OBITUARIES

William'Wallace Mein, internationally known financier and mining engineer, died suddenly in San Francisco on May 5, a few hours after suffering a heart attack while participating in a business conference at the Bank of America. of which he was a director.

Born in Nevada City, Calif., on July 19, 1873, Mein was the son of "Captain" Thomas Mein who in the 1860's helped to introduce hydraulic mining methods into the California gold fields.

Mining was in his blood. While still in his teens he went to the South African Rand to work in the metallurgical department of the Robinson Mine, which at that time was the largest producer of gold in the world. He returned to Berkeley to earn a B.S. degree in mining engineering at the University of California, graduating from the University with the class of 1900.

A-fter finishing at the University he returned to South Africa where for another decade he served successively as manager of the Durban Roodeport Deep, the Robinson Mine, and a network of eleven Central Administration Mines.

Later, in New York, he became an asso- ciate of the late Ambrose Monell, president of the International Nickel Cornpany, in development of that company's Canadian Dome and Sudbury mines. Ife ser"ved on International Nickel's board of directors for twenty years.

Mein was president and chairrnan of the board of Bishop OiI Company and Calaveras Cement Company, both of which he founded. Calaveras, established in 1925 and merged into The Flintkote Company in 1959, now is headed by his elder son, 'Wm. Wallace Mein, Jr. Bishop, founded in 1920, was an independent producer of oil in the United States and Canada until absorbed by Shell Oil Company in 1961.

Mein was until recently a member of the board of directors of The Flintkote Company, and at the time of his death was a memhr of the board of directors of Bank of America, N. T. & S. A.

His maniage to Miss Frances Williams, daughter of Gardner F. Williams, developer of the South Africa diamond mines, was a high point of the 1907 social season in Washington, D.C.

She surrrives him at their W'oodside home. Other survivors are sons Wm. Wallace Mein, Jr., Woodside, and Gardner Williams Mein of San Francisco. and

CAI.IFORNIA IU'VIBEN MERCHANT

daughters Dorothy (Mrs. Charles Fay) of San Francisco, and Frances (Mrs. Charles de Bretteville) of Woodside.

Edward W'. Mayer, 70, for 24 years general manager of Ambrose Mill and Lumber Co., Santa Barbara, Calif,, died April 8, in a local hospital.

Born in Staceyville, Ia,, Aug. 26, 1893, he attended schools there and entered service from Fort Dodge, Ia,, during World War I, to serve overseas.

After his discharge he went to Long- view, 'Wash., in 1923 as a mill foreman and in 1925 came to Santa Barbara. He had been with the Santa Barbara Lumber Co. and Wagner Lumber Co., before his employment by Ambrose. Mr. Mayer retired five years ago.

In 1926 he married May Padden, who survives him at the family horne. Mr. Mayer leaves a son, James Edward Mayer, Goleta; four brothers and three sisters living in Staceyville. They are Herbert, Ernest, Ralph and Ray Mayer, Mrs. Martha Heinmer, and Misses Marcell and Leona Mayer.

He was a former director of the Southern California Retail Lumbermen's Association.