SUMPTER MINER. I I I I I I I LJ 3?r' i VOL I. SUMPTER, OREGON, MARCH 7, 1900. NO. 26. II 1; POSTOFFICE CHANGE. FRANK G. JEWRTT HAS BEEN AP POINTED POSTMASTER. Mr. Kahler Resigned More Than a Month Ago Tired of Public Complaint! and no Relief From tbc Slow Department Spirited Contest to Secure New Location of the Office Mr. Jewctt Makes no Statement. Frank G. Jewett received notice a few days since that he had been appointed postmaster for Sumpter. His commission has not yet arrived; as soon as it does he will take charge of the office. Postmaster Kahler forwarded his resig nation to the department more than a month ago, having become tired of public complaints about the Inefficiency of the service, for which he was in no way to blame. All departments of the geuer.il government are notoriously slow and the postoflice department has persistently ne glected to make proper provisions for at tending to the rapidly Increasing buslne-s of this office. Mr. Kahler has repeatedly urged the immediate acceptance of his resignation and to be relieved from the duties of the position. A week ago, in a spirit of desperation, he said, "If some action is not taken at an early day, I will pack up the whole outfit and send it to Washington, C. O. D." Aside from the annoyances of the position, Mr. Kahler': whole time is needed in his extensive private business affairs. Mr. Jewett refuses to discuss, for publi cation, Ills intentions regarding the new location for the postoflice. He will only say that his intention is not to injure any particular business district by putting the postottice at any inaccessible point. He will virtually decide where It shall be. There is.a spirited contest being urged by those interested in the different local ities to have the office moved to such place as will benefit them financially, the institution being generally supposed to be a great business promoter. The new postmaster is, therefore, receiving all sorts of propositions and Inducements, the least among which is free rent. It is re ported that one party offered for the priv ilege of naming the new location, not only a building free, but to buy a handsome set of postofiice fixtures. Another raised this bid by offering to throw in a stock of goods. The contest Is principally be tween Mill and Granite streets, with one or two of the side streets as possible rivals. As a matter of fact, the business dis trict of Sumpter is so small and compact, that the location of the postoflice will not cut much of a figure with general busi ness. A news stand, a cigar store, or some such business might profit largely by its proximity. It Is not know n whether or not the de partment has made any provision for a better service; , Building a Handsome Home. Jack Hennessy.of Martin & Hennessy, former operator in the British Columbia mines about Sandon, and who Is now largely interested hereabouts, is building a handsome seven room home on Warren Helghts.where he will reside permanently. .Printed Matter Regarding: Sumpter. THE MINER is now printing a sixteen page folder, describing the conditions in Sumpter and the character of the mining country surrounding it. It contains much information and many facts about the district that will Interest all who are seek ing new fields in which to engage in busi ness, especially mining. This first edition will consist of 20,000 copies, for immedi ate distribution. It will be finished this week. Later 300,000 will be printed In this office, which will undoubtedly be the largest printing contract ever handled in eastern Oregon. The Sumpter Town site Company, Limited, is getting out the folder, of course. That Institution Is do ing more to advance the Interests of this section of the state than all other concerns, save the O. R. & N., combined. W. L. Vinton is Himself Again. For the benefit of the many friends of W. L. Vinson who read the notice of his illness In THE MINER of two weeks ago, and who have written here concerning same, it can now be announced that Wil liam is himself again. Lots In his ad dition are selling rapidly, the water works and electric light plants, which he con trols, are doing their respective duties to the satisfaction of everybody; his various mines are in active operation, his real estate Is selling as fast as he will part with it and he is otherwise doing quite well, thank you. Town Council Proceedings. At the meeting of the city council Satur day evening the ordinance ordered drawn at the previous meeting, providing for the raising of the liquor license from 5400 to Sioooayear, was ordered laid on the table. It is thought that this ends the matter. Resolutions were passed instruct ing the proper officials to enforce the sev eral ordinances pertaining to the health of the town; compelling propetty owners to clean up their premises, keeping those who have the prevailing eruption off the streets, and requiring physicians to report all cases of contagious disease which come under their professional observation. Development of the Majestic. The Majestic property, next to the Cougar, on which the Successful Mining company was recently incorporated, Is be ing developed by a shaft on the vein. Good headway has been made in the past two weeks. The stock of this company will be put on the market In a few days. Applications can now be made for shares to the secretary, Charles H. Chance, who will furnish any Information desired con cerning the property. Looking for Residence and Office. Theo. L. Lammers,the well known min ing man, formerly manager of the Co lumbia mines at Bourne, was down last week to find a residence and office quar ters in Sumpter. Mr. Lammers enters the field as a consulting engineer and wiil be welcomed as a resident of Sumpter. Two Passenger Trains and New Schedule. The Sumpter Valley railroad announces that beginning March 15, it will run two passenger trains each way dally between Sumpter and Baker City, leaving Sumpter at 11:2s a. in. and 6 p. m. and Baker at 8 a. m. and 2:30 p. m. No pas sengers will be carried on the logger after this schedule goes Into effect. Catholic Services. Tomorrow, Thursday, morning at 7:30 mass and sermon will be held at Ellis' hall. Matters of importance to Catholics will be discussed. Standard or fancy table wines, cham