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About The Sumpter miner. (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905 | View Entire Issue (March 15, 1905)
ct&MMUaS7USm8SB Wednesday, March 1$, iqoj THh SUMPTER MINER 3 OLD TIMERS ARE DRIFTING BACK There must be something lu the Suptutercamp. People come and go and come baok again. This morning a coterie of old-time mining meu were discovered taking a sun bath on the sidewalk iu front of the Hotel Sutnpter. They bad drifted baok to Sumpter after flitting to other camps an unanswerable argument in favor of the worth of these gold fleldB. Clark Tabor, and his pipe, oue-time a third owner in the famous old Red Boy, which, during the ha ley on days of the Godfrey -Tabor-Ben eon regime, produced a monthly average of 825,000 in gold bullion, was there; aud "Jack" English, ex-general manager and joint owner of the Uoloouda, who during the fall of 1800 wiued 8100,000 per ton ore from No. 3 level; Don L Willard, who was iu Sumpter duriug the boom times five yean ago; who drifted away to Montnnu and then to Pittsburgh, but wbo came back to open his Little Cracker mine, on the mother lode; Captaiu A. M. Paul, formerly h third owner iu the now famous Im perial, iu Cable Cove; h property which sold uot long ago to a Pittsburgh syudicate for 8100,000, but which since that time has added another cypher to its value; Zoeth Houser, who, two yearH ago, controlled he multi-metalled Stan dard miue, now in the hands of a five million doller consolidated company, aud who owns aud oper ates the rich Dixie miue, near Quartzburg; Dave L. Killou and Ernest F. Warner, of the Killen, Warner, Stewart company, who pro moted the Sumpter smelter, the Staudard mine, the Oregon Mouarob, the Black Jack, who first lauucbed the California, aud wbo, after a long absence in the east, are here to build a railway to Bourne; Frank Jewett, postmaster iu Sumpter, who seven years ago pouuded steel iu the old Virtue mine; L. G. Lilley, of the Alpiuo aud Last Chauue; aud ouo or two lesser lights iu the Sutnpter mining world, woro amoug those preeeut. They smoked aud swapped stories, talked of Nevada boom camps aud watched the smoke from the Sumpter smelter drift slowly back to the bills. Their very presence here is evldeuce of their Hrm belief iu the worth of this good old camp. BADGER MINE SHOWS THE RESULTS UP GOOD WORK Manager W. C. Hampton, of the Badger miue, iu the Susanvllle camp, is speduiug a few days iu the city ou business, says the Baker City Demosrat. He reports that every thing in bis country is in flourish iug condition although there has not been a great deal of work doue there during the wiuter Now that the roadp are getting into butetr condi tion, spring 'a opouiug, it is expect ed that muub activity will bo in evi dence iu a short while. The mou at the Badger aro at work developing the underground workings of the mine aud the ten-stamp mill ou the Homestake claim is iu opera tion Prospects are most favorable in every particular aud it is expeoted that the Badger mill will soon begin operatiou. Fifteen meu are employed by Burob & Burbridge at the Crane Flat plaoere. MUST JOIN THE LUNG-BUSTEBS "An ore exhibit without people to view it Is like a ship without a sail," said a Sumpter mining man this morning, after viewing the progress of work on tbe permanent home for the Sumpter mineral display, on lower Mill street. "Von oau't very oonvenieutly tote an ore exhibit over the country, hunting for people to look at it. By tho very nature of the thing you must briug people to It. "Now, have no doubt that the Sumpter ore exhibit will be a big thing. I know it is going to be ar ranged in au attractive shape, aud I have good reason to believe that the mlueral collection now being gathered by the board of managers will be a most comprehensive oue. Wheu the exhibit is opeued to the public, all of Sumpter mou, womeu, children and dogH will flock to view it, actuated, of courso, by mere curios ity, because evorybody iu Sumpter men, womeu, children and dogs know all about the minoral resources of this camp beforobaud, and will learn notblug further from au ore exhibit. After the first day or so, local curiosity will be succeeded by