of the side issues to his wolf-in-sheep's-clothing enterprises. At one time the California Miners' Association exercised considerable influence in the development of the mining industry of the State, its sessions each year being; attended by representative miners from all sections; but greedy commercial instincts got the upper hand with some of its leading members, in consequence of which the organization became afflicted with dry rot and gradually fell into decay. In order to recuperate, and endeavor to recover its lost position, recourse was had in a cheap initiation fee, so that for $1 anybody could join, with the result that most of its later sessions have been marked by the presence of everybody excepting miners.
Although the promoters of this vast system of mineral locators are known to have expended considerable money in making surveys and otherwise performing assessment work upon their claims, it soon became evident that the mining feature was not the real object of their tremendous activity, and in my report to State Mineralogist Anbury covering their operations I pointed out that what they were doing looked very much as if they were paving the way for some railway route.
As that time I had no idea of the magnitude of their scheme, nor had anybody else save those on the inside, my theory being that they contemplated the construction of some local electric line into the Big Meadows country in order to tap the rich timber belt of the region. It has since transpired, however, that Yard and his associates were acting in the interest of the Goulds, and were merely hewing a pathway for the coming of the Western Pacific, the new transcontinental line in process of construction at the present time. This feature of the situation is covered by the following special dispatch appearing in the Sacramento Evening Bee of July 1. 1905:
OROVILLE (Butte Co.), July 1.—An important business transaction was completed here this morning, when the interests of the North California Mining Company were turned over to the Western Pacific Railway Company. The North California Mining Company was organized by H. H. Yard, who located about 800 mineral claims in Butte and Plumas Counties. As Yard was known to be Gould's head man, and Gould was known to be a main factor in the Western Pacific, the position of the North California Company has been the subject of considerable speculation.
No sooner had State Mineralogist Anbury become apprised of the situation through the medium of my report than he lost no time in endeavoring to put a stop to the scheme. He was honest enough in his undertaking, and perhaps in the next generation or so the Government may succeed in securing the cancellation of all the bogus mineral entries, but in the meantime all the mischief has been done, because, through their bold operations—paved with good intentions, but cleverly masking a gigantic fraud—the originators of the idea have warded off all interference with the plans of the Western Pacific, thus enabling that railway corporation to secure a route through the Sierra Nevada mountains second to none in the matter of economic grade.
In this connection I cannot refrain from printing a poem written by Sam. C. Dunham, now editor of the Tonopah Miner, but at one time a resident of Nome, Alaska. It expresses the idea so clearly in regard to the abuses of the United States Placer mining laws that its introduction at this time is quite apropos. While it relates to conditions in Alaska, it can be applied to almost any public land State in the Union:
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