7
COURIER. GRANTS PASS, OREGON. SEPTEMBER 22, 1903.
ROGUE RIVER
During the "Red
' n iu:u n nil
By Business Men
of Grants Pass
Dili oarua s win ub uiiutbu
u u
Letter Days
IS DEATH VALLEY AN
EXTINCT VOLCANO?
A Difference of Opinion Between
Government Geologlete end
Mining Engineer.
There if a decided difference of
opioiou between one niiuiuK man sod
the geological aurvey In regard to one
of the queerest hottmt and nioat dla
agroeable irte of tlie United 8Utea.
Death Vallej, Inyo county, Oal foruia,
ii the bone of contention and will
be omelhlng for the aolentlata to atody
before the iuwardueu out wardi dhi
of thii itrauge rrniou U siren in
proper pluoe in the gnologclal recorda.
Already the government inrTejron
hare laid: "Thin li a dead tea, a
dried np lake anoh aa might hare been
Id It day of moiit exlatenoe, a
counterpart of the Great Bait Lake. "
Gradually ita water receded, expoa
log to tho lint nouthein ion, tiie iBiida
which are declared to be aefernl huu
died feet below the tea level.
liut there ia a practical mining
maa, a rough and ready mining en
gineer, a man who liaa mailo a a udy
of rex k and strata and ali that, who
iraeuti to ua an entirely new vr
niou of the uncauuy regiou. The
gvntluniau ia C'ulonel Kilwurd lirowu
of Colorado, who has reeutly boou
detailed by the Huuta Ve railroad to
investigate the Touapah and Gold
Held diatrli-i in Nevada with a view
to aerertaiuiug ita ermaiieiit value an
a mining center. Tim Hanta J'e road
may some day wiah to extoiid it
roada Into Nevada and It will curt. In
ly do ao if conditions justify. Inci
dental to the trip to the mines tho
colonel traveled imo the great Haltou
desert and skirted the edge of Death
Valley.
Not being autislled with tlie report
which tho gnvonmeot atiporviaora had
made regarding the el lent hollow
where not an animate thing exista ex
cept the horned toad and the occa
alonal liard, tlie expert determined
to investigate for himself,
"Death Valley Is not a dried up In
land sea or hike in my opinion" said
the colonel. "It ia an extinct volca
no; ono that was ao Immense that
when it was active it could not have
reared It'a head above tho earth's sur
face less than JO miles. It was one
of the great phenomena of prehistoric
time time when meu did not people
the world but when all tilings Were
abnormal according to oor later day
Ideas.
Giant trees and giant reptiles, giant
mountains and giai.t birda that flew
around thoir miles high peaks. This
was the condition of the period of
the life of the Death Valley crater.
"Why do I draw these conclusions?
Well there is nothing to show that
an Inland sea or lake ever existia
where ia Death Valley. Tlie bottom
of the valley ia surfaced with a layer
of ashea In which is nothing of the
sediment which develop from the
evaporation of a body of water. The
edges of the valley are layers of ashes
aud there are traces of these deposit
or hundreds of mtlea from the depres
sion. "Another remarkable proof that the
valley waa once a great volcano are
the deep springs extant there. Many
of those are found in the valley and
some are apparently volcauio vents.
I had my men fasten a tup about my
waist aud I cautiously approached the
edge of one of these springs. It
was a peculiar hole wllh steep sides
that were likely to give way under
foot, being decomposed loose material
Fifty feet below tlie edge waa a body.
of blue water so clear that when I
threw a stoue into it it made my head
reel as I saw it go down, down hun
dreds of feet into the bottorolets fun
nel. "The water of the spring is im
pregnated with poisonous chemicals
and few of tho springs near Death
Valley can be, utilised for man or
beait.
"When this inouatnr mouiitain was
belching forth showers of lava and
slones It must have shaken the world.
It slowly burned out, crumbling
away with tlie centuries. It made a
desert of everything within 2D0 miles
of the place."
MARCH OF THE
GOLD DREDGERS
N. D. Crane Tell How They
Devastate California Orange
Orchard.
In view of the fact that a number of
drills have been at work prospecting
ground in Southern Oregon, more
particularly Josephine county, for the
purpose of determining whether thero
Is enouvh gold in the ground to make
It profitable for dredging operation,
the following account of how dredgers on application lit this cilice.
Interest to the people of this section:
"N. B. Crane, of OroviUe, Cal.,
formerly pioneer resldeut of Kast
Portlaud, who is sending a few
week In that city visiting dd-time
friends, has had eoma interesting ex
perience since he left Portland for
California 11 years ago. Mr. Crime
went to Oroville, on the Feather
River, which in the early days was
the aceue of mining operations. He
took up 00 acres of hind that had
composed some of the richest placer
mines lu the palmy dajs of Nortliern
rviifnmia. Around his land were
10,000 acre that had been mined, hut
which had become fine orange faru.s.
