Orego
VOL. V.
UNION. OREGON, THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1881).
NO. 4$.
The
N
CORNUCOPIA.
Tangible Proof of Immense De
posits of Gold.
FORMATION OF VARIOUS MINES
"Might as Well Assay a $20 Gold Piece"--A
Merited llebukc.
May 20, 1SSS).
Editou Okiioo.v Scout:
1 have not, in any of my communi
cations to Tin: Scot'T, made mention
of other than actual, visible and meri
torious deposits of mineral. I have
discarded mere paper locations. You
can traverse tho hills and find each
location by my description. You can
sec the Slate from my door on Main
street in the town. By the extensive
works you will know the Buckeye,
Pino Creek and Checkmate, and the
Last Chance by its peculiarly mctal
ized rock and the ar.astra which in
testing surrounding properties has
done good work. What 1 mean to
say, and the idea I want to convey is,
that the owners and locators of this
district do not belong to that class of
miners which does its mining by word
of mouth. I will refer you to proper
tics which seem to be under the es
pecial care of Mr. .1. N. Osborne.
THK IIONANIA IJASIX
lies northwest of the Red Jacket and
about two and a half miles from Cor
nucopia. This district is, as recorded,
ten miles wide from east to west, and
thirty miles from north to south, and
it all constitutes one largo mineral
belt, made up of smaller belts, having
slightly different features. The slates
which seem to have taken possession
of this portion of Union county have a
sufficient infusion of other elements to
make the groups of mines easily classi
fied, dividing it into three and perhaps
four different or smaller belts, and on
the lines contact veins appear. This
adds to the extent of tho district
01
rather the number of districts united
in one.
The famous Comstock, according to
tho theory of Professor Stuart and
Judge Bryant, consists of one contact
vein. There it was slate and porphy
ry. Here it is slate, granite and ter
pentine of varied casts, Miflicient to
make them distinguishable. The
walls are as follows: Black slate and
granite; slate and porphyry; slate and
tiurpuntiue; and in the Ronanza group
a slate and mica schist. Tho leading
mine in tho latter belt is
tub m:i hoy.
The departure from tho goneral rule
in this group is, that tho product is
principally free gold. On this mine is
a shaft lifty-five feet, showing on tho
top a ledge of three feet and at the
bottom of tho fifty-iivo foot shaft a
'ledge seven feet wide. The assays
show from forty to fifty dollars per ton,
mostly free gold. Tho rock hero has
been subjected to greater heat than in
other bolts, leaving the ore porous or
honey-combed containing coarse gold.
One of those nuggets was bought yes
terday of Mr. Osbornd by Mr. R.
Brown, for which ho paid seven dol
lars. The gold in the nugget was hold
together by a kind of veneering of tel
lurium and formed a beautiful cabinet
specimen, besides being of intrinsic
value. There is now, Mr. Osborne
claims, in sight in tho Bed Boy two
hundred tons which placed at low fig
ures will mill thirty dollars in free
gold. Ono singularly favorablo condi
tion of this ledgo is that tho oro is soft
and easily mined, while tho walls are
solid and require no timbering. Thoro
is not a foot of timbering or logging
about tho shaft which has been sunk
for three years. A joint tunnel could
bo run, which is already proposed,
which would tap different ledges at !
great dopth tho Mountain Chiof at ,
sovon hundred and Red Boy at eleven j
hundred feot, while the tunnel would j
be but about fifteon hundred feot long.
THK .MOUNTAIN' ('JUKI-'.
O
This is a patallol lodge to Red Boy
and owned by tho same parties, and,
liko it, it held by walU of slato and
sohist. The slate had a strong look of
iron rook and is highly inineralizod.
Froo gold upjKutrti in juices, but tho
gouoral condition U -iilphurets. At
tlio base of the mountain is Pino creek
ami iU ciii"s water 'Wer and mill
JgdgrGuns, Ammunition, Field Glasses, F
sites, one-half a mile from the dump.
Three hundivd feet from the line of
the Chief is a spring creek of forty
iuclu's with two hundred feet fall in
forty yards run. Between the Chief
anil Red Boy crops out another vein,
the Little Giant, which might serve as
a sole rock for tho one and hanging
lock for the other. There is a shaft of
twenty-live feet showing a vein twenty
two inches, carrying a largo body of
iron sulphurets with occasional nug
gets of tellurium and free gold. I
asked Mr. Osborne what it assayed.
His reply was: "I have no assay.
Might as well assay a twenty dollar
gold piece." Another vein or spur is
north of the Bed Boy, which is rich in
free gold. The owners of these three
mines, Mountain Chief, Greenhorn
and Hed Boy, with the two smaller
veins or spurs, are Fred S. Lieppe,
George Denney, Mr. Updyko and J.
