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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1902)
THE MORNING. OKEGONIAN,, WEDNESDAY,. JANUARY 1, 3.902. 39' ern corner of Josephine County, Is an other historic mining district. At the present time. Grave Creek is a mass of ditches, pipes and flumes from one end to the other. The largest and most pro ductive hydraulics of the district, are the Columbia. Steam Beer, Lewis and Arch er. Each of these mines operate from two to four giants, have good water rights and from 300 to 400-foot pressure. The gravel of the district is a loose red and gray strata, easily worked and very pro ductive of coarse gold. In every district of Josephine County there are numerous minor enterprises, operating a 6lngle giant, or perhaps only running a ground-sluice, but the latter are becoming more scarce each year, as they are being bought up by the capital ists and converged into larger and more profitable hydraulic enterprises. During this past Summer many new hydraulic mines were developed In the county, and have begun business this "Winter. There yet remains many auriferous gravel beds in the outlying districts that would make good placer gold producers if properly equipped. Quartz Mining: Southern Oregon, or Josephine County, the heart of the mineral belt, has been a hydraulic and placer mining district mainly for the reason that more attention has been paid to that class of mining. Much more capital, mechanical skill and scientific experience is required in the opening up of a quartz property than is necessary in a placer mine. But to the future output of placer gold from Joseph ine will be added the yield of the quartz mines, as every district, of late. Is be coming possessed of its rich bullion pro ducers. The stamo mills of the several established quartz mines, are having their batteries Increased, crews are being dou bled, plants and equipment are being added to, and the shafts are being fear lessly sunk deep down, for mining men are being brought to the realization that the Josephine quartz mines are not mere pockets, but permanent, paying ledges. Were the truth known, Josephine Coun ty would be known to the world as the proud possessor of the biggest big thing under the sun In the nature of quartz ledges. In the Gallce district lies undis turbed and unmolested, just as nature left It ages ago In the process of forming mountains, and digging canjons, the Big Tank ledge. This mammoth quartz vein ranges from 30 to 250 feet In width, and has been traced through the Josephine Mountains a distance of 40 miles. The ledge possesses values in free gold and eulphurets ranging from $2 50 to $40 per ton, although there have been bunches discovered along its course that have pro duced as high as $250 per ton. This great vein has possibilities of becoming more than the Treadwell of Alaska, which, with their Immense batteries, are pounding out many fortunes each season from rock that averages but $1 74 per ton. Capi tal can make of the Big Yank what capital has made of the famous mines of the north. Josephine County is Just entering Its business era In the matter of quartz min ing. "While It possesses a dozen good quartz bullion producers, the greater and larger mines are yet to be developed, from the fact that the largest and richest ledges are yet lying idle with their hidden mil lions, under the protecting cover of the mountain depths. The future of Josephine County as a quartz-mining region Is very brilliant. This Is proved from the good results being obtained by those mines that have ventured down, and by the multitude of ledges that are being dally brought to light. Josephine's Gold Ontpnt. "While the output of gold from Josephine County for the past year, as in any other mining district, cannot be stated accu rately, the following figures will show within a few thousand dollars the amount of placer and quartz gold Josephine has con.trIbu.ted -to the .wprld's output of yel low metal this past year. Each district named is the leading district of each of the four corners of the county, and em brace all the surrounding and minor dis tricts: ' Althouse mining district S 45,120 alao mining district 55,000 Williams mining district 80.070 Galice mining district 62.100 Grant's Pass mining district 16O00 Grave Creek and Mount Reuben.... 25fi(XK) Total ..............