Without dreaming of the mining
dredger, which sweeps fi.rn.it and
prolific orchards oat of exigence,
Mr. Craue and his neighbors started
orange orchards. After years of per
sistent efforts these flourished, and
tlyn mining experts diisovcrud that
the land was still rich in gold, left
over in the exciting days of 'J'J. So
farm were gradually purchased and
tho dredger began their march over
and through the prolific farms and
beautiful orange groves.
"Tliesi farms Were purchased and
quickly desolated by the dredgers, "
say Mr. Craue, "ontU himlly tiiey.
reached my farm. I held on as long
as I could until the dredgers I. ml
turned into absolute ruin farinMill
around me. All about me was d so
lution as complete as could be made.
There was nothing left of the or
chards but piles of stone s find artli.
Aud mi I, too, Sold out my laud. In
the course of .time the I'l.dm) acres
of productive laud on Feather Kivcr
will be rendered absolutely worthless
by these dredgers that are slowly and
surely plowing up the orchur . and
ahstractiug the gold, so that the soil
will be unfit for cultivatiot- for the
next 100 years or more. The o w ners
of the dredgers make much niomy,
they pay good prices for the farms,
but It is a great pity to see tli" beau
tiful orange grove and rich farms
covering lO.fKH) acres along Finder
Kiver completely wiped out of ex
istence. Oroville was the renter of
the earliest orange belt in California,
and is now the greatest gold dredging
Hi Id in the world at the expense of tlie
orange groves. "
Do you know that, you run make a
five days visit to the F.xposition at
l'orthinil, including railroad fare anil
all expenses for -.''. M : ten davs
.'IA.9.'i full information can he secured
affect tho country will no doubt he of
t. 1'. Jester, Agt.
i
?
t
&
"2
i
i
?
i
3-Days Sale
...OF-
Solid
Gold
Rifles
.Letcher's
I havo 300 Solid Gold Rings set with Diamonds and other precious Stones
and for 3 DAYS ONLY I will give
25 Per Cent Off the Regular Price
Also a very largo line of Ladies' Gold and Gold Filled Long Chains and tho best
makes of Vest Chains.
Now is tho timo to buy Remember the 25 Per Cent off on Kings and Chains.
I have the largest Block of Ladies' and Gents Watches in Southern Oregonin Nickel,
Gold Filled and Solid Gold Cases, and my prices are right.
You will also find a largo assortment of Emblem Pins, Sleevo r.uttons, Neck
Chains, Ladies' Brooches, Cuff Pins, Blouse Pins, Gent' Fobs in Woven Wire and Ribbon.
Tho abovo goods will be sold as cheap as in Chicago, consid 'ring the quality.
Remember tho Place,
Letcher's Jewelry Store
TAILOR
...Special...
Wo have somo Special Bargains to oflcr our custo
mers at this time, which cur facilities for buying direct
from tho factory only render possible.
"NO NAMK" Hats, which sell the world over at
13.00, for a limited time only $-r0.
"MONARCH" Shirls, uniuestioniibly tlie most dur
able and bent fitting shirts on tlie market today. Regular
price, $ l.'JG; special price, if 1.00.
TAILORING.
Our new Kali Wo 'lens havo arrived, and we can as
sure you we have the finest lino of woolens on our tables
ever show n in this city. Suits to moasaio and to tit.
Call and look them over.
FURNISHE1
V
Critical Clothes Wearers
N demand
! .1 Made
f:'vV-t i W Clothes
i OZ They're
S-.' -V..- -
7
Good
They're
Right
'1-7' '
r :
They save you
money
The prices fit
your purse
CLOTHIER
WORKMEN'S CLOTHING.:
We are headquarters for the best work clothes in.
the market. v
'SWKET OUR" Overalls and Jumpers.
"Levi Strauss"-coppcr riveted overalls.
Flannel Shirts, Underwear and Sox.
"Washington Logger" Shoes.
MINERS' GOODS.
"Gold Seal" Boots aud Oil Clothing. Also "Water
proof Coats, Slickers, all lengths, black and yellow.
Woonsocket Rubber Boots, leather soled.
Fishermen's or Sportsmen's Knee Boots and Oil
Hats.
Piper's Wool Glove- and Mitts.
HATTER
We :.t!.e i '." ;-uro in announcing that we have
seen red 1 1 o r . : u - . . .i-cnev for this famous line of High
Grade ( 1. t'i ! If vo'i e nuunplato buying a winter suit,
don't bnv !' I ' re s -:ng this hue. The garments speak for
themselv e.
RED LETTER DAY BARGAINS i
Hdvn and Youth's Clothing tor three days, the -Sth, J'.ttli aiul SOtli, at ( OS P.
We mean what we say, these suits will poitivclv be so!d on these das at Net (!ot.
II A IS, vc have a number of broken lines of High (hade Hats whiehwe -hall
sell durirtg these days at eost to elean up our stock. No better time to get a line Hat
for a little money.
P INT DUKSS SIIOKS at great reduction during this sale. We will pay you to
.clean up broken lines.
"I'nealled for Tailor Made Suits." We have a number of uncalled for tailor
made Miits on hand, on which deposits of $5 and $10 have been paid. They are yours
for the remaining balance and they're bargains.
GRANTS PASS,
F. FETSCH
OREGON.