X. Osborne. This property with ad
joining water power will be placed on
the market as a whole, at what figures
I have not learned, but of this fact I
can safely make mention it is a prop
erty that will be considered cheapest
when worked most and deepest.
There is no danger of any mines in
this district "petering out." Out of
the five thousand feet of tunnel, shaft
and incline run in Cornucopia, theie
appears to be 110 diminution cither in
volume or quality of ore.
OUK 1IAKKU CITY KK1KNDS.
Inasmuch as your contemporary of
Baker City, the Democrat, has very
kindly reproduced every one of "Bau
din's" letters, 1 do not think it more
than fair that ono of his editorials
about mining men and capitalists
from the east, who visited Raker, there
by taking in, by looking at that town,
the whole of Eastern Oregon, should
receive at tho hands of your mountain
scribbler a slight recognition. It is
true the display heads in the Democrat
cairy the idea that Cornucopia is ono of
Baker's feeders, as our small streams
are to tho ocean, but that is natural to
claim it all, and Cornucopia will not
growl about that polite way of robbing
Union county of her natural geograph
ical merits. The Democrat of the Mth
inst. says :
"The party of prominent mining
men and capitalists consisting of Col.
R. II. Lavney, Judge Abe C. Looncy,
Chas. U. Grovenor, W. l Donovan,
Martin Kelly and Sain Tate, Jr., of
Tenn.; Win. Buchanan, of Texarkana,
Texas, and IS. P. Cowin, of St. Louis,
who were mentioned in last Saturday's
issue of the Democrat as having ar
rived to visit tho mines of Cracker
Creek, returned from their tour yester
day morning after a very pleasant
trip."
Tho Democrat further says that the
excursionists were "surprised at tho
amount and richness of the mineral
resources of Baker City," to all of which
wo at Cornucopia take no exceptions.
If, however, Cornucopia and tho bal
ance of this mountain mineral region is
part and parcel of Baker's possessions,
why not allow visitors to now and
then get beyond Cracker Creek in the
direction of Cornuocpia and Sanger?
They shall bo well received, and al
lowed to return by way of Baker with
out hostage for a renewed visit to us.
It makes no difference whether our
citizens do their trading at ono rail
road town or the other. What wo
want is a town of our own, right hero
in tho mountains, and we have as rich
mines as on the other sido of tho coun
ty lino to build it up and sustain it.
Wo (tho town people, not the editorial
we) do not think it either fair or poli
tic to ignore Cornucopia, or fail to
give its mines the notoriety which
their merit will surely force, at no dis
tant day, upon the public.
I learned this morning that tho tun
nel in the Bed Jacket had reached tho
ledge five hundred feet below tho sur
face. Where struck it was four feet
wide, and shows tho same richness as
at tho cropping. On hearing tho
above, "three, with a tiger" was sen t
up into the midnight air. Wo know
now there is no pinch out. Will tell
you more in my next.
Baudin.
l!nKl t'oojmr Shop.
S. l. AyluK, proprietor,
btittur barrels and kitg.
alwtivi 011 IiuiiiI. bliup
liuiuo, Cnioii, Oregon.
.Manufacturer of
A good "upjily
bOUtll of fcohool
CINCINNATI.
A
Characteristic Letter From
H. S. MeConias.
THE LIVING CURIOSITIES OF OHIO.
Mac. Pumps Some of the "Totem of Health"
Into "Jim" Blaine.
Editou Scout:
Do you want to bite a special cor
respondent for your really excellent
paper to keep your readers informed
of what is transpiring in the great
state of Ohio? If so my services can
be commanded for about ten thousand
a year, and I will find myself, for if T
keep on rambling around as I have
for the past few years it would be ask
ing too much of you to try to find me.
Anotlier thing your "great head"
will no doubt have observed, and that
is that you must have a correspondent
in this great state of Ohio, for it is the
"Hub." From here eminates the
great statesmen ; from here come the
office-holders ; from here go forth the
foreign ministers, although 1 presuino
in this last statement I may meet with
some dissenting views from Murat
Ilalstead, who it is said docs not in
dorse the old adago that "Every man
has his mission." But nevertheless,
j Ohio, on account of the knock-out of
1 her great editor, may be said to bo "a
little disfigured but still in the ring."
She can proudly point to the red ban
danna of the noble old Roman to rally
hor democratic hosts, and who so base
as to forget for ono moment that Ohio
republicans have Rutherford B. Hayes
and his great hen ranch and "Forcak
crs" of other living curiosities to inspire
them to push on in their work. I love
to dwell among tho biography of Ohio's
great men, for I myself was born and
got my start within sixty miles of tho
sound of my pen.