$501 290 DENNIS H. STOVALL, Grant's Pass. r COOS AND CURRY. Intelligence, Energy and Capital Xeeded to Get Good Reaults. The mining Industry of Coos and Curry Counties for the past two years has not been so flourishing as In former years. The lack of Interest in this respect Is due, no doubt, to the great demand for labor ers in the various other enterprises, and especially the dairy and lumber industry of the two counties. There are about 50 men employed delv ing after the precious metal on Salmon, Johnson Creek and the South Sixes. The "well-known Salmon Mountain mine Is now In charge of George Hall, who has for the past year been doing development work on a small scale, having only a few men employed. Mr. Hall has been ne gotiating a sale of the mine, and it is expected that a new company will be formed In the near future and that work will be carried on more extensively than ever before. There are a number of other mines on Salmon and Johnson Creeks, as well as the South Sixes, which are being worked this Winter on a small scale. The Dlvil bllss quartz claim, which is about three miles from the Salmon Mountain mine, is at a standstill. This is where a five stamp "quartz mill was placed about 1893 by a company formed at Marshfleld. About the time the mill was ready for operation the company got Into litigation and since then practically nothing has been done with the mill or mine. The Myrtle Point Mining & Develop ment Company, a company formed in Myrtle Point, is making preparations to have a force of men at work on their ledge, which Is a short distance only from the Divilbliss mine. On the South Sixes there are a number of mines which prospect well. The Har rison Bros., William Lusk and Collier Bros., of Coqullle, have a number of men employed developing their mines. The Thompson ledge, in this vicinity, will be worked with a small force. This company has expended considerable mon ey In running tunnels, having run two of 150 feet each, and they are well pleased with the prospects. It Is estimated that at least $3500 was expended last year In this mining district in the way of de velopment work. The amount of gold produced Is estimated at $11,000. The Sixes mine, the Salmon Mountain mines and the Johnson Creek mines, all evidently belong to the same mineral belt, and the immense quantities of gold which have been found in the beds of these streams, besides that which still remains, must certainly have been deposited there by slides breaking away from the adja cent mountains and carrying down a por tion of one of these rich gold-bearing ledges. The miner -who finds one of these rich gold-bearing lc'dges, "in plac6," will be considered very fortunate Indeed. A great amount of prospecting has been done in this region, but it has been done principally b7 persons of limited means, and those who are not very well skilled In the art of searching for gold-bearing veins "in place." What is most needed to develop the rich mineral resources of this locality is energy, skill, perseverance and well directed labor, with ample means to back it; and then will hese JOjhnepn Creek Mountains become a great wealth producing region ot country. ORVILLE DODGE. Myrtle Point. - - - N ST. HELENS MINING DISTRICT L Large and Rich Section In Washington Being Developed by Portland Capital iff Proposed Railroad Connections THE St. Helens mining district lies In a peculiar position. The terri tory Is within the State of Wash ington, yet is not tributary to Tacoma, Seattle or Spokane, being more like a suburb of the city of Portland than a region of Interest to Washington people. This situation has largely made the ter ritory isolated from the channels of pub licity, the newspapers of the Northwest, so that, while other mining regions trib utary to the leading commercial cities of Washington have been given the largest notice, this St. Helens region, "lying down near Portland," was for many years passed by with as much silence by the Washington papers as though the region really lay In Oregon. Oregon, full of mines and mineral regions, afforded am ple matter for the Oregon newspapers without specially referring to the regions outside her borders. Those Interested In the region felt the force of the situation as stated, hardly knowing where to send news if they had any, and so for years little was said to the public or known about one of the richest mining regions on the whole Coast. The region, too, was too near Portland to be interesting, while such far-away regions as Alaska and the North British possessions were open for exploitation. Portland alone sent millions to" the far away frozen North, a tenth of which. If It hid been Judiciously invested In the St. Helens mining district, would by this time have turned a stream of money Into this city. Of course, the state of