Hdilforeuoo aud npathy, and the ore exhibit will bo without visitors, uu Iobs its pormanent homo is constitut ed a loafing place, or is made hoad quarten for the anvil chorus whiub is always woikiug iu this camp. Two or three traveling men a day may visit the exhibit to swap smutty stories with the atteudaut, and a visiting mining man now aud then may drift iuto the place. But in terested visitors, after the novelty of the thing wears off, will bo as soarco as hou'steetb unless some couoerted effort is made to briug outsiders in. "I tako it that the Sumpter ore oxbibit was gotten up for the solo and simple purpose of Hdvorlsing tho Sumpter district amoug such Lewis aud Clark fair visitors as may bo prevailed upon to visit this camp. Wheu the project was first broached tho idea was advuced that during this Portland exposition year a largo uumber of easterners would, after tail ing iu the fair, distribute themselves arouud the country ou tours of iu speatiou. All of which is undoubt edly true. But a large majority of the people who will visit the Port laud fair, will do so for pleasure more than profit. They want to see what sort of country it is where rolls tho Oregou. They will be duly im pressed by the exposition city, by the majestio Columbia, by tho beau tiful Willamette, by star-graziug Mount flood aud tho Three Sisters; ny the fertile Willamette valley, and then, followiug tboir pleasure-seeking noses, they will pass ou to the Pacific to the dozens of watering plaoes ou the cuhhI, to Pugut Sound, the most marvelous country ou earth, in point of abuudaut natural resources. They will want to see Muuut Rainer, the gigautic tmwmils at Tacntna aud Port Blakely, the uaval yards at Brumertou, the big treoH of Skagit county, the rhododendron forosts of Kitsap, tho murvela of Hood's canal, the bicycle tree of Snohomish, the Btiiolteis of Everett aud Tuuuma, tho salmon oanueries of the lower sound, the oommerecial glories of Seattle, that gateway to the Orient aud to Alaaka. That's just exaotly what 1 would do if I were au easterner wbo had never been to the Great North west and had the money to spend ou such a trip. Among the thousand aud one points of interest attractive to fair visitors that particular point which attracts a majority of the visitors must perforce be superla tively attractive. It's rather in the nature of aaaiuiue presumption, therefore, to Imagine that the min ing 'men of eastern Otegon oau re maiu isolated way up in these Blue mountains and expect a throug of pleasure-seekiug fair visitors to swarm baok over the Cacsades from the pleaeureteemiug coast aud stampede through the pine forests surrounding Sumpter. "Of course, a visit to a miue is au unique and by no means uuiuterest lug experieuoe to any mau, be he tenderfoot easternor or wild and wooly westerner. There is uo dearth of interest, eveu to me, hardeued and calloused as I am to western soeues of strenuous activity, In ataudlug by a stamp battery and beholding the loug coucealed terasurea of nature tnado to give themselves up to the world. I like to stow myself iuto a skip and drop 1000 feet Iuto the bowols of tho earth, aud nose arouud underground, and with ollclothod minors burglarizo the bouse of Mother Earth. 1 enjoy tho sight of theso modern alchemist, who mas querade In those hills as mine super intendents, transmute mucky-looking rook iuto rlpo yollow gold bars. 1 find a peronnlal pleasure iu hearing a couplo of hydraulic giants roar aud lu beholding the perpotual tragedy of a biting stream of wator, pitilessly poworful, making ghastly wounds In tho earth's brown body aud bringing to light those precious goldou parti cles 'Where the yellow dust has sifted since tho very Dawu of Mau.' "it'iasafe bet that the averago mau ia constituted just as 1 am lu this regard. But the average mau 1 meau the average eastern visitor to the Portlaud fair don't know that by coming to Sumpter he can see these thiugs. Aud how aro wo going to tell him? "I'll wager that down in Portlaud during tho fair, ovorj town lu tho northwest will have a reproseutative prnseut, shouting to tho utmost limit of his lung-power tho over shadowiug attraction of his homo town. Enough advortlbiug literaturo, painting