Cincinnatus was a great man and
was the founder of a great city, or at
least the little village that was named
after him has grown to be a giant in j
tho land. The principal features I
have so far been able to "take in" is
the fertility of tho soil that is mixed
with Ohio river water. I pronounce it
rich, as soil, but a horrible mixture as
to water, but 1 think 1 can improve it
by proper filteration and by adding a
sufficient solution of "Totem of Health"
to wean the people back to temperate
ways from the inordinate use of beer.
This should bo a great field for "God's
medicine." And we too arc still in the
ring. I have secured an order from
the army for our medical soap for use
in the hospitals at Washington, and
have Jas. G. Blaine drinking "Totem
of Health" and that is something to
accomplish, and the end is not yet.
Tho city fountain hero is something
that attracts the attention of every
visitor, and tho massive bronze statu
ary, from four corners of which flows
constant streams of that they hero
call water, actually induces people
sometimes to tasto what a well bred
Oregon hog would disdain to wallow in.
The zoological gardens hero arc the
prido of tho city and the collection of
animals is said to surpass anything in
tho United States, not excepting the
valuable collection in New York Cen
tral Park, and the suspension bridge
leading over the Ohio river to Coving
ton, Ky., is one of the great master
pieces of engineering skill that cannot
bo excelled anywhero.
Cincinnati is built in a lovely val
ley on tho Ohio river and is surrounded
on all sides by lofty broken hills which
aro covered with palatial residences,
and the city is noted for tho wealth of
many of its inhabitants. Its location
puts me very much in mind of Port
land, Oregon.
I spent last summer and a portion
of the winter in Canada, and I guess
I have gravitated as far south as I care
to go at this season of tho year, al
though I have learned ono thing and
that is, that tho place to do business
with a mineral water is further south
than I htivo boon operating : where
tho water is bad and malaria abounds,
And I think in this respect I have
"struck it rich." If I had a gallon I
jug, yes even a glass full of Catherine !
creek water that is to-day running to I
waste, I would bo tempted to say, ;
"Hero's luck."
By this time you will have learned
that I am worth a good salary, for I
ishing Tackle, etc., at
have at least demonstrated my ability
to fill up your columns when 1 have
nothing to say.
I have spent two weeks superintend
ing the fitting up of an office and
place to manufacture our "Totem of
Health" remedies, and to-morrow
morning it is ready to occupy, and
already our mail begins to come. Wo
have been sending out one thousand
circulars a day during the past week,
and our catalogue to agents will be
ready early the coining week. Our
salts are hero and with oceans of work
before nicand a will to do it.
I am as ever yours,
15. S. McCOMAS.
THE COVE.
I New of tln Murder of. !. Duncan lie.
I 't'lv(Ml-"Il!iiM'iilii;;s of tin" HViik.
, Covi:, May 22, 1880.
j Sheep shearing is in full blast since
I the rain. The crop will bo a very good
' one this season.
1
I A literary society will bo organized
I at Ascension hall. It is reported that
it will not be a cemetery affair.
Mr. George Edgar came up from
Portland Saturday, and intends to re
main in the valley some time.
Tho directors of Cove school district
No. .r), aro ready to receive applications
from those desiring situations this fall
as teachers.
Tho smile that C. G. Olson wears
this week fairly illuminates the street.
It is a boy and one that any father
might feel poud of.
Found, near the residence of L. B.
Stearns on tho night of the 10th inst.,
a shawl. Owner can receive tho same
by calling at the postollice.
A neat fence is being built around
the Ascension school grounds. It will
greatly improve the appearance of tho
premises, also of the main street of our
village.
The Ilulick boys have been award
ed the contract for hauling lumber to
the Cracker Creek mines for the now
quartz mill, and will commence work
in a few davs.
'fhe Misses Inez and Carrie Fisher
arrived from Atkinson, Kansas, last
week, and joined their mother and
brother at this place. They expect to
make this valley their home.
The church fair to have been hold
lust Thursday was postponed until Fri
day evoning of this week, on account,
01 tho excessive moisture. Many at
tractions are offered. They will draw
a large crowd.
In Justico Sanborn's court two ar
rests were made last week for violating
the stallion law by neglecting to take
out the necessary license. Ono ease
was settled by tho defendant pleading
guilty and paying fine, and the other
was dismissed on account of error in
papers.
Your correspondent had the pleasure
of a visit to H. J. Geer it Son's fruit
farm this week anil was shown over tho
orchards by the hospitable proprietors.
