Rogue River courier., April 28, 1911, Image 1

tol. xxvn.
GRANTS PASS, JOSEPHINE COUNTY, OREGON. FIIIDAY, APRIL 28, 1011
No. 4.
V
F
MINING IS NOW BEGINNING IN
:U DEAD EARNEST
?AY ROLL $3000 A DAY
New Discoveries Are Being Report
I ed and Old Mines Again
Being Opened
f BY C. L. MANGUM.
The enormous sum of $250,000,
000 In gold have been taken from
mines la districts tributary to Grants
Pass and yet the great reserve has
Jiardly been touched.
, "Where Ignorance Is bliss, ' tls fol
ly to be wise" Is considered by some
unthinking people as a maxim of
merit, but to me It Is 6lmply a Jum
bled mass of mud which too fre
quently forms a moss-covered wall,
the shadows of which conceal the per
sonal Identity of the ever-present pes
simist who can see no good results
In any line of business except the one
Ie which he Is engaged. We too
often hear some person say that
"mining Is a risky business." We ad
mit the truthfulness of the assertion,
hut we most earnestly deny the In
ference that It Is the only "risky
business." Every line where capital
In employed has Its perils. Mining
IONS
ROM
TRIBUTARY
MINES
Vj. Companies fall, merchants meet with
reverses, canneries quii, Bawimus
V'bust up" and even banks go under
and the man that sees only the dark
side of the picture and falls to rec
ognize, the fact that In every line
there are many splendid examples of
successes that should Inspire heart
iest applause, might well he classed
' ns "an undesirable citizen."
Of course, there are some dishon
est men In the mining business, there
are also some of the same class In
'every business; even the banking
business Is not exempt from this mis
fortune. Are we to condemn the
twenty-three thousand bank presi
dents In the United States because
one of their number, Mr. Blgelow,
who formerly occupied the exalted
position of president of the Amerl
ran Bankers' association, Is now serv
ing time In the Leavenworth pent
tentlary for looting the bank of which
he was president?
Mining Is Permanent
The mining business Is here to
;stay. It came here first and It Is
'going to be the last to leave. How
many of the business men of this
(dty realize the fact that the mines
;of Siskiyou. Jack son and Josephine
'counties have produred more than
' J2r.0. 000. 000 In eold dust and that
"jthe great quartz ledges that form the
'matrix, from which the "dust" was
' j! forced by winter storm and summer
jr theat during the ages too old to name,
have only boon scratched on their
: outcrop? .Mining Is Just now begin
ning In dead "earnestness," and the
1 business men of Grants Pass Bhould
i poet themselves as to what is trans
I pil ing in the numerous camps, from
I which they are receiving an Immense
patronage. How many merchants in
$ this city know that only a few weeks
' ago three mines In this county were
sold for $480,000. and that the pur
chasers are men of Infrge Capital
S ' who understand the science or min
l) Ing. and who expect to equip the
I mines which they bought with mod
I . em machinery that will require an
J additional expenditure of at least
ft V LI . nlllln. jtsOlaraV
Big ry Rolls
The mines of Josephine county are
v at this time paying out for labor and
supplies more than $3,000 a day, and
' if we add to this sum the amount
,1 being paid out by Jackson and Sls
f klyon counties we will have a grand
? total of at least $300,000 a month,
a sum equal to If not larger than
that paid out by any other on line
of busings for the same length of
time In the three counties.
I do not believe that the business
men of this city have been "knock-
'f Ing" the mining business, but I am
sorry to state that I do know to
(Continued on rage 3.)
RECOMMENDS CHEMICAL
AND HOSE ADTO FOR CITY
As a result of the agitation for
more fire apparatus of a modern
type, and after considerable Investi
gation by members of the fire and
water committee of the city council,
It was recommended to the council
last night by the committee that a
combination chemical and hose auto
wagon be purchased. '
The committee, In Its report, stated
that while first cost of an auto fine
wagon was greater than a horse
drawn vehicle, yet upkeep expenses
were far less, and In the long run the
auto apparatus was much cheaper
and much more to be desired.
