Morning Oregonian., January 01, 1902, THIRD SECTION, Page 37, Image 37

THE MORNING? OBEGONIAN, WEDNESDAY, JANUAFZ5 X, 1902.
37
section, and men do well at It, make big
wages often. But the reports of sur
face pockets have gone abroad, and tend
ed to divert the real quartz prospector to
other fields. However, late working to
depths show that the veins continue with
ores of high grade for milling. As to
quartz mining, this section is as a new
country, and unprospected.
On Sardine Creek for several miles are
a series of placer "claims, all worked when
water can be had. One of these Is a farm
of 300 acres, patented as such, which the
owner cultivates in summer and hydraulics
In Winter.
The Lucky Bart quartz group of six
claims is on this creek, the mouth of
which is within a mile of Gold Hill. A
five-stamp mill is on this group, which is
in a formation of dkrlte and slate, eleva
tion 2600 feet, ores free gold and sulphur
ets. There are many quartz prospects on
this stream.
On Ward's Creek are hydraulic placers,
and the Gold Chloride quartz claim, a
late discovery, being developed: ore mills
an average of $30 per ton, altitude 2C00 feet,
formation slate and porphyry- On Pleas
ant Creek are some placers reputed as
among the best In the state. The Cameron
claims of 1500 acres are operated at sev
eral points by giants; depth of gravel
banks 30 feet.
On Kane's Creek adjoining the town of
Gold Hill, the placers extend up the
stream continuously for four miles, but
there is scarcity of water. Above the
placers on either hillside are numerous
quartz prospects. The Braden group, cov
ery S00 acres, hat Ave parallel veins, strik
ing easterly, dipping about 30 degrees
south. One -vein strikes across the course
of the others, dips westerly 40 degrees,
vein 10 feet wide, all pay ore. Formation
of the locality granite, dlorlte, porphyry
and slate; elevation 1800 feet A 10-stamp
mill is running on the ore. One mile far
ther up the stream Is the Roaring Gimlet
group of three claims. It has been very
productive, and continues to supply free
milling ore to a custom mill In the vicin
ity. The vein lies between a slate-hanging
and porphyry footwall; pay streak
two feet wide, strikes easterly, dip near
ly vertical.
Little "Work Netted $30,000.
On Gall's Creek placers are being
worked in a small way for three miles.
The water supply is scant. Some of the
best quartz claims in the district are on
this stream. The principal ones are the
Kubll property of 12 claims, three parallel
veins, all being worked. A three-stamp
mill is being replaced by a modern five
stamper. On the hill opposite is the
Bill Nye group, a large producer; veins
nearly vertical, strike northeasterly, ores
worked In custom mill at Gold Hill. There
are numerous prospects here, and one,
the Bliss claim. Is reputed to have pro
duced over $30,000 from a shaft of 42 feet
and a drift of 30 feet
On the iwest fork of Foot's Creek for
six miles, and on the east fork for eight
miles there arte continuous placer claims,
several of which are operated extensively
by hydraulic. There are thousands of
acres of unappropriated placer lands on
these streams. Water is scarce. Mayhap
the dredger men will find opportunity here.
On the Main Creek is the Horseshoe
group of two quartz claims, with a five
stamp mllL The Dixie Queen, south from
the Horseshoe, with similar formation,
has its ores worked at a custom mill. Tho
ore is reputed to produce gold at $100 per
ton. These are types of some 40 prospects
in that vicinity.
Cast from Gold Hill two and a half miles
is the locally famous Blackwell quartz
property of 320 acres. There are seven
ledges, three being worked. Depth can
only be attained here by sinking. Veins
nearly vertical, formation slates and por
phyry. The Tolo, of six claims, adjoins
the Blackwell on the north. These He
in a granite belt and carry free gold.
These workings are well supplied with
steam hoist and power drills.
On Nigger Baby Hill, three miles north
of the town. Is a recent discovery of an
lS-lnch vein, carrying $40 gold per ton.
There are a great number of prospects,
.making promise of permanent mines, on
which development is being prosecuted.
They are too numerous for detail.
Some 10 miles north from the town a
large body of cinnabar has recently been
exposed.- The vein is 500 feet wide, and
ores from it discharge globules of pure
quicksilver. It is now being opened by a
strong force of men. And on Elk Creek,
23 miles north of Gold Hill, Is an entirely
new district of large veins of low-grade
ores. A Huntington mill has been taken
to It, to be followed by a five-stamp mill.
