342 RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 



many ways, but the capitalists refuse because of alleged inse- 

 curity. The miners must abandon their schemes, and leave 

 the wealth of the mines undeveloped, or obtain money in their 

 own neighborhood, at rates of interest two or three times 

 higher than those prevalent in larger cities, where undoubted 

 security is given. Hence, serious obstacles to the develop- 

 ment of all branches of industry, and to the establishment of 

 that well-ordered society, made up of permanent residents, 

 dwelling in homesteads fixed for life, with a proper proportion 

 of women and children. The least of all the evils is, that the 

 mining counties contribute far less than they should to the 

 treasury of the state. 



The main object of a government should always be to build 

 up a permanent, dense, intelligent, industrious and moral pop- 

 ulation, skilled in the mechanic arts, and so employed that 

 their capital increases rapidly and regularly. Such is the con- 

 dition of all the most prosperous countries, and such would 

 have been the condition of California now, if she had been 

 properly governed. 



If application be made to a San Francisco capitalist to buy 

 a gold mine, or loan money on the security of a gold mine, or 

 invest money in any gold mining operation, an offer of sale 

 will be received with the same refusal. A promise of ten per 

 cent, a month will not induce him to examine the proposition. 

 He will reply, that all gold mining is insecure. He treats 

 quartz-mining, ditching, hydraulic claims and sluice, alike ; 

 different as they are from one another, he makes no distinction 

 between them ; they are alike, and equally dangerous. If he 

 be asked how he knows that they are insecure, he will say 

 that he lost an investment some years ago, or, that this and 

 that friend of his lost investments in gold mines, and every- 

 body says they are insecure, and that is enough for him. He 

 cannot afford to travel through the mines and investigate the 

 matter. He can find what he considers safe investments in 

 San Francisco, in agricultural lands, from Sonoma to San 

 Diego, and in Washoe silver mines. There is now more San 



