Morning Oregonian., January 01, 1902, THIRD SECTION, Page 35, Image 35

THE MORNING OREGONIAN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY. 1, 1902.
35
ins; one-roan power In violently forcing
the Iron point down Into the mortar. The
spring pole raises this stamper and the
operator continues to repeat his first act
til he tires. A circular plate of Iron placed
in the center of the block, with an iron
band some nine Inches wider than, the
thickness of the plate fitted closely, but
removable, around it, makes a more con
venient battery box; when the ore has
been triturated to sufficient degree of fine
ness, the ring can be removed, the ma
terial swept off, the ring replaced and
stamping resumed. Of course the pul
verized ore Is screened and coarse particles
returned to the battery box.
But the dolly la a slow-crushing ma
chine, and back-breaking to the power.
Improvement In capacity and relief to the
engine was gained by the construction of
a mill. A straight-grained, tough wooden
stem some four or more inches in diam
eter and about nine feet long, was pre
pared. It was made smooth and uniform
and one end fitted to a heavy casting,
or shoe, of iron. A tappet, or projecting
shoulder, was fixed to, or left in the con
struction, near the other end of the stem.
A mortar was prepared by fixing a thick
iron plate on a block and enclosing it
with wooden staves, making It to appear
much as a large bowl, or tub with an
iron bottom. The mortar was soon Im
proved by cutting a hole in one side of
the structure and covering the aperture
with a screen through which pulp could
be discharged by the splashing of the
stamp, facilitating crushing greatly. Two
posts were set, one on either side the
mortar and framed together by cross
pieces In each of which was an aperture
for the stem, which being set up verti
cally with the shoe in the mortar and held
to place in the apertured cross-pieces was
ready to be lifted and suddenly dropped.
Through holes, made for the purpose. In
each post a shaft was passed and secured
in place. It was set a few Inches lower
than the tappet on the stem. A single
cam was firmly adjusted on. the shaft, so
that It would engage the tappet with
each revolution.
A large grooved pulley was attached to
the projecting end of the shaft. "With an
endless belt or rope of rawhide passing
over this pulley and around the drum of
a whim, similar to the one before de
scribed, and a mule for power the mill
was ready to run. Ore and water were
placed In the mortar and as the stamp
rose and fell the pulverized gangue
splashed through the screen and some of
the gold was saved by quicksilver sprayed
from time to time into the mortar. At
best It would barely work a short ton
in the longest days, but it was the imme
diate progenitor of the above-mentioned
300-stamp mill, which Is daily crushing
1300 tons of ore.
Stnndnrd Quart Mills of Oreg-on.
In Oregon the standard gold quartz mill
consists of a battery of five stamps, ope
rated In one mortar, with plates, vanners,
etc., designed for crushing the gangue
and saving the gold. Larger mills con
sist of duplications under one roof of the
complete five stamper. The operations of
a mill of this kind can be briefly explained.
Variations In matters of minor details, us
ually adopted to adjust the process to
varying characters of ores, do not require
mention.
The mills are variously operated by
steam, gasoline, water and electric pow
er, requiring no description. In a well
arranged mill nearly all the operations
are mechanical and automatic The mill
In motion requires very little manual la
bor, and the quantities of ore reduced
have been so greatly increased in pro
portion to the cost, that the expenses of
milling are no longer a cause for appre
hension to mineowners. "When "sliming"
by the stamp battery has been reduced
to the minimum, as it will be soon and
surely, approximate perfection In crushing
ores will have been, attained, to the great
advantage of mill men and mineowners.
To the. at present, model mill the ores
are discharged from cars or wagons, upon
a grizzly set at the top of the mill. This
grizzly consists of a series of iron bars
set longitudinally inclined on the top of a
stout bin. A fair Idea of its structure can
be obtained by observing the bar gratings,
or traps, set in the sidewalks of the city
as openings to excavations beneath the
walk. From this grizzly to the tailings
pile gravity aided by water and machin
ery moves all the unproductive gangue;
the values being extracted during Its prog
ress. . , ,
The fine stuff falls through the grizzly
while the coarse pieces of ore slide down
ward to the rock-breaker, a heavy ma
chine, with huge oscillating jaws, which
serve to crush the coarse rocks to a fine
ness of walnuts or crabapples. This
broken stuff then slides into the ore bin
with that which fell through the grizzly.
The ore bin. Inclined at the bottom, de
livers its contents as needed, by gravity,
to ore-feeders, which, automatically, feed
the ore to the battery in quantities as
required, the falling stamp being sup
plied with mechanism to that end.
The battery consists of an oblong,
nearly rectangular iron box, with sides
diverging upward and open at the top.
It is of heavy cast iron, particularly the
flat bottom. A rectangular aperture of
suitable size on one side of the mortar
admits a screen, through which the pulp
is splashed by the stamp in operation;
near the top of the opposite side a nar
row aperture admits the ores from the
feeders, the ore falling upon the dies set
in the bottom of the mortar. These dies,
some ten Inches deep, five in number,
made of the best and toughest steel,
cylindrical In form at the upper or wear
ing parts, slightly larger than the shoes
of the stamps, are adjusted in a line in
the bottom of the mortar.