Another feature of the auto wagon,
It Is claimed, Is that this vehicle will
transport double the amount of hose
to a fire than a horse drawn wagon,
that It will get there quicker and that
It will travel In mud wherever horses
can go and draw a wagon.
The council closed a deal for 500
feet of fire hose; also provided for
new couplings for all fire hose now
owned by the city.
The "Standard" coupling will be
used, the device In universal use In
modern fire departments.
Following ordinances were passed
under suspension of the rules: Or
dinance for sale of bonds for South
Sixth street macadam, $11,206.81.
Ordinance for Bale of bonds for
grading of Eighth street, $1093. 25.
Ordinaace for sale of bonds for
sewer on Seventh, A and Olive
streets, $478.43.
Street Paving
Ordinance declaring Intention to
pave with bltuKthlc Sixth street
from north line of B street to south
line of Evelyn avenue. A feature of
this paving Is that the pavement will
be 56 feet In width to the Intersection
of A. street, same width as down
town, and beyond the Intersection of
A It Is to be 36 feet In width.
Ordinance declaring Intention to
pave B street with bitullthle from
east line of Sixth to west line of
seventh, with cement sidewalks both
sides.
Petitions
A petition was filed, signed by
Arthur Edgerton and others, asking
that an alley be opened for public
use in blocks C and H, Jonathan
Eourne, Jr., addition. Referred t?
street committee.
Petition signed by H. J. Clark and
others asked that I street be Im
proved with macadam from the east
line of sixth street to the west line
of eight street, and from the west
line of Sixth to the eaBt line ol
Fourth; also to construct cement
curbs on said street. The street com
mittee reported favorably on this
petition and the city engineer was
Instructed to draw plans and speci
fications. The fire and water committee re
ported favorably on a petition of the
Grants Pass Iron and Steel works and
others for a fire hydrant at the
corner of Foundry and Dlmlck
streets.
More Cluster Lights
The council decided to have clus
ter lights installed at all corners of
paved streets.
Ordinance amending ordinance li
censing sale of cigarettes was read
for the third time and laid on the
table.
Ordinance amending ordinance
granting gas franchise, which pro
vided for striking out of that clause
In original ordinance giving the city
the right to purchase after 21 years,
was also laid on the table after Its
third reading.
TO SELL ADAMS RANCH
IV 10-ACRE TRACTS
The Adams ranch at New Hope has
been sold to W. E. Dean, C. W. Trlp
lett, Otto J. Knlpps and John A.
Dale. These gentlemen have Incor
porated under the laws of the state
;f Oregon, which corporation will be
known as the New Hope Develop
ment company. They have subdivid
ed a part of their holdings Into ten
acre tracts and have planted on them
n.ore than 2000 fruit trees.
This land will be placed on the
market and should make very desir
able tracts, as It Is located only sli
miles from Grants Pass at the town
of New Hopo on the Grants Pass A
nogue River railway. The soil Is
well adapted for both fruit and truck
farming.
J
I GOLD
BY LESSEES
One of the largest In volume and
one of the richest gold discoveries
In the history of mining In western
America is reported on a quartz
property in the Kerby district, owned
by Assayer L. G. Hlgglns, formerly
a resident of Grants Pass. It Is de
clared by conservative men that
$2,000,000 or more In free gold Is
actually In sight.
The discovery was made a month
ago, but has been kept under cover.
The property lies 20 miles north
west of Kerby on the summit be
tween Rancheil Creek, which runs
westerly, and Baby Foot, running
easterly. The ledge consists of a
porphyry dike of an average width
of 300 feet, and lies between ser
pentine and slate. The metal was
found at the contact of the dike and
the serpentine. The rich zone of the
dike Is 50 feet wide, and It Is de
clared to be true that It will pan
$50 to $100 to the pan. A crosscut
tunnel has cut the dike and It Is
stated that two millions of dollars
In free gold is exposed in the work
ings and on the surface. The rich zone
ie oxidized, and the yellow metal Is
thick in the rusty ore. A large
amount has been piled on the dump.