iha tuny trails to the region, many of them over dizzy heights and crossing divide af ter divide, gave to the early prospective investor a -wrong Impression of the lay of the ground of the region relative to Its marketability by future railroads, had a great deal to do with the lack of more active development there. To go Into the district on a splendid road in a few hours, as one may now soon do, gives the present newcomer no Idea of this feature of the past in that particular. The new wagon road reaches Spitit Lake, but another road Is now be ing planned, for next Summer to reach the North Toutle camps, up that stream from Carlson's. A thira road is also pro jected from the lake and the North Toutle to Lewis River, along the route of the P. V. it Y. R. R. route. Proponed Itnilroad Lines. As the Portland, Vancouver &. Yakima, the Tacoma & Eastern and the Northern Pacific are already extending lines to wards the district, and the Ladds have surveyed a line north to their own prop erties from Washougal, wagon roads may be taken to be but the forerunners of railroad connection to be made com plete in a very brief time. The first railroad to reach the region will natural ly have much the best of the situation for all time, which probably accounts for the present and prospective activity along railroad lines relative to that section. The Northern Pacific has had its mining experts In the region twice during the past season, examining the mines, sam pling the ores and giving some good ad vice as to the methods of working there. As these people have recently gone over the Middle Toutle route, it seems proba ble that they are thinking of a branch from their main line at Castle Rock . The Oregon Railroad & Navigation Company has had men with diamond drills at work In the Tilden coal fields, In the northern part of the St. Helens mining district, and private Information Is to the effect that the results of their work there has been very satisfactory as to the character and quantity of the coal discovered. A query Is naturally raised whether the O. R. & N. Is to use one of the lines already building or pro jected under other names, or whether it will run an entirely new line through the region from some place on their line in any event going through the district from one end to the other. The Portland, Vancouver & Yakima Is naturally Portland's line. As this line is already graded to within 20 miles of the district, and promises to reach there next year, the people of this city can now feel certain that they are to have a feeder Into the region. The recent action of the Commercial Club of North Yakima and the Chamber of Commerce of Port land In this particular will no doubt hasten the construction of this line. With vast bodies of low-grade ores, coal fields and timber everywhere, the St. Helens district offers such Inducements as rail roads are open to consider and eagerly seek to gain control of. All the mineral products of the district, even with mat ting plants and smelters In the region, will be low-grade copper bullion, carry ing gold and silver, meaning tonnage to the railroads. Vast Extent of the District. One feature of the St. Helens mining district, or, more properly, the Mount St. Helens mining region, is Its vastness. Its width Is not less than 15 miles, while In length it extends from the Washougal end, where the Ladds, Portland's bank ers, have Joined with Jonathan Bourne in the Last Chance and Hidden Treasure properties, in which there is said to be already Invested $200,000, covering a ter ritory six miles long by four miles wide, to the O'Connor claims on the lower North Toutle. is a distance of twenty five miles. In all this intervening ground many rich properties are found and much development lias already been done. The mineral lies in well defined veins or in dikes of great extent, the dike at the Earle being at least 500 feet in width, beyond which up the mountain-side again occur several well marked veins situated between "walls of a species of granite. The Mining Corporation, Ltd., of Port land, with offices in the Marquam build ing, which is at present the most active influence in the upper St. Helens region. Is demonstrating to the world, as are other interests also actively therein en gaged, the greatness of the veins, their permanency In depth, and the high grade of their products. With copper even at a low price, the gold and silver which these ores contain, and their high grade as to copper, will always make them desirable properties. The Cascadla Mining Company Is con tinuing its good work at the Minnie