Heavy steel rods or stems, each some
ten feet in length, are fitted at the lower
ends with cyllndrlcally shaped solid cast
ings, called shoes, which, like the dies,
are made of best material to withstand
the wear attending the rapid crushing of
the flinty gangue of the mines. The ore
falls upon the dies, and the shoes by im
pact crush the ore. The stems are set
vertically in a heavy framework, each
with center above the center of its die.
The stems are fitted near the tops
with tappets to receive the uplift of the
cams, which, revolving on a shaft In the
frame, set below the line of tappets,
rapidly raise and Telease the heavy load,
when stem, tappet and shoe, being prac
tically one body of metal, drop with great
force upon the ore lying on the dies. The
weight of a shoe, tappet and stem varies
frnm 750 to 12fjo Bounds, accordlne to the
size and construction of the various mills.
The shoes are raised to heights varying
from four Inches to nine inches, and
dropped at the rate of from 70 to 100
times per minute. The resulting roar com
pels men to wear cotton balls in their
ears, and deafness Is often caused by
the tremendous concussions acting on the
atmosphere in which mlllmen work.
Shoes and dies, as worn out, are replaced
with new ones.
"Water Is conducted by continuous flow
into the top of the battery In desired
quantity. As the rock ,is crushed to the
requisite fineness, it is splashed through
the screens by the action of the stamps,
which drop alternately. The pulp then
flows over long copper plates of the
width of the m rtar, set on a grade suffi
cient for the muddy mass to flow evenly
and In wavelets over them; the splashing
produces the waves.
Collecting: the Gold.
To collect the gold, quicksilver is fre
quently and carefully sprinkled into the
mortar, whGre much of the precious metal
Is amalgamated and remains until "re
moved at fixed intervals for cleaning up.
Nearly all the free gold which escapes
through the screen Is, or intended to be,
caught on the plates before mentioned.
These plates are carefully prepared at
the beginning of operations by heating,
cleaning, and the application and rubbing
in of quicksilver, for the amalgamating of
the free gold from the flowing pulp.
Gold, being the heaviest portion of the
pulp, seeks the bottom of the stream,
comes In contact with the prepared sur
face of the plates, and sticks there In
the form of amalgam. Small quantities
of quicksilver are sprayed upon the upper
plates from time to time. When suffi
ciently loaded with accumulated values.
the plates are relieved thereof by clean
ing and prepared anew. Skill, strict at
tention and care are required to get best
results by amalgamation.
A considerable percentage of gold re
mains In the metallic sulphides of nearly
all free-milling ores, and resists amal
gamation. To save this gold, the pulp
as it flows from the plates is conducted
by launders' troughs, to concentrating
machines. These are of various devices,
vanners, etc, used for this purpose,
and descriptions will be omitted here
The use of these machines Is to separate
all the lighter materials of the pulp from
the pyrites and save the latter, which are
commonly known as concentrates.
In some of the largest plants of the
state the gold Is dissolved, from the con
centrates by placing them in huge vats
made for the purpose, and subjecting
them to a somewhat prolonged bath in
weak solutions of cyanide of potassium,
which dissolves the gold. The solutions
are drawn off and passed through boxes
containing zinc shavings, by which the
gold is precipitated from the solution.
The shavings are washed In clean water,
taken Out of the boxes, the precipitates
collected, calcined, melted, and the gold
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SMELTER OX PIXIE CKEEIC, GRANT COUNTY.
secured. At many mills the concentrates
are sacked and" shipped to smelters for
reduction, and at some plants the tailings,
after leaving the concentrating machines,
are conducted over large Inclined tables
covered with burlaps or carpeting, where
further savings are made of the very fine
gold and auriferous sulphurets. These
are known as slime tables. The burlaps
or carpets are occasionally taken up,
their savings washed .Into big tubs, and
then returned to service on tire tables.
They are often profitably effective.
Usually the smalf percentage of gold
that has escaped all these contrivances
is allowed its freedom down the canyons.
Refractory ores, such as carry lead,
copper, cobalt, zinc, etc., in quantities,
cannot be worked- by the free-milling
process described, even when carrying
high values in gold; they must be smelted.
There are Immense bodies of this class of
high-grade ores In Oregon, but there are
no smelters, save a few small experi
mental plants now being Installed.
It Is understood, as of course, that much
of detail of construction, and of opera
tion, has necessarily been avoided in the
foregoing account both of mining and
milling.
ERST OREGON GOLD BELT
Mineralised Area, and, the Formation
of the Ledges.
In the very early days the placer miners
In various sections of the state estab
lished, or recognized, certain loosely des
ignated boundaries to the local fields of
operation and applied a name to each
"district" for local convenience This
practice fell Into disuse many years ago,
and there remains no legally organized
mining district in the state. Men now
frequently, and variously, refer to a given
locality as being In two, three, and some
times more, mining districts. According
to reports of different men as to the lo
cality of a given mine or a specially good
prospect, it will be found reputedly to He
in quite a number of districts. There
are no boundaries, save as conceived by
each individual, so that a designation of
localities by districts or common repute,
is impossible.
A review, of necessity, brief and result
ingly unsatisfactory, will be attempted,
designating localities, accessibility, topog
raphy, and formation as far as possible.