tho scenic beauties aud commoreciai at tractiveness of every dot nu tho uortbwesteru map iu rainbow hues, will be distributed to plaster the dome of heaven Tho towu which makes the biggest hullabuioo, theJmoHt noise and the greatest, showing will draw the crowd, after it is tiled of The Trail au euuuled with the brain fagging beauties of the exposition. "Where will Sumpter be iu this bunch of lung busting barkers? "1 may bo overdrawing the picture, but it is for tho sako of emphasizing the fact that if we waut to secure au audience for our ore exhibit we shall have to get lu aud hustle." MEETING WAS A LOVE FEAST At tho regular annual meeting of Staudard Consolidated Mining com pauy stockholders held in Poudlo ton Monday aud Tuesday, thtoe million shares were represented in person aud by proyxy. The follow ing new staff of officers who elected: President S. D. Fosh, of Chicago. Vioe-President Zoeth Houser, of Peudletou. Secretary Duko Bates, of Chicago. Treasurer F. 1. Cooper, of Chicago. Auditor O. II. Watson, of Mil waukee. Directors S. D. Foes, of Illinois; E. F. Warner, S. B. Todd. C. 1 Klley, of WlHUonsiu; S. J. Pattersou, of Iowa; Zoutb lluusev, S. P. Purdy aud Frank Hicbqt, of Oregon. Preeldout Fobs is a retired capital i ft of Chicago, where he was formerly the head of the most ptomiueut bro kerage firm in the wiudy city the Foss-Strong company. He has been autively iutereated iu mluiug for tho pant 40 years. Vice-President Homer, ex-United States marshal for Oregon, was for merly general manager of the Stan dard, and was instrumental iu the formation of the preeeut Staudard Consolidated oompauy. Secretary Bate aud Treasurer Cooper are among tho moat promi nent business meu of Chicago, Mr. Cooper being a wealthy bauker. Both gentlemen are known lu Sump ter, having personally visited the ml no. Tho directorate is exceptionally ttrong. Prof. 11. H. Nicholson re malus in general managerial charge of the Staudard aud Ex-Secretary F. J. Laue continues at the head of olorolal department lu the homo oitlco bore. The mooting was enthusiastic. Perfect unity prevailed. Jloportd of retlriug officers were submitted and accepted, aud votes of thanks extoud ed to all the gentlemen who havo boon instrumental in working out the maguitlceut success of tho Standard ml no D. L. Killou, E. F. Warner, Prof. Nicholson aud F. D. Lane, of tho Killen, Warner, Stewart company, flsaal aguuts for aud operators of tho Staudard miue, returned thii morn lug from the Peurilaton meeting. , They will leave for Quartzburg day aftor toaiorrow to visit the miue. It Is understood that this visit ia for tho particular purpose of completing de tails for tho erectlou of a reduction plaut thl i iprlng. D. L. Killou, the king bee of the' Stan lard company, although his uame does not appear on the official roster, has been absent from Sumpter for six months. Upon lilt alighting from tho train this morning hu was tho center of a surging throug of handshakers, who look upon Dave Killen as about the whitest man that ever peepod over the Blue moun tains. Ernest F Warner, of the K. W. S. Co., who'hau charge -of the- Mil waukee office, aud who la a hustler aud rustler, secoud only to Mr. Kil len, said this morn tug to a Miner re porter that the Staudard Meetlug was1 largely In the nature of a love feast. After annual repoita had been road, stockholders and oftloerH resoiveuY themselves iuto a mutual audmira tlon society with good cause. Professor Nicholson, up to bin eurs in work which has accumulated since his ure totting trip to Denver, wan too busy to talk to The Minor man about such comparatively Insig nificant tilings as now officers and old reports. It is the business of Prof. Nicholsou to look after the mining end of thiugH. He looks aftor them pretty well, as evidenced by tho report received by wire from Super intendent M. F. ileiith, who has opened 4 feet of 880 copper-gold ore lu tho Side Issue claim of the Stan dard group, where Prof. NIcIioJhoii recently ordered a crew of meu to develop a cropping vein paralleling the main Staudard. A '20-foot tunnel ou the Side Issue shows .') feet of ore on top and 4 feet on the bottom. If that ratio of widening holds out, there will be ubthiug to it.