The property has been under lease
for some time, the cross-cut tunnel
being run by the lessees. When they
entered the rich zone .they had so
much gold In sight that they tele
graphed to Mr. Hlgglns,, who was
then in a hospital In Portland, to
come and help them take care of the
wealth. They were startled by the
great strike and considered Jt wise
to Inform thi owner of the property
at once. t
Mr. Hlgglns has been living near
the scene for about two years, de
veloping another quartz property, on
which he has a snail mill. Recent
ly he was compelled to go to Port
land for treatment for an affected
ear. When he received the tele
gram calling him to the mine, he
departed at once and now on the
ground. The big strike Is Just two
miles from his other property, which
Is, on the headwaters of the Chetco.
It is said that the lessees have only
about one month of operation before
their lease expires, but even with this
hort time ahead their discovery has
made them rich.
Several persons In Grants Pass
learned of the find last week and
have gone to the scene. It Is sale1
that a foot of snow yet covers that
region, but the warm days now on
will rapidly clear it away. That a
stampede to the new discovery an 1
surrounding territory will result Is a
prediction of The Courier's Informant.
A. E. Voorhles, publisher of the
Kogue River Courier, and F. D. Tow
el returned Thursday from a trip
-,o the Hlgglns mine, the scene of the
new gold strike, 20 miles northwest
of Kerby, In the Chetco or Red
Mountain district, and report that
Hlgglns has much gold.
The two gentlemen left Grants
Pass Monday morning by auto to
Kerby, from Kerby by horseback to
Anderson's ranch on the Illinois
river at the fUh hatchery. At An
derson's they met Mr. Hlgglns, and
accompanied him four miles to the
mine, making an ascent of 3000 feet
In the four miles, Considerable
snow yet remains In that region, but
in patches and not a disturbing fac
tor to travelers. The party remained
overnight at the mine. They have
no provision for lodging strangers,
but Mr. Hlgglns and the lessors of
the mine, C. M. Gage and G. S. Ross,
gave up their bed and slept on a
mattress spread on the floor, Insist
ing that the visitors should occupy
the couch. In the morning the dig
gings were Inspected and the return
tilp made In time to reach Anderson's
for dinner. From Anderson's they
went to Selma, where they spent the
night. On Wednesday morning they
were met by one of the machines of
the McLean Auto company, which
left Grants Pass at 6:10 a. m. for
Sol ma tnd the party arrived at
Grants Pbrs at 1:80 a. m., being one
of the quickest round trips over this
44 miles of difficult road on record.
The slay of Messrs. Voorhles and
Tower at the mine was of too brief
0 D
SHE MADE
OF HIGIIS MI
duration to get a line exactly on the
geological formation, especially tn
view of the fact that so little work
has been done; nevertheless, they
found that Hlgglns and the two les
sees were workln gin dirt that will or
has already made them rich. A clear
ly defined bold ledge Is not In evi
dence so far, but the diggings are In
a friable formation, which appears
to be the decomposed and oxidized
upper cone of a quartz ledge. The
men are working this after the man
ner of a placer, ground sluicing the
rich friable material Slide matter
covers the formation. When the
lessees trailed the gold to this rich
deposit It became necessary to strip
the overburden, which they did by
ground sluicing, then working the de
composed matter through the sluices,
gathering the rich concentrates. They
lost much gold in ihe process, but
as their lease was about to expire,
they made speed. Slower work would
have saved a greater per cent of the
metal, but the swifter work saved
more dollars in gold. When Mr. Hlg
glns arrived he changed matters by
extending the life of the lease
through the season and all hands ar
ranged a second set of sluices, with
less pitch and a system of under
currents, and are now saving about
95 per cent of the metal. The exca
vatlon has uncovered exceedingly rich
dirt, which in the past two weeks
has afforded box concentrates valued
at from $50,000 to $60,000. This
valuable stuff Is nailed up in two
bins, which will later be run through
a stamp mill. The work of sluicing
will be continued and It Is safe to
say that several fortunes will come
out, and in a brief time at that.