The mining fields are so large, the good
mines and splendid prospects so distrib
uted over such broad extent of country,
In all exceeding the area of several New
England states, that more than briefest
information cannot be hoped for at this
time
To zevlew this vast field It is best to
take the area covered In the public sur
veys by ranges 32 to 48 E., townships 5
to 14 S., Willamette base and meridian.
Baker County.
Beginning at the eastern boundary of the
state, In townships 6 and 7, range 4S, and
at the water line of Snake River, the ex
treme verge of the state. He the famous
Sturgill Bar. and other placers, still being
worked at the end of 0 years of more or
less active operations, large areas, still
untouched.
In the mountains rising from the river
and facing the Seven Devils Range of Ida
ho, many quartz prospects and quite a
number of copper mines, carrying gold,
have been opened, the gold being piled for
shipment and the ultimate coming of
smelters. Extensive exploitations are be
ing made on several groups of claims,
among them, Joe the Greek, Iron Dike,
Gray Eagle and Vaughn. Formation, lime
and porphyry, both somewhat altered.
Veins He chiefly in porphyry, a few being
on contact. There are many prospects
here. Locality distant from Baker City,
the county seat, by wagon road, 70 miles.
Country mountainous and rough.
Passing westward to range 45: Town
ship 6 Is occupied entirely by tremendous
mountains, broken, fissured with can
yons, and laced with quartz veins. It is
known as the Cornuqppla district. The
mo'untain peaks rise to altitudes of nearly
SO00 feet. Several nrosoects have been
opened sufficient for mining. Heavy
snowfalls and long "Winters of the locality
deter prospecting, but do not Interrupt
work In mines when opened. The well
equipped mines and mill of the property
known as the Union-Companion, or
Searles group, has been operated profitab
ly for some years. "Winter and Summer
alike. The workings In the several mines
of this group are extensive. A Pelton
wheel with water-power from a creek
drives two dynamos, which furnish, at a
distance of two miles, powerto run the
20-stamp mill, mine pumps, "hoists, air
compressors for the machine drills, and
light for mines, offices, dwellings, etc
The plant Is connected with the rest
of the world by telephone. Elevation at
the mine, about 5500 feet; formation at
mines, slate and porphyry; the'axls of the
range is granite. A small roller mill is
also maintained In this district.
Southward, along this range 43, occur
a great number of placers and quartz
prospects, particularly In townships 11 and
12, where the Conner Creek mines are sit
uated. Here extensive placers have been
operated for many years. The Conner
Creek quartz mine has been -extensively
worked, and a great producer. A 5-
--
stamp mill; elevation, 3000 feet.
In fractional section 13 are a number of
silver prospects.
The Sparta. Country.
"Westward again to Range 44: Townships
.5 to 14 cover a continuous series of placer
and quartz mines, and gold and copper
prospects in various stages of develop
ment. '
Sparta, an ancient town, situated 32
miles northeasterly from Baker, is the dis
tributing point for the upper or north
end of this strip of county; elevation, 4400
feet.
From Sparta, where a comfortable hotel
Is maintained, wagon roads and trails ra
diate to numerous claims and camps.
The Sweet Betsey and the Flying Dutch
man, In Paddy's Paradise, were once fa
mous as producers. Paradise Uea north
east some nine miles. Several claims in
East Eagle district lie nearly due north
12 miles by wagon road; here is a 10-stamp
mill, run by water-power. North and
northwest from Sparta, at a distance of
from three to 15 miles, a considerable num
ber of copper prospects, all carrying gold
values, have been located, and are being
opened by the discoverers. There are a
great many free gold quartz prospects In
this locality. Placers In and around
Sparta have been worked for 40 years,
some of them at great profit. A very lim
ited supply of water prevents extensive
operations. One and one-half miles west
the Gem mine, an old producer, long Idle,
Is again being, operated with modern ap
pliances, a double compartment shaft,
with suitable hoist and a ten-stamp mill.
South of the Gem one mile Is the Little
Pittsburg mill, a five-stamper, and a
group of quartz claims. One mile north
west Is the Union group, and a half mile
south the JIazama, all free-milling gold
ores. Due south, seven miles, on tho
banks of Powder River. Is a group of sev
eral claims known as the Maid of Erin.
Ore vein has been well opened. It is a
mine ready for a mill.
South of Powder River, on range 44,
are many prospects In groups and single,
In quartz and placers. Lookout Mountain,
a prominent landmark, has many veins
In Its body, and placers at Its base, all In
township 11 and township 12. It contains
an interesting section of placer and gold
properties, some of them extensive. The
famous Pomeroy dredge Is here tearing up
the bedrock of Burnt River. A. descrip
tion of this machine would transcend lim
ited space. Near to It ancient arastras
nre patiently grinding on ores taken from
the hills. The "Weatherby-Bonanza group
and Golden Thread mines have been
opened sufficiently for extensive stoplng
and are supplied with, a five-stamp mill.
Tho elevation Is about 3000 feet. Wagon
roads lead from Weatherly, a station on
the line of the O. R. & N. Co., to the prin
cipal mines of the locality.