It is in the foothills of the Cascade Range
at an elevation of 4000 feet
Deposits of copper, coal, asbestos and
mica exist in the county at the headwaters
of Evans Creek. The extent of these Is
not known, but all are being opened. It Is
known as the Meadows district
The Immense power of Rogue River can
be utilized to great advantage In this lo
cality and the gravel elevator and dredger
may soon come to obviate the extensive
use of water and dvercome the flat-lying
gravel beds, which exist at some points.
The quartz prospects are most favorable.
Well-directed work will make a great
country of Gold Hill district
From Medford northeast 23 miles, and
from Gold Hill IS miles, in a spur of the
Rogue River Range, are two groups of
claims on a cinnabar deposit Develop
ment Is in progress. On one group of six
claims the Rogue River Quicksilver Min
ing Company has a shaft 6x7 feet sunk to
a depth of 56 feet showing a vein of
ore 6 to 14 Inches. The other group ot
five claims lies adjoining the first named.
A shaft has been sunk here 112 feet in
ore formation like the other. In this shaft
the vein Is 11 feet wide at the bottom,
has a northerly strike and a dip nearly
vertical.
JacknonvIIlc Han Produced Millions.
Jacksonville, county seat of Jackson
County, is the pioneer town of the South
ern Oregon district It began as a fron
t'er mini ig camp in ho Winter of 1851-52.
i Its founders and dwellers were types of
tre be-t bralu and brawn of America.
Others came, but Amercans dominated.
Their courage and strength and their
gold aided mightily in the then new and
forward movement of the world. They
poured millions Into the then almost
empty chest of commerce. Oregon and
California roused a lethargic world. Since
those days civilization and science, with
seven-league boots, have climbed to
heights never dared before.
Contemplation of these things dwarfs
consideration of present details to insig
nificance. Yet science, built upon what
the delvers disclose, comes to give re
ward and help to renew the harvest of
gold and rejected rocks may become "the
headstones of the corner."
The placers have not all been worked
out; the veins in the hills have remained
untouched, scarcely looked for. A great
many small gulches are being worked In
a limited way; scarcity of water again.
Their number is too great to specialize.
The principal ones are on Frost Creek, six
miles from Jacksonville, Poorman Creek,
five miles, and several others that were
once large producers. On Upper Apple
gate are two hydraulics and numerous
small mines.
The Stirling placers are a type of the
greater mines. They are on Stirling Creek,
eight miles by splendid wagon road of
easy grade, from Jacksonville. Great
quantities of coarse gold came from them
in the early days, gotten by the simplest
methods. But the water supply was lim
ited to the rainy season, and with each
passing year there was a marked decrease
of rainfall, until now it is not more than
one-half its early annual supply. So, with
failing water and deepening gravel banks,
the old-timers slowly gave way. Nearly
all the original claims finally passed Into
the handsof the Sterling Mining Company,
a Portland corporation. This corporation
has two stockholders, V. Cook and Henry
E. Ankeny. the latter being practically
president, board of directors, manager
and superintendent, the rest of the com
pany trustingly leaving everything to him.
It Is an ideal board, and necessarily every
thing moves satisfactorily and to the
great profit of the stockholders.
These placers cover some 1500 acres,
which extend for 5 miles along Sterling
Creek. The deposit of gravel Is from two
to 100 feet deep. The hillsides are piped
for gold. The property Is splendidly
equipped with piping, giants, flumes,
ditches and sluices. When in full opera
tion, four No. 4 giants utilize 4000 Inches
of water, brought chiefly from the Siski
you Mountains, by a system of ditches
constructed for the purpose. The largest,
or Siskiyou, ditch, Is three feet wide on
the bottcra, 6 on top, 3& deep and 2S
miles long. Other ditches bring water
from other sources. One, six miles long,
carries 500 Inches of water; another of the
same length, 1500 Inches, and another,
five miles long, carries 500 Inches.
The bedrock consists of strata of shales,
porphyry, sandstone, in streaks, and occa
sional points of granite, all tumbled nnd
distorted, small kidneys and stringers' of
barren quartz cutting through and inter
lacing the whole. These mines present
curious and interesting features, not pos
sible to relate here, in variety of gravels,
including cinnabar, and of bedrock.