Lee and the Polar Star, and their showings continue good. They are fitted for work all Winter and next Spring will doubt less show continued improvement in this property. The Index property, of the Olsons, has fallen Into the hands of the Mining Corporation, Ltd. Assessment work alone was done last year, but deep cross-cutting will begin with the advent of Spring. The Goat Mountain Company Is driving a working tunnel which will open up the veins on the property at great depth. The Earle crosscut tunnel Is now in a depth of 200 feet. In the porphyry dyke, which has not yet been crossed. The first vein of rich ore is expected at the ena of this dyke, a contact between it and the country rock. This property may yet be one of the great things of St. Helens, although opinions so far differ as to its abiding value. Six tunnels have been drifted on veins on this property, 500 feet In all. At any rate, careful development work is being done there, and If the present people In possession continue to have faith in the property they will be able to determine this much-mooted ques tion In due time. Several veins crop in Samson Creek, which the crosscut tunnel will eventually cut at depth. If the work continues. W. W. O'Connor has a con tract upon the property, which will take blm until Spring to finish. Assays Snow 40 Per Cent In Lead. The Ripper and Chief are well-markea galena properties, assays from which have run as high as 40 per cent in lead. These properties lie near the Chicago proper ties, and belong to Hostetter & McClure, prospectors, who have so far declined to sell, having done 100 feet of tunnel w6rc on the properties during the past season. The Last Hope Is a promising proper ty, handled by Portland people, which shows a wide vein of low-grade ore, and is a promising proposition. The Young America, the Wlldwood, the Climax and the Washington properties, exploited by the Belghle Company, large ly now In other hands, continue to show up "well, all being gold, silver and "copper properties. They all He upon Spirit Lake. Lange Bros., of Chehalls, are opening P a great dyke just north of Spirit Latce They have had the property for 'many years, and have been doing only the as sessment work up to this time, but pi&n on opening up the property on a larger scale next season. They will all move with their families to Spirit Lake In Feb ruary, where, between their sawmill and mines, they will become active factors in the future development of the district. The Juniette, of Reynolds, Stewart & Laumann, has made some splendid show ings for the Summer's work. Its owners are full of enthusiasm over its condi tion, recent assays having given as high as $S0 per ton In values, copper, sold and silver. The Little Octavla continues to keep the The New Star Brewery Herewith we present to The Oregonian readers a picture of the new Star brewery, in process of erection at Vancouver, Wash. The cut is from a photograph of the outline drawings of Emll Schacht, the well-known archi tect, and It gives an excellent Idea of the size, stjle and architectural beauty of the structure as it will appear when completed In the early Spring of the present year. It will be five stories in height, and fitted up with the very latest brewing appliances to be had in this country, and this means that its equipment will be second to none in the United States; and when Its first brew Is Placed upon the market next Spring, the Star brewery will afford its patrons the privilege of partaking of just such a delicious beverage as has given fame to Hop Gold beer throughout the Pacific States. 4-ha . i hc news, no doubt, to many Portlanders to know that the Star was, the first brewers' erected on the North Pacific Coast. Its beer has always ? enviable reputation, and Is today noted for its purity and strength; u5 Jlhen thc w.,heels ln the, new building begin to turn, then will be appar ?5nl ,ir?2t.a.duVan?emenJt ln beer-brewing science between the product of today and that then turned out. rnPn?25E!Z JrelwIdi PraWent of the company, has a large force of m,r "5? ejnPtoyed n the foundation of the building, and will give the struc shnn hhLP!lsili;1 4?Hen,Uon. VntilJotnPleted- When this is accomplished we n? IU c "ec tha.M- Adam Mueller, the genial outside representative ?nfl Vim company, will be possessed of more than his ordinary cordiality ?Ar th fcit--t. 0,r " as i e selection that placed the responsibility lor the architectural excellence of this line new structure within his hands. legal air in St. Helens alive. For seven years the parties in contest have been carrying