South again on range 44, conducts the
explorer through township 13 and a scries
of placers: and on the line dividing ranges
43 and 44. in township 14. the City of Hunt
ington, at eastern end of O. R. & N.
line, terminates the journey on this di
vision., Huntington supplies many of the
mining camps of that vicinity, which can
not be mentioned here.
Copper Fields of Eagle Mountains.
Another step westward to range 43:
Townships 8 and 9 are full of mines, quartz
and placer, and copper and gold pros
pects. A representative mine Is the Sanger,
extensively opened, equipped with a ten
stamp mill; ore free milling gold. Wagon
roads from Cornucopia, Union, county
seat of Union County, Sparta and Baker
City. Telephone connections. A few
miles south from Sanger are several cop
per prospects, among which is the Gll
klson group of several claims. The larg
est vein of the group Is nearly 100 feet
wide, and is said to assay 12 per cent
copper and 55 per ton in gold. A very
considerable amount of development work
is in progress here and on other groups
near by. Appearances indicate the pres
ence of continuous "copper belt skirting
the southern foothills of the Eagle Moun
tain range, probably extending from the
Seven Devils country In Idaho westward
through some seven townships of Oregon.
The Copper Butte group, six miles
routhwest from Sanger, Is a group well
eaulnned with machinery for deep work
ing, and extensive explorations are in J
progress. I
Range 43: Passing southward on tnis
range 43, to townships 11, and 12, another
extensive mining section Is reached, wltn.
the little town of Express, a station on
the O. R. & N., as a distributing point.
Opals are- found here. Wagon roads lead
to the principal camps of the locality.
Here again are placer claims, many flat
tering prospects and some quartz mines
opened. The group known as the Gold
Hill mines, has been quite extensively ex
ploited and has a 10-stamp mllL There
are several veins varying in size and
quality of ores; formation granite and
slate. This group is four miles southeast
from Express.
Southwest from the Gold Hill some
10 miles Is the Gold Ridge quartz mine, de
veloped to a paying property and sup
plied with. 10 stamps.
Farther south and In township 13 He the
locally famous Rye Valley placers and
many gold quartz mines and prospects, a
small mill and several silver-bearing prop
erties. The placers are extensive and, like
the quartz claims, extend into the adjoin
ing township on the west. They have
been operated continuously since 1S62, and
It Is claimed that 50 years will be re
quired to work the gravel In sight. One
bar embraces 530 acres of gravel from
eight to 15 feet deep. The ground Is
worked by hydraulic giants. There are
six of these In use in Rye Valley during
the run of water of from three to seven
months each year, and the product Is re
ported at J25 per day to each giant op
erated by two men.
Range 42: There is but little requiring
notice in this range, until Burnt River
placer fields are again reached in town
ships 11 and 12. They cover a large por
tion of each township. Township 13 laps
over Into Malheur County, and here are
a good many quartz claims, some fairly
well developed and reported to bo pay
ing profits to the owners. The Eldorado
ditch, nearly 100 miles In length, was con
structed in the early years of mining to
bring water to the very extensive placer
deposits In and about Mormon Basin, a
once famous camp of this locality, from
which large quantities of gold were taken.
There remain many extensive gravel beds,
which can only be worked with the scant
waters of Spring rains" and melting snow
from the mountains. QueryWhether
these and many similar localities do not
challenge the skill of the gold dredger
men. In that section Is the Coats mill,
three-stamp; the Golden Gate, five-stamp;
tho Rattler, three -stamp; and other pros
pecting plants.
Producers Xcnr Baker City.
Range 41: Townships 9 and 10, cover an
attractive country, where thero Is very
considerable activity. A great many
prospects and some good mines are here.
The Virtue Is a pioneer quartz mine of
Eastern Oregon; has been opened to a
depth of some S00 feet, and productive of
very large values, reputed at considerably
over 51,000.000. The Collateral, a parallel
vein, is being worked through the same
shaft. Ores, free-milling gold; elevation,
3G00 feet; 20-stamp mill; nine miles east
erly from Baker City by good wagon road.
The Flagstaff, six miles easterly from
Baker, and on the Virtue mine road, has
three parallel veins considerably develqped
some 700 feet on Incline shaft In a gran
ite, quartzlte and trachyte forma
tion; equipped with good hoists, air com
pressors, pumps, etc., and 10-stamp mill.
South of this locality and In township
10 are several exceedingly good prospects
and a few mines requiring milling facil
ity. This section Is known as Pleasant
Valley, and is easily reached from a sta
tion of that name on the O. R. & N.
South again some 12 miles, to quartz pros
pects, one reported payer, and numerous
placers. In township 12. In township 13,
more quartz, and the famous Eldorado
placers. This township laps to Malheur
County and more quartz, one reputed pro
ducer. At Malheur City, Malheur County, Is a
quartz mill of. five stamps, and southwest,
some three miles. Is the 10-stampcr of the
Golden Eagle.
Range 40: This range covers important
territory in that It contains placers, some
favorable prospects and the county seat.