Fotiftil Remains Jn Deep "WorkinjCN.
Fossil remains in abundance and great
variety are encountered In the deep work
ings as the giants break down the bank In
huge slabs. Among the remains thus ex
posed was one of a mastodon's tusk meas
uring 26 Inches in circumference and 11
feet long. Nine years ago nearly an en
tire skeleton of one of these monsters was
distinctly exposed, imprinted In the mas
sive banks; the backbone, ribs, joints,
shoulder blades, leg bones, all save the
head. They were much decomposed, but
perfect in outline and position. Tusks and
bones of these mammoths have been en
countered yearly during the last 10 years.
Last season a six-foot tusk was uncov
ered. Imprints of fossil shells and of
leaves, eta. are of common occurrence.
A postofflce and excellent school near
It are maintained on the grounds of the
company. Gardens and small farms In the
vicinity supply vegetables, fruit, eggs.
milk and meat to the community engaged 1
In getting the gold.
There Is a group of gold quartz claims
covering 240 acres of patented ground V
miles west of Jacksonville, at an eleva
tion of 2600 feet There are five parallel
veins opened, one to a depth of 200 feet
The strongest vein Is 24 feet between
walls, all regarded as pay ore, the best
values being In a six-foot stratum. A
five-stamp mill Is on the property, crush
ing ore. Values In concentrates run high.
The strike is northwest and dip 70 degrees
west The formation is slate and dlorlte.
On Forest Creek, 10 miles northwest
from Jacksonville, are several quartz
properties in various stages of develop
ment The Mountain Belle has .been
worked almost continuously for several
years, reducing the ores In a Huntington
mill.
On the same stream, the Winningham
and Pentz has been operated for three
years, using a five-stamp mill.
On Applegate, west from Jacksonville,
10 miles, a custom mill has been running
for several years, reducing and testing
ores mined in that locality. There are no
deep or extensive workings here, but the
miners are sticking to their prospects.
Jacksonville is well supplied with com
mercial houses and a solid banking Insti
tution. The hotels are fair, the livery
stables good. It Is splendidly represented
by a newspaper issued in weekly and
semi-weekly editions.
Mine in the Vicinity of Ashland.
This city, situated on the Southern Pa
cific Railway, 341 miles from Portland, is
the southernmost point of supply for Ore
gon mines. The climate is matchless, and
the location of the city superb. Its most
excellent hotel Is of advantage to mining
men, as well as are Its good livery stables,
prosperous banks and ably conducted
newspapers. Its site at the foot of the
Siskiyous is at an elevation of 1940 feet
Ashland Butte, to the south, is 7662 feet
high, and Wagner Butte, west of south,
reaches an altitude of 7245 feet The Sis
kiyou Range rises immediately to the
south of the city and the railway's grade
commences its ascent of the mountain be
fore passing from the city limits.
A quartz mine named the Ashland is
reached by a good wagon road of three
miles, running southwest from the city.
The mine Is in a mountain ridge buttress
ing Wagner Butte. In granite formation;
the hanging wall Is granite, foot wall dlo
rlte; elevation 3500 feet The workings
are through a. shaft and tunnel levels to
a depth of 00 feet, the deepest workings
in the county. The vein Is from four to
10 feet wide; Strike northerly, dip west
about 63 degrees. The gangue Is quartz,
carrying free gold and sulphurets. It has
a 10-stamp mill located In Ashland, which,
by amalgamation and concentration, saves
SO per cent of the assay values, a good
mill record.
The Shorty Hope mine lies about one
half mile west from the Ashland. It Is a
typical, fissure vein of large size, cutting
all formations. Its strike Is northwest,
dip nearly vertlcle. It probably Intersects
the Ashland vein at a point south from
the Ashland workings. The quartz Is free
milling. The elevation about 2500 feet
The mine is well equipped and has a 10
stamp mill, driven by water power. Above
the Shorty Hope are a great many good
prospects in various stages of develop
ment Farther west and south, 12 miles from
Ashland, on the headwaters of Little Ap
plegate Creek is an area of cinnabar pros
pects. Here a large serpentine belt
which intersects a portion of Josephine
County, passing into northern California,
is encountered. It is underlaid by slate.
