-
cultural neighbors would place both on the same
footing. Herein lies the injustice.


The sale of the mineral lands of this State, or
Nevada. the Pacific coast, would work meal
cu.abIe injury. Mining sections of known worth
would fall into the hands of capitalists and rich
interpretations, and very soon would have Il
monopoly among dangerous to the peace and
welfare of the State. Such interpretations would
buy up Immense tracts of mining ground, work
il at their leisure, and where thousand miners
now find their bread few hundred Mongolians
would be employed at such rates that no white
miner could decently exist. Under our present
condition the love of exploration is one of the
peculiarities of miners. They are always on
the move neither the SHOWS of the Northern re-
gions, the burning sands of Arizona have
any tefroIs for them. They are bent upon max
ing ii . strike and are strengthened in this i'm
pulse by the knowledge that no matter how val
liable claims they discover, they own them and
that possession and iaLor gives them a clear title.
If desire to check this work of exploration.
if We are too rich or if we wish to discourage
immigrAtior, let us by all means advocate the
sale of the mineral lands. Does any one mag-
iuc that miners will risk the dangers of new aad
unexplored regions, battle the elements and saw
age foe as miners always have done, and after
all be exposed to the chance that some one rich
er sLall reap the benefits of their discoveries


How the value of mineral lands be fixed
Will an acre of such ground covers the .l!ii-
son ranch mines bring the same price as an acre
of mountain side? Jones may have 4 claim
which nets him $4,000 yearly Smith has claim
adjoining, the proceeds of which would sat
isfy the annual water bill. If the price i uni
form, then none but lands Of known value would
be sold, and unexplored land would lie dormant
for who would risir his purchase money? II the
mining land, however is sold for its apparent
value then the dlScoyerer, if poor. is dcbarred
from realizing the reward of his labor Mining
then would be monopoly of the rich the poor
would be driven from the mines. unless they
chose to work for any sum which the rich mine
owner might deign to pay.


Let the mines never be taxed or sold if Cali
fornia is to remain what it always has been-the
paradise of the poor. If Government must have
additional revenue from the mining lands. lei it
tax the products. Such tax would fall equally
upon all. Raise the per centage on gold pro-
duced to ten times the present tax, or per cent.
rather than sell or tax the mines. Government
would soon find that the premium on gold was
not alone the result of Wall street speculation,
but the natural consequence of mistaken poll
cy in connection with the mineral lands. Such a
measure would bring financial disaster not alone
upon US but upon the whole mercantile world.
We have too much confidence in the wisdom of
our rulers to believe that they will be influenced
by the nonsensical clamor of class who seem
to be ignorant of the fact that the mining inter-
est is the great interest of California. aud that ali
others are subordinate to it.