Tho prima trees, especially, aro fairly
loaded down with young fruit. Evory
tree, unless the branches aro supported
by props, will Miller much damage by
breaking limbs. They will also have
an unusually largo crop of ebonies,
which will begin ripening in about ton
days.
Tho sad news of tho death of Win.
G. Duncan, in Dakota, on tho lfith
inst. has been received. Ho was foully
murdered while traveling with a con
siderable amount of money on his pur
son, and tho body was found soon af
ter near Fort Bennett. Tho supposed
murderer, 0110 Redmond, was arrostod
in tho Black hills by a United States
marshal last Saturday. Charles Dun
can has departed for tho scene of tho
crime.
Married, in Union, May 20, Kdward
A. Robinson and Miss Laura A. Fos
ter, Rev. L. J. Boothe, officiating. Tho
happy pair returned homo tho same
day and were warmly congratulated by
a host of friends. Tho Covo cornet
baud serenaded them the samu ovuu- I
ing. Tuesday evening thoy woio at j
homo to callers and rcfreshmonUi wore )
served. Among those present to con
gratulato was, perhaps, tho only ludio'
baud in tho valley. Tlio musio was 1
pronounced though some of tho in
struments woio slightly out uf tune.
A groat rmltiutluii In luillcs' Juruy-wUU
ut Mr. Kiiiuliurt's inllllimry ktoro.
Greatly Reduced Pri
TUB COVE.
Its Various Resources and At
tractions, A BEAUTIFUL AND FERTILE SPOT.
Its Fruits, Dairies, Schools, Mills Timk-r
and other Advantages.
The following interesting description
of the Cove, in Union county, i taken
from the letter of ilr. 15. R. lturke,
traveling correspondent fot tho Jiast
Oii'uonian. Numerous errors ap
jwared in It as published in that paper,
which have been corrected hero :
"'fhe lovlicst valley in the North
west!" i univer-faUy tho expression of
tho tourist, as he emerges fiom moun
tain, canyon, or a; plain, into view
of tho valley of the Grande Rondo.
Later, having traversed either of tho
level highways, through continuous,
straight lanes, with "hog-tight" rail
fouces, i.eat farm houses, productive
iioldo, and evergreen pastures, eaoh
presenting an nir of thrift, content
ment and refinement on either side, ho
arrives at the point of a low, grass
oovorcd spur of tho foothills which pro
jects into the eastern edge of tho val
ley, seven miles north of Union, seven
teen miles soulh of Summerville, and
twelve miles east of La Grando. Ho
looks westward and exclaim: "'fhe
most beautiful landscapo 1 ever be
held!" THIS IS THK COVK.
Sheltered from tho prevailing winds
by tho ridges or foothills just inon
tionod, on tho south; and tho curving,
timber-clad mountain range to the
east, and northeastward. Tho land
slopingat the rate of a hundred feet to
tho milo, and through which comes
Mill creek along the base of tho spur,
ami numerous hush-lined spring
biooks which descend at almost icgu
lor intervals and in parallel lines from
tho baso of the mountain toward him.
Neatly painted farm houses glistening
out of the many dumps of unit and
ornamental trees that dot tho rectan
gular fields; and -the Bpiros and house
tops rising out of the avenued grove of
oveigreon and other handsome shade
and ornamental trees in the village
itself, over which Mount Fanny, rear
ing her crest into tho rogion of almost
eternal snow, stands, a muto guardian.
A view of tho Covo from Hcndcrshott's
point would cause any one but u blind
man to u'ter 11 similar ejaculation.
thk son.
is a rich black loam, over which tho
streams divcrgo and spread out, mak
ing it possible to irrigato nearly every
aero of tho whole area; but it is a very
exceptional season when tho land re
quires any irrigation to produce mar
volously of any of tho fruits, vegeta
bles or eeieals. The few timothy
patches aro irrigated, but tho woslom
boundary of tho Cove proper being
nuUical hay land, little is raised on the
slope.
THK 01,1 MATH
is, of course, similar to that of itiost of
the valleys of Eastern Oregon, though
in this favored nook strong winds aro
not piovalont; and tho swift running
waters aro not breeders of miasma.
Tho only druggist and tho only physi
cian includo other vocations for profit.
ITU Fill KTWUV HUH.
'' Although actually cottled in I802-I5.'l,
tho productiveness and susceptibilities
of tho soil wont not ascertained till
some years later. Now tho Cove is
nokowlcdgfd to Iih the host and surest
fruit producing section between tho
Bltios and (ho Rockies. Kruits, largo
anil small, of evory variety except
tropical and all varietios of vegeta
bles, including vines and tomatoes,
aro a certain success. Thoy yield as
tonishingly and are finely flavored.