BaKcr City Is 'located in township 9, the
center of this plan of review, and is the
general commercial and financial head
quarters of the mining industry of this
part of the state. It has two solid bank
ing houses, sampling works, several assay
offices, a custom quartz mill and three
well-conducted dally newspapers. It Is on
the line of the O. R. & N.. running two
splendidly equipped passenger trains each
way daily; and at this point the Sumpter
Valley Railway, also running two passen
ger trains daily, connects the city and the
O. R. & N. with the very extensive mining
country lying to the west. Very satis
factory hotel accommodations can be had
at Baker. Good hotels are great aids in
a new country seeking development. A
great many locations have been made In
the various townships of this range. None
of these, however, has been developed
Into a regular producer. Tho elevation
at Baker City Is 3340, and wagon roads
radiate from the town Ii all directions.
The excellent livery accommodations
maintained in the city aro aids also to in
vestigators and visitors.
Range 39: A most Interesting section of
country has now been reached and there
Is mighty temptation to pause here and
hoar the tale, the marvelous story passing
all fiction, of the coming and doings of
the men, who, on what Is now designated
by the Government as township 9 south,
range 39 east, Willamette Meridian, found
gold in Griffin's Gulch; how a fragment of
a disintegrated party of disappointed men
from Portland, lost In their search for the
mystical Blue Bucket gold of tho earlier
Immigrants, in tho evening twiUght of
October 23, 1S61. began the history of gold
In Eastern Oregon. One of these men re
mained, and still remains, resident and
occupant of this historic ground, and a
log cabin, the first house built In all this
vast domain, still stands, an humble and
mute witness of the thousand hopes and
fears, the pathos and "humor, tho trage
dies and comedies of Griffin's Gulch and
Auburn. Every mining camp has similar
history.
Since that day many hundreds of miles
of the beds of rivers, creeks, gulches and
bars have been bared and stripped for the
yellow dust; steadily In slowly lessening
degree the work has gone on as the need
ed water came.There arc hundreds of other
beds, untouched, waiting for water, and
the men with elevators and dredgers, and
there arc many such gravel beds In and
I around the old town of Auburn.
In townships S, 9, 10, 11 and 12. of tnls
range, washing of the placer banks goes
on while water lasts. How to make the
water more effective Is a subject worthy
of consideration, for It will revive the In
dustry greatly. In townships 8 and 9, a
number of quartz prospects are being test
ed, and one, or more, have become pro
ducers. Mineralized Zone Twenty Miles Long:
Range 3S: In this range begins a series
of mines and quartz prospects which ex
tends westward some 30 miles, far Into
Grant County. A special feature consists
of a Btrong and apparently uninterrupted
mineralized zone, probably 20 miles in
length. Claims cover nearly or quite all
o It for a dozen miles or more. It Is 50
to 100 feet wide and Is paralleled by nu
merous quartz ledges. Upon this lode are
located some of the best producers. The
Balsley-Elkhorn, carrying chiefly base or
concentrating ores, has been extensively
opened and Is equipped with a roller mill.
It lies on the northeast slope of the Elk
horn Mountains at an elevation of 6G00
feet; depth of workings about 500 feet.
The pay ore Is 5 to 12 feet thick and aver
ages about $12 per ton. Perpetual snow
lies In the upper gorges of this range of
mountains, the highest peak rising to- an
altitude of S6C0 feet. A great many quartz
claims In differing stages of development
have been laid on this mountain, and plac
,ers, numerous and occasionally extensive,
as well as quartz prospects, are distrib
uted in townships 7 to 1L
The Town of Sumpter.
Ranges 37 and 36 With the new and
important City of Sumpter for a supply
point, the district generally designated as
Cracker Creek lies in townships 8 and 9.
The district known as Cable Cove, in the
east half of township 8, and in Ibex dis
trict, which lies partly in Grant County,
in township 9, are also tributary to Sump
ter. The mines He on the southeastern
slope of the great range of mountains of
the locality. The formation of this range
chiefly consists of a core or axis of gran
ite, with argllllte lying upon It, and
veins, almost universally large and car
rying good grades of ore, intersect the
argllllte, or slate, as It Is generally des
ignated. Intrusions of Igneous rocks and altera
tions of the argllllte occasionally chango
conditions locally, and veins occur in
granite, and at contact. The country is
very rugged, heavily timbered, and has
heavy snowfall In the high reaches, so
that prospecting is difficult and opera
tions slow until the miners can get "un
der the ground," whero work goes on
quite as comfortably as in tho heat of
Summer.
The town of Sumpter has two banks,
fairly good hotel accommodations, is on
the line of the Sumpter Valley Railroad,
well supplied with a gravity system of
pure mountain water, excellent schools, Is
lighted by gas, has Improved streets; In
short. Is well equipped to supply the or
dinary needs of tho thousands of mines
and prospects which He within a radius
of 15 miles. Several placer mines are In
the locality, some almost In the town
limits. With the near-by mining camps.
It supports two good newspapers, both
dally. It Is situated at the extreme up
per end of Sumpter Valley, at an eleva
tion of 4200 feet. It has telegraph and
telephone systems, the latter throughout
the city, and with Baker and all the prin
cipal mines and camps tributary to It, as
well as with all the mining towns of
Eastern Oregon. Large livery stables aro
maintained, a very useful adjunct, and
mall stages run daily to all principal
points. Including tho towns of Bourne,
situated seven mlle3 north, and Granite,
Lawton and Alamo, in Grant County.