on this legal warfare. Both sides have been doing work upon the lead this season, and the showings are grand. A 10-foot pay chute on the foot wall of tiro vein .shows solid sulphides carrying gold of a high value. The camps on the Yellow Metals and the Chicago, on the same great lead above, have for the Win ter been shut down, the management deeming it best to expend its energy upon its other properties ln the district for the present. Patents have Just been taken for its leading claims in these two groups. The -Ironclad Company, of which Dr. P. L. McKenzie, of Portland, is presi dent, is pushing the work on Its proper ties, recently acquired from A. Hoofer Dr. McKenzie has just made a personal Inspection of the properties, and every body speaks well of the property. The Germanla recently struck its first mineral seam ln the crosscut It is driv ing Into Goat Mountain. It Is a rich sul phide, quite characteristic of the" dis trict. It will do continuous work. The Golden Crown, recently Incorporated in Portland, has built good Winter quar ters and is drifting Into the vein which it has recently opened. This property lies ln Paradise Valley at its upper end, be ing one of the Spirit Lake camps, the Spirit Lake region being this Winter a veritable beehive of activity. The work on the Norway continues to show up well. Mr. Wilson, a practical mining man from Republic, has charge of this work, and he writes that he Is well pleased with the prospects and the char acter of the ore being mined. Work ln Sight for This Year. Bronze Monarch, where Andy Olson, one of the early and reliable men of the St. Helens district. Is foreman, continues to pile up Its rich ores. It Is said that for every $100 expended In driving the pres ent tunnels, not less than $1000 worth of picked ore Is saved, which for prospecting work means a great deal. Surveyors are at work planning upon additional work upon the Sweden, which will be taken up as soon as the sawmill now en route for the Spirit Lake camps shall be ln operation and have furnls&ed lumber for the camps there and for the buildings needed for the Sweden. Pat ents have recently been taken by the Mining Corporation, Ltd., upon some of its properties at the lake. McCarthy & Jennings' Treadwell, a great vein, continues to show up well and promises great things. The Hidden Treasure, the Jumbo, the Victoria and other properties on the Lew Is River side have all done splendid work this season, and their owners are prepar ing for a boom ln their camp next year. The Golden Crown, A. Hoofer's property, is a very promising group of four claims, already showing high values. The St. Helens district has all through it, and upon every mining prospect, water power in great abundance, while timber Is of the best everywhere. An expert who examined the region last year said that he had never seen a district where Nature had been so lavish ln this regard as here. When Portland people can. in two hours over the P. V. & Y. R. R. reach the St. Helens mining district, as they will shortly be able to do, the affairs in that region will be changed. In the meantime development keeps steadily progressing. r r Olympia Beer In i E issklvKBHul Hi EBBdflBftll 1 BREWED FOf -tt?-!c . ...jSSo.. .. E FAM,LXe H0TEL "WftwHEft - Grnm TlOCMAK. WASH. J Try All! Choose the Best! Capital Brewing Co. OLYMPIA, WASH. DISTRIBUTING PLACES: Tacoma Seattle Whatcom Aberdeen Portland, Or. J A four-masted schooner that will carry 750,000 feet of lumber Is under construction at Hoqulam, Wash. She will be 190 feet long and 39& feet beam. The cost will be $42,500 Cosmopolitan I Hotel - I 51 THIRD STREET NORTH Finely Furnished Rooms at Reasonable Rates. I GUS BOUTH Proprietor. i POPULAR CONCERT HALL DIPIMMM liiHp Liqurs CORNER SECOND AND BURNSIDE STS. ERICKSON'S -- PORTLAND CLUB I 291 J Alder St F. J. HELLEN &CO. Proprietors fNfirfvr-s.i- " " ' 7 SOLE AGENCY FOR r Celebrated Witter Springs Mineral Water MOST EFFECTIVE REMEDY FOR STOMACH KIDNEY LIVER and BLADDER TROUBLES CERTAIN CURE FOR ALL SKIN and BLOOD DISORDERS RECOMMENDED BY ALL PHYSICIANS F J. HELLEN & CO. PORTLAND AGENTS ANALYSIS. By Dr. Winslow Anderson Temperature. C9.3 dcg. Sodium Chloride Sodium Carbonate Sodium Sulphate ..,... Potassium Carbonate . Magnestan Carbonate Magneslan Sulphate.... Ferrous Carbonate Manganese Carbonate. Alumina Borates . Silica. Organic Hatter Grains per gallon. ...17.42 ... 5 36 ...1L50 ... 3.1S ... 7.10 ...20.62 ... 1.17 ... .86 ... 1.65 ... .42 ... 6.33 ... .76 Total Solids Carbonic Acid Gas Sulphuretted Hydrogen 76 31 Cubic Inches ..... 7.65 525 u I " ' t