The cinnabar occurs In an area of altered
locks lying east of the serpentine and
embraces 8 or 10 square miles. One pros
pect hero has been somewhat extensively
developed. This Is the most extensive ex
ploitation for cinnabar in the Siskiyou
Range.
Farther west in the Siskiyous, on the
headwaters of the several tributaries of
the Applegate. 13 a "likely country" of
auriferous rocks and gravel, little ex
plored. Up Ashland Creek three and one-half
miles south of the town Is the Reeder
quartz claims, recently opened and in
course of development. The formation,
character of ore, strike and dip is similar
to the Ashland vein, save that the propor
tion of free gold is less, the values, which
are high, lying in the pyrites. It is sup
posed to be an. extension of tho Ashland
vein system.
Q.narts Lode on Monnt Reuben.
, Stllffarther south by trail over Ashland
Butte unsurpassed for scenic grandeur
and beauty a few miles south of its sum
mit there is a strong ledge, somewhat de
veloped, showing stlbnite sulphide of an
timonycarrying a fair amount of gold.
A few miles below this on the head ot
Grouse and Beaver Creeks, are some old
placers, worked In the early '503, from
which millions of gold were taken. This
locality was never abandoned, but has
been worked continuously to the present
time. Additional rich and extensive gravel
beds have recently been discovered and
equipped with hydraulic plants. A strik
ing feature of this general locality is the
recent discovery of a strong and remark
ably rich quartz lode" on the top of Mount
Reuben. Nearly $30,000 was taken from
it In gold of the form very like the prod
uct of the placers below, and which was
worked by mortar and pan. Recent pros
pecting disclosed the fact that a series of
auriferous veins Intersect this mountain.
The marvel Is that the early placer miners
on Beaver and Grouse Creeks never
searched the mountain above them for the
source of the gold they were getting. Prob.
ably It was the old story they knew little
of quartz and had no machinery from the
faraway shops with which to work it.
The country Is abundantly supplied with
water, timber, game, and scenic points In
describable, and it is blessed with an
ideal climate. The country Is accessi
ble from Ashland by wagon road ending
in a trail 'over the butte or by a ten-mile
mountain trail due west from Coles, a
railway station at the boundary line be
tween Oregon and California.
From Ashland, up Bear Creek Valley,
nine miles In a southeast course, by good
road, is the Free Silver, or Barron Mine,
lying in the high foothills of the western
slope of the Cascade Range. This mine
is of peculiar Interest from the fact that
in rock formation and character ot mineral
deposits it has a marked resemblance to
certain localities In Colorado. Mineralog
ically the Barron Mine is most interesting.
It carries 16 or more different elements.
Free gold, and free silver, and ruby sil
ver are abundant The ores generally are
base and embrace the tellurides, realgar,
sphalerite, galena, Iron pyTltes, etc. It Is
a smelting proposition.
Locally this section Is colled the "Crip
ple Creek" of Southern Oregon, because
of the presence in quantity of the tellu
rlde ores, not found elsewhere In the
county. This mine carries a large amount
of silver, greater than any other In this
region. Many contiguous- locations of
claims have been made, but as yet they
are merely "prospects." The general for
mation Is eruptive; tho elevation about
2000 feet
In the Cascade Range near Ashland are
many deposits of mineral paints, kaolin
and clays convertible into finest China
porcelain ware3. Mineral springs, carry
ing medicinal waters, are numerous In the
vicinity of Oregon's southernmost clty.
ALL THE COMPORTS OP L!PE
In Ifo Part of Oregon Is Mining:
Worlc a. Hardship.
In this very greatly condensed review
descriptions of many great mining prop
erties from which information, general
and technical, could be derived have nec
essarily been omitted. They have been
barely referred to by name. Localities of
great extent and promise have often been
but vaguely mentioned.
The mineral bearing areas of Oregon
are extensive, rugged and mountainous,
and until the coming of the railway al
most Inaccessible to machinery. Nearly
all the early placer miners departed with
their gold. They were succeeded by
wheatgrowers, horse, sheep and cattle
raisers, lumbermen, fishermen, horticul
turists and traders. The matchless for
ests, the wonderful valleys and the al
most limitless prairies and plains, and the
rivers, aswarm with royal chlnook. gave
place and employment to all these, and
there ever was room for more. The few
remaining miners, aided occasionally by
newly arrived prospectors, have proven
the existence of great ore bodies In each
of the localities which have been men
tioned, and that thousands of miles of
payable placers still remain In gulches and
creek beds. American genius, with new
contrivances, wonderful machinery and
modern metallurgy. Is come to their aid,
and the harvest of gold in the futuro
ought to bo great greater than that of
the best of the early years.