The number of prospects runs Into the
thousands, and the number of dividend
payers Increase. Veins Increase In
strength almost, if not without excep
tion, and ore values generally improve.
In short, for a country practically, almost
literally, new as to quartz mining, the
showing and results are qulto satisfac
tory and encouraging, both hero and In
localities next to be named. True, no
great depths have been attained some S00
feet at best but conditions are so good
as to encourage several mine-owners to
establish plants for great depths. A small
portion of the mines will require smelters
for their ores, and some few have profits
left after far shipments to smelters. Fol
lowing Is a partial list of mines In this
immediate locality on which reduction
plants have been installed, the ores In
each case being of the class called free
milling: that is, amalgamation for the
free gold and concentration of sulphurets:
Columbia, 30-stamp and cyanide plant for
treatment of concentrates; North Pole,
10-stamp and cyanide plant: Eureka and
Excelsior, 20-stamp; Bald Mountain. 10
stamp ; Maiden's Dream, 5-stamp; Mam
moth, a Bryan roller mill; Golconda. 15
stamp and cyanide plant. Each of these
properties has telephone connections with
Baker City and Sumpter.
Ranges 35 and 35 A small portion only
of these ranges lies In Baker County,
and Is covered by parts of townships D
and 10. Tho line between Baker and
Grant Counties Is Irregular and follows
the summit of the Greenhorn Mountains,
so that the section now to be described
protrudes westwardly, like the end of a
thumb, from the general western line
of Baker. It Is known as Bonanza dis
trict, and Is filled with placers, pros
pects and paying mines, notably, the
Bonanza, one of the most extensively de
veloped properties In the '.state. It has a
40-stamp mill, cyanide plant, electric
lights, and is erecting extensive new
hoisting works for deep sinking. The
Don Juan, near by, has 5 stamps, and the
Golden Eagle 2 stamps.
The town of Whitney, the present ter
minus of the Sumpter Valley Railroad,
is the point from, which supplies are
shipped and passengers depart for Bo
nanza district.
This entire mineral section is cut
through by the line dividing Grant and
Baker Counties, the veins and placers
continuing over the mountain range into
Grant County.
Grant County Properties.
Mineral sections of Grant County are
to a great extent a continuation of the
great zone of Baker County, Just de
scribed. Gold was first discovered in
what Is now Grant County In 1S62 by a
Clavenger Photo.
HYDRAULIC- ELEVATOR AT COLUMBIA PLACER MINE, JOSEPHINE CO.
party of California miners en route to
Auburn and Griffin Gulch, where placers
had been discovered late In the previous
year. The And was made In Canyon
Creek. Canyon City, the present county
seat, became famous as the center of a
field which produced many millions In
dust and nuggets. Placer mining is still
in progress at many points, but r,carcity
of water In many localities and inade
quate dumping ground in others have left
millions In value untouched. Probably
the largest and most complete gold
dredging machine ever constructed will
soon be In operation a few miles below
Canyon City, on the John Day River. It
Is to be an enlarged and Improved Pom
eroy dredger. One of these machines has
proved to be successful and Is operating
on Burnt River, as before mentioned.
Many curious relics of the early ages
and fosil remains have been unearthed
by the miners, and are occasionally un
covered by erosion. One afternoon last
Summer a dentist of Prairie City, taking
exercise In the foothlUs near tho town,
observed a portion of a large tooth, which
a heavy rain of that morning had ex
posed. He extracted lis find from its
sandstone bed and exhibits it as proof
of his tooth-pulling prowess. It original
ly belonged to a very ancient Oregonlan,
a monster mastodon. The history of tho
hardships and dangers of Canyon City
miners In the early days, the battles
with Indians, tho occasional dearth ot
food, the murders and punishments In
flicted therefor, weird and thrilling, 13 a
story too long for recital here.
Resuming progress westward from the
western boundary of Baker County, the
country must, for the present, be consid
ered in sections or districts.
Ranges 36 the west half and 35 and
35 Townships S and 9 and the west half
of 10 cover what has until recently been
known as the Granite district, but which
lately Is indiscriminately divided up into
Granite, Red Boy, Cougar, Alamo, etc.,
etc, as various fancies suggest. The
town of Granite Is the general central
and supply point for this part of the
county, although much Is now going in
from Whitney, the new railroad terminus.
Granite has fairly good hotels. The alti
tude is 4440 feet. Wagon roads extend
to the various points and mines. There
are some splendid properties In this sec
tion, and the reputed producers number
20. The formation Is of granite, argilla
ceous slates and porphyry, with occa
sional limestone and serpentine. Tho
veins occur both in contact and truo
fissures. The ores are chiefly valuable
for gold and silver, and susceptible to
free milling treatment and tho cyanide
process Is successfully utilized on the
concentrates.
The section of country sometimes desig
nated as Roblnsonvllle district lies partly
in this district and partly in the Bonanza
district, as heretofore described, and
crosses the range, the summit of which
bears the county lines between Baker
and Grant. In this section dlorlto and
serpentine In the form of dikes occur In
the general formation of the range. In
this part of tho Granite district the veins
He chiefly in slate. Development has
not progressed far enough to determine
whether or not true fissures occur here.