pagnes and after dinner liquors at the Mint saloon, corner Center anil Sumpter streets. - TIME TO COME IS NOW. Snow About all Gone and Pros pecting Season Opened. Unless there Is another heavy fall of snow, which Is very improbable, the pros pecting season will open very shortly. What little snow there now Is In the mountains is melting very rapidly. To day it K raining and if it continues for twenty-four hours, the beautiful will have disappeared entirely. As a matter of fact, there has been more or less prospecting done lor a month past, and many locations have been made. During the past few days the demand for location blanks has Increased very noticably. Parties from a distance who contemplate coming here to prospect for mines and are waiting on the weather, can safely start now, and calculate on having no more time than Is needed to secure what infor mation regarding the country that may be desired, and outfit for the expedition. Whatever Is needed, In the way of tools, clothing and provisions, cm be bought in Sumpter at reasonable prices. Merchants here carry Immense stocks of goods, are familiar with the trade and know exactly what the prospector needs. Already several parties have arrived and ate prepailng to leave for the hills. In another column are paragraphs men tioning the arrival of six prospectors from western Oregon and eighteen from Colo rado. Rich Ore from Gem of the Mountains. A sack of ore from the Gem of the Mountains mine, In the Susauville dis trict, owned In Sumpter by Messrs. Er win, Leland and others, was brought In yesterday morning and attracted much at tention among mining men which means nearly every man In Sumpter. The prop erty Is undoubtedly wonderfully rich. One of its leads Is said to have nine feet of solid ore exposed, live feet of wliLhruiis 59.20 in tree gold over Me pl.ilc-., and four feet that mas from ti$ to $12) In gold and li.e to ten per cent In copper. An average struck from over forty general assays gives over f)a In values. The lucky o.uicrs are to be congratulated. Here to Buy Mines for Eastern Men. C. M. Donaldson, who was familiar with the Cracker Creek district hi the early days of its history, and was first as sociated as manager of the old E. E. mine there, having built the mill on the property, has returned here, expecting to remain permanently. His intention Is to look about for investments for eastern capitalists who desire to enter this field with their money. Mr (Donaldson has recently been appointed by the governor a delegate to represent Oregon at the third annual session of the International Mining Congress, to be held In Milwaukee, Wis., June 10 to 23, 1900. Walker-Godfrey Nuptials. A. Walker, secretary of the Co-Operative Gold Mining company, was married In Baker City Sunday to Miss Florence W. Godfrey, of London England, Rev. Mr. Lake of the Episcopal church, per forming the ceremony. Mrs. Walker is a daughter of Dr. Thomas Godfrey, of Loudon. Now Making Good Beer in Sumpter. The Columbia -Brewing & Malting com pany, incorporation of which mention was I recently made In THE MINER, will at once begin the remodeling and euhrglng of its plant, which Is now being operated to Its full capacity, In order to supply the demand and create a stock with w hlch to till Its orders on the advent of warm weather. Hie great difference In the ar ticle of beer being turned out since the plant came under the direction and opera tion of John Armbruster clearly demon strates his superior ability as a brewer. His record with plants of the kind in other places is sufficient guarantee of the success with the Institution here. He is also a graduate of the college of brewing In Chicago. There Is no necessity for a barrel of the product to be shipped Into tills or anv other town In the vicinity where the popular beverage Is sold. LEAVING GOOD THINGS FOR NOME Better Opportunities for Money Making in the Sumpter District. In a recent Issue of the Sacramento, California. Record-Union Is a communica tion from I:. J. Watson, widely -ind favor ably known hi this district, setting forth the folly of people on the Pacific coast spending vast sums of money In going to Cape Nome, when surer opportunities for making money In the mining business are here at home. Speaking of this district, he savs; "Eastern Oregon Is making rapid strides In development. It is attracting capital from Canada, British Columbia, Colorado, Utah and Washington, and there is a genuine boom (here In all kinds of property. " I he mountains In the Sumpter district are tilled with prospectors, and valu able discoveries have been numerous. 'I he agent for l-'razcr & Chalmers, the Chicago mining machinery men, made contracts inr tony-one muis ami cyauiue plants up to January 1 of this year. The Kisdnn Iron Works, of San Francisco, re ceived contracts for seven mills In Jan uary. Besides Denver, Salt Like, T.i coma, Spokane and fouiidtles In the country have done a big business. " I here Is a belt of country forty-live miles long and from live to ten miles wide there, lined with large quart veins, upon which these mills are to be put, and the section Is scarcely prospedeJ yet. There has been, and will be this spring, a grand rush there, and among the lot arc men of abundant capital ready to Invest. It was never my fortune to strike a booming mining section before that one. I men tion these facts because I believe many an Intending emigrant to Alaska can do bet ter by venturing nearer home,where living Is cheap, climate good and 110 hardships to endure. . Another Mining Engineer Arrives. G. G. McNamara, a prominent milling and consulting engineer and a corre spondent of some of the leading mining journals of the east, came up Monday morning to personally acquaint himself with the Sumpter mining country. Some of his recent articles In the eastern mining papers have attracted much attention to this district. " I he Portland," conducted by Wood ward Si Hammond on Mill street, Is a representation of Its name. A visit will convince any skeptics. Quart and placer location blanks of the most approved form for sale at THE MINER office. The La Internaclonal (Mexican) cigar in sale only at the Mint saloon. A complete line of photo supplies at Adler's. Superior job printing at this office.