Yields of CO bushels of wheat, 100 of
oats and 80 of hurley to the aoro aro
reported.
Orchards urn numerous and as a
rule of advanced ago. Nearly every
fimnor has from two to ten acres hear
ing fruit, both large and small. These
all find a ready sale, ut fair prices,
right at homo.
Jlr. II. J. Geer, tho pioneer nursery
man, ft 0111 whoso lemitiful grounds at
the timber line, the grand panoramic
view may be had of the Covo, with tho
vnnt hlrcteh of hay lands through
cos at A. N. Gardner
which meander the Gtando Rondo
river and Catherine creek, forming a
variegakd background, endorses tho
last sentence and adds that his tcn
nero hoplield has proved a bonanza for
seveial years.
DAIIiYINIi THK CKISAMKRY AND (MIKKSK
l.UTOIiV.
Nearly every farmer at the Cove
keeps milch cows from 10 to 100
each. These they are takiug pains to
grade up with either llolstcins, Short-
! horns or Jerseys; and tho result of
J their enterprise is already becoming
j manifest in the Cove creamery and
i cheese factory, where liguiesshow that
I the average yield of a fair milch cow
1 is seventeen pounds of butter por week
I for nine months in the year, if she is
j properly cared for.
i This cieamery was built by a local
' joint stock company at a cost of about
:?10U0. It is provided with a steam
I engine and all the latest, appliances,
( and has a capaiity of 10,000 pounds of
mill; per day.
Mr. .1. M. Seldor, tho secretary of
company, and a fanner and milkman
states that they aro now receiving
an average of 0200 pounds of milk per
day, which jields about 12") pounds of
butter and IRK) pounds of "half-cream"
cheese. He says a well graded cow
ought, to yield forty pounds of milk
per day off these fields.
Mr. .las. Payne, who owns a very
costly residence and 100 good cows,
has for several years conducted a
water power dairy and cheese factory
with satisfactory results. Ho has sus
pended operations for tho present, ow
ing to the pressure of other business.
.MININd AND THK I.U.M IIUKINCJ III'SINKSS.
Mill cicck, which flows through tho
village and carries a good volume of
water, with an average fall of ISO feet
to tho mile, has its sourco in tho
mountains to the northeast, and Hows
through u body of lino saw timber,
which could supply tho whole country
for years to come. It has but one saw
mill upon it. A shinglo mill and
planing mill aro also located at tho
edge of tho timber. Thero are oppor
tunities hero for lumbermen who can
command capital. Tho development
of this section has only commenced;
the O. it W. T. road is an assured
fact, and will pass neai tho Covo; and
it is only four miles to tho head of tho
sand ridge, so widely celebrated for its
vast production of grain. Mill creek
would furnish ' the necessary power,
and at little oxponso, to propel a hun
dred different factories, mills, etc., of
largo dimensions. But tho men of tho
Covo, though by no means poor, have
their money invested in other indus
tries, and to acquiro these .things,
money must bo had from abroad.
Tho enterprising citizens hero offer
great inducements to men of means,
who would embark in any of the many
manufacturing enterprises which a
careful examination of tho surround
ings could but convince almost any
one, would prove successful. Corres
pondence is already being had with
Eastern parties looking to tho erection
of a woolen mill here.
thi: "town"
is more liko a Now England village
than anything I have seen in the
Northwest. Yet it possesses no
"ha'ntcd houses," or dilapidated wid
ows' homes. Within a squaro milo
aro fi(5 residences; many of them make
quite an attempt at eleganco, for a
now country. Some of them aro well
embowered with ornamental trees,
flowering shrubs and rare (lowers.
The population to tho squaro milo is
27ft. Tho main street is fringed with
various ornamental trees.
Hero also wo find a rollor Homing
mill with a capacity of fifty barrels per
day; a furniture factory, a sash and
door factory, a chop mill and a tan
nery; two church edifices, a combined
Masonio and Odd Follows hall, a pub
lio hall and throe school buildings,
Tho creamery and nursery aro also in
cluded. Tho business row consists of two
largo, well-stocked mercantile estab
lishments, which curry nearly every
thing in tho way of goneral merchan
dise; ono drug and variety store, ono
blacksmith shop, one livery stable, two
boarding houses, 0110 butcher shop,
ono carpenter shop and ono shoemak
er shop. There aro two billiard halls,
but no liquor licenses aro granted by
Cunt tutted on tail piy.
& Go's Jewelry Store