Galena and coppr are present, locally,
in small quantities, but here, as else
where, the ores are free mllUng. The
veins aro strong. Many prospects are
being developed and mining and mining
plants erected at various polnt3.
Mining- to a Depth, of 3000 Feet.
Nearly every creek and gulch In this en
tire Granite district has been and Is being
worked for placer deposits. The following
mines aro supplied with mills: May
Queen, 10 stamps; Quebec, 10 stamps and
10 being added; Magnolia, 10 stamps; Don
Juan, 10 stamps; Pyx, 10 stamps; Little
Giant, 10 stamps; Cougar, 10 stamps, and
Cornish rolls and cyanide plant, but no
amalgamation. Many of these are
equipped with electric lights, and have
telephone connections between mills and
mines, and with the world. The Black
hawk, I. X. L-., Phoenix and others are
placing mills on their properties.
The Red Boy mine and mill deserve spe
cial mention, because of the excellence of
the equipments for extensive workings.
The mill Is modern In all respects. It has
20 stamps, vanners and very complete
cyanide plant: is, run by water power, light
ed by electricity, and has local ana long
distance telephone connection. The mine,
which has In a brief period paid for all
its workings and improvements, and a
fortune Into the hands of each of Its own
ers, has been supplied with most excel
lently designed and powerful hoist and
pumps for sinking to a depth of 3000 feet.
The hoist Is arranged for a three com
partment shaft, one for pump and man
way, and two for double-decked cages
It is pleasant to look upon the working of
the splendid engines, and the silent move
ments' of the massive reels, cables and
sheaves, as the cages rush at railroad
speed with safety to men and apparatus.
The large ore bodies In the two parallel
veins of this property, and the favorable
character of the formation, have justified
heavy expenditures to- get to the deep.
The North Pole, Columbia, Golconda,
Bonanza and other companies noted else
where, aro pursuing the same policy, pre
paring for deep workings and increasing
and perfecting milling facilities.
There are many gravel deposits in an
cient river beds which have been lifted
above their former position. Thesodepos
Its are usually rich, but situated too
high for exploitation by ordinary meth
ods of hydraulic or sluice.
Ranges 34, 33 and 32, townships 9 and
10: This tract of mountainous structure,
designated as Greenhorn, embraces prac
tically all tho undefined areas of Green
horn and Susanvllle districts. The local
ity is reached by wagon roads, and Su
sanvllle, a small town with postofllce and
usual adjuncts of a mining camp, is
located within it. Dispersed through It are
old, present and future placer mines.
The elevation at Susanvllle Is 3675 feet,
mountain peak3 and summit ranges ris
ing higher.
As at so' many other points mentioned
numerous quartz veins exist, and many
prospects are in process of development,
with several properties In the list of
mines. The metal-bearing ores are prin
cipally gold and silver and free milling;
galena appears in small quantities, as
does cinnabar in some of the vines. The
1 formation is granite, slates and porphyry.
The Badger mine, near Susanvllle, is be
ing systematically operated, reducing Its
ores In a 10-stamp mill.
South of Greenhorn and In township 11
and"l2, ranges 347 33. s a once famous
locality the Quartzburg district. Its
placers were.extenslve. From Prairie City
a good water-grado wagon road of six
miles reaches the principal mines. The
formation is granite and slates. The ores
are gold, copper, cobalt and silver,, of
extent in value in the order named. A
postofllce. Comer, gives mail facilities.
Precipitous mountains afford excellenttun
nel sites. A ridge putting out from tho
main, mountain divides the southern Wa
ter shed Into two streams. East Dlxlo
Creek and West Dixie Creek. This rldgo
Is seamed with veins of gold quartz. On
West Dixie the ores are being mined
principally for freo gold and reduced In a
five-stamp mill. An arastra situated down
on tho main stream Is operated by water
power applied to a hurdy-gurdy wheel.
It Is better than tho orthodox mule power.
Dixie Creek Rcfflon.
The ores on East Dixie Creek consist
chiefly of copper and cobalt, carrying good
values In gold, and may be classed as
refractory. They must be smelted. A
group of claims on Ave parallel velne
owned by Zoeth Houser and others have
been well developed. The ores are cobalt
and gold. A 20-ton smelter comprises a
part of tho property. A largo amount of
oro Is in sight and ready for stoplng.
Above the Houser mine and on the samo
stream lies a group of copper prospects
called the Copperopolls. Some of theso
make excellent showing of ore, having
passed the prospect stage, and ane prac
tically ready for the necessary reduction
works. Development la in progress here,
and power drills and electric lights aro to
be used. Still farther northwest and ex
tending over the summit of the ridge, aro
numerous locations on the copper zone of
the Copperopolls, covering a number of
very promising prospects. Elevation about
5000 feet.
Ranges 34, 33 and 32, township 13 and 14
Within this locaUty. lying south of the
main John Day River, are vast areas
of placer deposits the Strawberry Moun
tains and Canyon City Butte, the gen
eral elevation of which is about 6000 feet.