The field Is vast, but the laborers are
few, widely dispersed and Isolated. Fill
this field, open these mines, and there will
be a home market for Oregon fruits.
A most striking characteristic of tho
miners in Oregon must impress deeply
every man who goes into the camps of the
various districts. With scarcely an ex
ception the best house in town is tho
schoolhouse. Where two or three families
are gathered together there Is a school
house In the midst of them. Is it habit,
trait, loyalty or love for his kind, or all
these? Truly, It is American. By the
time tho third family of five children ar
rives, a volunteer committee, with the
proverbial "old miner" as its head, is ar
ranging for the construction of that in
evitable and indispensable schoolhouse.
The committee may have homes In shacks,
but that schoolhouse must be comfort
able, and Is often ornamental.
Thanks are due by every reader of this
to the miners and managers who have
given freedom to properties and Infor
mation and aid for Its preparation. Their
generous assistance, always cordial, has
been Invaluable, the regret being that a
baro tithe of the truth can be told.
The American miner is Intelligent, earn
est, brave and patriotic. His success is
not promoted by the failures of others.
He can well declare: AI am a true labor
er; I earn that I eat, get that I wear,
owe no man hate, envy no man's happi
ness, glad of other men's good."
Enstern Oregon a. Revelation.
Professor F. H. Newell, hydrographer
ot the United States Geological Survey,
says of Eastern Oregon:
"To my surprise I found an abundance
of water in most sections. The DeschUtea
River turned out to be a large stream,
and Its water can be readily diverted into
numerous irrigation ditches at a minimum
cost, and without the construction of stor
age reservoirs. Yet ail the rivers are not
so fortunately located- To derive the full
benefit of the waters of such streams as
the Malheur and Crooked Rivers, storage
reservoirs will have to be constructed and
feeding canals connected with the reser
voirs. Most all of the streams of East
ern Oregon were larger than I had sup
posed, and the quantity of water going to
waste fanexceeded my expectations. Thero
Is water enough to irrigate all the land In
Eastern Oregon that can be settled foe
some time to come.
"Of course, there are a number of vast
plains which, are now practically useless
and without value, because they are too
remote from a source of water for even
stock grazing. I am reasonably sure that
artesian wells can be sunk In these re
gions, which will, if properly managed,
furnish all the water that Is needed, not
only for watering stock, but for Irrigating
large portions of these plains for agricul
tural purposes. The soil Itself is rich;
It needs only water to make It vaiuaDle."
Il
THE
Helena Consolidated Minins Co
If a dozen columns were written
descriptive of the Southern Oregon
gold fields, and especially that por
tion known as the Bohemia District,
another dozen would be necessary to
properly complete the story.
The Oregonian has printed a great
deal of matter concerning this rich
mineral region, and expects to con
tinue the narrative so long as time
shall be.
The Bohemia quartz gold mines lie
in Lane and Douglas Counties. To
reach them from Portland it is neces
sary to travel on the Southern Pacific
Railroad 144 miles southward to Cot
tage Grove. Here is a prosperous lit
tle city, founded and builded long be
fore gold mines were dreamed of in
that locality. The last census gives
it a population of 974, but today it is
believed to contain at least 1500 peo
ple. It has a fine system of water
works, electric lights, graded streets,
metropolitan mercantile establish
ments, two bright weekly newspape,s,
the Bohemia Nugget and the Cottage
Grove Leader, a substantial bank,
two assay offices, a graded school,
several Imposing church edifices, and
all the additional paraphernalia be
longing to a cultivated people and a
thriving municipality.