This mountain range has a general easter
ly course. The formation is diabase, slate,
porphyry, serpentine and limestone. Tho
northern slope of this range I3 marked
by very largo ledges, carrying gold, and!
some remarkable free gold has been mined
here. The foothills and benches, of gravel
have produced wonderfully to placer mi
ners and wide areas are untouched. Ors
tho bare and banks of the river running
along its base farms havo been culti
vated. Theso bars and tho banlcs of the
stream form a narrow valley, all "under
laid with rich deposits of gold. It is on
these that tho dredgers are to be operated.
Some of the quartz veins aro freo mlUlng.'
others are base .and require concentration.
Copper lodes of great extent also seam thd(
mountain sides paralleling the range.
Four miles southeast from Canyon City
are several quartz locations, among them
the Great Northern quartz mine, with a
flve-stamp mill, and eight miles northeast
aro the Pralrlo Diggings, the site of placer
mines, and hero an extenslvo ore body
outcrops. Tho ores of this big vein have
been quarried out of the surfaco and
reduced In a little five-stamper for a
number of years. The property has been
taken over by a company who have added
a new mill of 20 stamps and are greatly
extending the workings of the mine.
On Strawberry Butto a great number
of mining claims have been laid on an
enormous Iedgo known as the Oregon
Wonder, and another group known aa
the Will Cleaver, besides nummerous sin
gle claims. Theso prospects are being
opened as fast as the ability of the owners
permit. Canyon City Is supplied with full
telephono and telegraph service, banking
house, fair hotels, livery stables, two ex
cellent weekly newspapers and extenslvo
mercantile houses. Tho pretty town of
John Day is on tho river of that name
two miles below Canyon City.
There aro extensive deposits in the sec
tion, consisting of alternating layers of
gravel and cement, called Webfoot bed
rock. Immense values are known to bo
under this false bedrock, which resists
ordinary hydraullcking. Cannot this
ground bo dredged at least, a good por
tion of it?
In all tho mining country of Eastern
Oregon, and Central and Southern tDr
as well, timber In abundance and of ex
cellent quality Is present with few excep
tions. In tho vicinity of Prlneville, Crook Coun
ty, mines of decided wealth and perma
nence have been opened recently unques
tionably good properties. Tho long ranges
of mountains, extending from Canyon
City to these mlne3 at Prlneville and on
to tho Cascade Range, a distance of soma
200 miles, have received scant attention
from tho quartz prospector, and little ia
known of their mineral characteristics.
Union County.
By the act of the late Legislature a largo
section of the eastern portion of the min
eral belt herelnbcforo described was
taken from Union and added to Baker
County In a chango of portions of tho
county line. Still there Is a long stretch;
of mineralized mountains remainlning In:
Union awaiting development. On tha
northern slope of Eaglo Mbuntalna anil
continuing westward to Telocasset, where
recently discovered quartz veins aro being
opened, and in townships 5 and 6, ranges
39 to 35. a large number of placers ands
many quartz veins of gold and coppec
ores aro being operated and explored.
Somo of the prospects can be safely,
classed in tho category, of mlnea ready
for mills.
WESTERN OREGON.
Blue River, Santlnm, Bohemia xnij
the Black Butte Quicksilver.
The Cascado Rango of mountains rung
north and south through tho 'state, and
divides it into two great regions, differ
ing materially In climatic characteristics.
The eastern division lies at greater ele
vation, and tho climate resembles that of
the Eastern States, though greatly modi
fled in extremes of temperature. Bliz
zards and cyclones aro unknown. Snow
falls attain great depth only In tho upper
reaches of the mountain ranges. The mer
curial thermometer very rarely, and only
at midday Intervals, registers 100 deg.
The nlght3 are Invariably and deUght
fully cool in the warmest seasons. Cold
rarely and for a few hours only drives
the quicksilver to zero or below. What
a New Englander would designate as ex
treme weather is not known in Oregon.
Thunder frightens an Oregonian dread
fully. ,
Tho climate of Western Oregon, that
portion lying west of the Cascade Range,
Is still more equable, but subject to great
er rainfalls; not the heavy, drenching
floods characteristic of other localities,
but long Winters of mild precipitation.
Practically there are two seasons the wet
for Winter and the dry for Summer.
When tho grain is ripe the season is al
ways dry for the harvester. Here, too,
the Summer nights compel the prospector
to take a pair of blankets for protection
In the midnight hours as he sleeps to
the soft music of the pines.
The mineral sections in this division of
the state are assembled in two general
mining districts, popularly known and
designated as Central Western Oregon
mines and Southern Oregon mines. The
mines are generally found In the western
foothills of the Cascade Range and the
transverse ranges of the Calapoola, Rogue
River and Siskiyou Mountains. Theso
transverse ranges extend at varying alti
tudes from the Cascades to the Coast
Range, the latter lying along and paral
leling the Pacific shore. The upper wa
ters of the Willamette River are drawn
principally from the Cascade and Cala
pooia Ranges. The summit of the Cala
poolas is taken as the line of division be
tween the Central Oregon and the South
ern Oregon mines, and the line between
Lane and Douglas 'Counties also follows
this summit.
Santiam Veins Well Defined.
Beginning at the northern end of thi3
great mineral zone of Western Oregon,