The place is governed by a Mayor
and Common Council, serving with
out expense to the taxpayers, and its
financial affairs are managed as care
fully and Intelligently as the gentle
men comprising the executive body
conduct their private affairs. It is
the center of an exceedingly fertile
agricultural and fruit country, and is
surrounded by magnificent forests of
merchantable fir. Considerable oak
is also found in the surrounding for
ests. This reference to Cottage Grove is
made for the purpose of informing
the reader of this New Year's Ore
gonian that in his journey from the
metropolis of the state to the Bohe
mia gold fields he is not darting
away into some unknown region, as,
for example, the Alaskan diggings, to
whoop It up with the Esquimaux or
dodge the ferocious paw of the polar
bear. Instead he may board a train
in this city at 8:30 in the morning
and arrive at Cottage Grove at 2:57
in the afternoon, or he may depart
from Portland at 8:30 P. M. and at
2:06 o'clock next morning arrive at
his destination.
From Cottage Grove the Bohemia
mines are distant about 35 miles, in
a southeasterly direction. At present
they are reached by private convey
ance or daily stage, but a railroad
survey is now in progress, the line
located for much of the distance, and
before the closing of the present year
the iron horse will supplant the
wagon and the Concord coach, so that
then one may breakfast in Portland
and supper at the splendid Jennings
hostelry, where he will be awakened
the following morning by the inces
sant dropping of the numerous
stamps. Then will be born the boom
of the age in Oregon mineralogy.
Then will the eyes of our people be
opened to the stupendous mineral pos
sibilities, the gigantic mineral re
sources of a section of our common
wealth as yet but little known to
them, still within but a pleasure
jaunt of their habitations. Then will
come to our knowledge the pleasing
reminder that those of our citizens
who have for so long earnestly pro
claimed the golden wealth of old
Grizzly Mountain were not vision
aries, idle boasters or men who spake
without foundation for what they
said.
But the completion of the railroad,
about November next, is not the only
enterprise relied tfpon to bring the
Bohemia mineral region into National
fame. About the first of May, or pos
sibly June, of this year, work will
begin on a smelter to be erected in
this city, to be especially adapted to
the treatment of Bohemia ores. Of
this project Mr. P. J. Jennings, of
the Helena Consolidated Mining &
Milling Company, before his depar
ture for the East a few weeks ago,
said to an Oregonian representative:
"Our company will construct a
smelter in Portland during the season
of 1902. It will not be a thousand
ton affair, nor half that capacity, but
large enough to handle the produc
tion of our property."
"Can you give an idea of its ca
pacity?" Mr. Jennings was asked.
"About 300 tons per day, but it will
be constructed in such a manner
that additional stacks may be added
when necessity shall demand them.
It is our Intention to build and equip
it for our own use, but when suf
ficient business Is offered from other
districts we shall enlarge the plant to
meet all requirements. We shall have
. X rTT1 ' ' ll
1 a I SA 1 1 11 Pl Si Showla&Ou ,
i 1 1 Lr-O" 1L I STAR" CONSOLIDATED'
' N li r 11 a V 11 $t ?" Mining- MiUhgCds Property.
' r ' I iy JJ 1 a Wl T F' Bt&tmUMining Dimtrict
A TllVTt T-r-"WL- L 1" ' S haa County Oregon
x f . J ii 1 J ' I
" b to ww
no difficulty in shipping 300 tons of
our own ore each 24 hours, so that if
we have no other business but that of
our own, It will pay ub to make the
large expenditure it will "entail."
"Do you expect to organize a com
pany In Portland to build the smel
ter?" "We shall not ask for or solicit a
dollar of Portland money. That mat
ter Is as good as arranged for in the
East The entire sum will come
from one source, so what would be
the sense of securing a dribble here
and a dribble there from local per
sons? The money will be placed In
our hands and we -will use It to the
best advantage. We know in advance
what the outcome will be. Our own
stamp mills at the mines, in opera
tion the past two years, inform us of
the value of our ore; our thousands
of feetf of tunnels declare Its vast ex
tent; the favorable surroundings ap
prise uq of the cost of mining, and
our long experience In this, field of ef
fort enables us to very closely approx
imate the necessary expenditure of
smelting. As a matter of fact, we
have now blocked out a body of ore
sufficient to supply a 300-ton smelter
with all the rock it could handle for
many years to come."
The mining corporation for which
Mr. Jennings spoke was organized
only a few months ago, and Is one
of the strongest institutions of Its
kind In Oregon. Still it is not a new
concern. When the last New Year's
edition of The Oregonian went to
press, P. J., R. J. and J. J. Jennings,
three brothers, who had grown to
manhood in the mining business, and
Mr. C. B. Bruneau, comprised what
was then known as the Helena Min
ing Company, operating in the Bo
hemia district This company was
the owner of the Helena and Helena
No. 2 mines, two of the best gold
quartz propositions in the state.
These properties were located on the
opposite sides of Grizzly Mountain.
On the apex of this mountain was
situated the White Wings mine,
owned by other parties. The devel
opment of this property demonstrated
Its worth as one of the primo pros
pects of that part of Oregon. Nego
tiations for the purchase of this claim
were entered into by Mr. P. J. Jen
nings, manager of the Helena Com
pany, resulting In Its acquirement
early in the Fall of 1901. It was
desired and was of special value to
the Helena Company because it en
abled it to penetrate the mountain
with Its tunnel from side to side,
thus connecting by this underground
passageway Helena and Helena No.
2. In pursuance of this purpose, so
soon as White Wings was secured,
work on the tunnel was prosecuted
with the usual vigor of the manage
ment, resulting In the discovery of a
body of ore, properly that of the pur
chased mine, so fabulously rich as to
at first create a smile of incredibility
when Its worth was named. Ore that
assays up to $3000 per ton Is there in
plenty, and when this fact became
known in Portland there was a hur
rying and a scurrying for shares of
the company, such as was never
known before In this metropolis. The
market value of the paper soared
skyward until every obtainable out
standing certificate was snugly tuck
ed away In places of security, and to
day it is doubtful if a share could be
had at any reasonable figure. After
the purchase of White Wings the
properties were consolidated, a new
corporation formed under the name
of the Helena Consolidated Mining &
Milling Company, Its management
being the same as that of the Helena
and Helena No. 2, and renewed en
ergy has been instilled Into the de
velopment of the company's holdings.
In fact, there are now tunnels in
every direction, crosscuts, upraises,
etc., to such an extent that millions
upon millions of dollars' worth of the
richest kind of ore Is exposed to view.
Smelter tests of from ?30 to $1000
per ton are common, and $3000 rock
is often met With. The 'properties of
the Helena Consolidated Mining &
Milling Company are not prospects.
They long ago passed into the cate
gory of thoroughly developed mines,
several hundred thousand dollars
having been expended to accomplish
this. But the mines have been gen
erous In return. The Helena is a
liberal d5vldend-payer now, and when
its ores and those of its sister mines
may be brought by rail to the Port
land smelter it will be difficult to esti
mate its value. As an example of
the snap and energy with which Mr.
P. J. Jennings conducts the affairs
of the corporation of which, he is the
official head, may be mentioned the
fact that in November last he organ
ized a company to build a telephone
line from Cottage Grove to the mines.
Work was begun within two daya
after the Incorporation, and at the ex
piration of six weeks the 35 miles
was covered, an office opened in Bo
hemia, and conversation with the
district may now be had from any
telephone office or instrument on the
Pacific Coast
Other Properties of
the Company.
Besides those mines mentioned, the
same management that so successful
ly engineers the Helena Consolidated
affairs controls several other valua
ble Bohemia properties. The Mustek
Mining & Milling Company is fortu
nate in having the indefatigable, in
dustrious Mr. P. J. Jennings at its
helm. This Is probably the most ex
tensively developed of any, and as a
reward has returned to the stock
holders mere than $250,000 In divi
dends in the last few years. In its
lower levels thousands of tons of base
ores, of almost Incalculable value,
are in sight, awaiting transportation.
The Star Consoli
dated. Here Is another of the great pros
pects belonging to the same people,
and addressing itself to this property,
The Portland Evening Telegram, in
a recent issue, said:
The property of the Star Consoli
dated Mining & Milling Company, con
sisting of 14 claims and situated l-
miles west of the Mustek, bids fair to
become one of the big producers of the
district. There are six parallel veins on
the property, and over $20,000 has al
ready been spent in actual develop
ment work. Since the purchase by the
company of the Hughes & Hartley
group It has been decided to' drive a
deep tunnel from the north side of the
mountain that will give a vertical
depth of 2000 feet from the apex of
the mountain.
'"The Company's headquarters and offices are at 112 Sherlock Building, this city. Persons interested may obtain full information by
addressing the secretary, Mr. R. J. Jennings, who has considerable literature bearing upon the Bohemia section of the state.