Now the question is, are they work
Ing on the top of a quartz ledge? This
seems to he the belief. Hlgglns some
time ago projected a cross-cut tun
r.et located some distance down the
hill, which he expects to cut a quarts
ledge, or rather, this particular ledge,
the decomposed surface of which he
18 now supposed to be working. The
breast of this tunnel is supposed to
have already reached near!y to the
ledge.
Mr. Voorhles and Mr. Tower state
that while they could see no reason
for the report that there are two
million dollars in sight, they found
a wonderful showing and what will
perhaps prove to be one of the most
valuable strikes In the state.
The rich deposit occurs In the
"Golden Dream," a mine that has
been worked for two or more seasons,
and lies less than 100 feet from the
spot where Mr. Hlgglns secured over
12000 by ground sluicing in the
ceason of 1909-10. Mr. Hlgglns has
spent every winter since 1905, ex
ceptlng the past one, In this district
and was aware that the mine was a
This last winter he spent
In Portland and leased the mine to
C. M. Gage and G. 8. Ross for a peri
od of six months. The leaso being
about to expire, the lessors started
work at a point which they consider
ed carried the bst values, with the
result that they uncovered what ap
pears to be a deposit of decomposed
ledge matter, something like 15 feet
across, which yields from $50 to $70
to the pan.
The news of the strike was wired
to Mr. Hlgglns at Portland and he
Immediately went to the mine and
then commenced a systematic work
ing of the ground where the strike
was made.
Messrs. Hlgglns, Qago and Ross
have made an agreement not to di
vulge the amount of gold secured to
een an estimate. Of the amount
mined or uncovered, a careful estlrn
Me made those who have seen earn
pies of the concentrates panned,
flares the amount of gold alrendy
secured as heretofore stated, at be
tween $50,000 and $60,000. As yet
the work has only Just begun and
there Is at least another $50,000 un
covered, which will be run through
the ground sluice.
The whole aide of the mountain
has been staked by prospectors, who
sre flocking to tbe Chetco country.
Snow has been deep on the moun
tain and some of the miners have
Cont):nnd on Pr Four.)
WANTS WORLD TO KNOW
OF OUR RICH MINES
"It is strange Indeed," remarked
Grants Pass mining man today to
The Courier, "that the wonderfully
rich gold hearing belt running
through this region Is allowed to He
undug and unsung when other por
tions of the world are being raked in
efforts to find gold.
"Think of the millions that await
the coming of capital. Our own
people are to blame to some extent
for the absence of mining money.
Comprehensive advertising should
be undertaken to let the world
know the facts. An Incident hap
pened near here a few days ago
which if it had occurred elsewhere
in the United States or any foreign
country would have created a sensa
tion and a stampede. L. T. Currier, of
thlc city, early last winter excavated
tc bed rock on a placer claim on
Brlggs creek. He let the dirt He in
pile. A few weeks ago he went
to the claim and lying on the dirt
exposed to full view, was a gold nug
get halt as big as a man's hand and
weighed $130. Tbe chunk of gold
was exposed by the winter rains. It
was exhibited in Grants Pass, yet It
caused not a ripple on the placid
surface of our contented existence.
"We must advertise our rich gold
territory. Grants Pass can easily be
the leading city of southern Oregon
it it would."
RIVAL ELECTRIC COMPANIES
FIGHT IN ASHLAND
ASHLAND, April 26. Two rival
tower companies the Rogue River
Electric company and the Siskiyou
Electric Light & Power company
are about to lock horns in a struggle
for control of this section of south
ern Oregon.
The occasion Is the opening of the
Afhland municipal power lights In a
couple of weeks. This, It Is now
claimed, will Invalidate a long time
contract between the two rival com
lanles, whereby the Rogue River
company vacated the local territory
In1 favor of the Siskiyou company.
Both are now bidding for the con
tract to supply the city with the ne
cessary power to supplement the
municipal plant, and It is said that a
bitter fight is about to open between
two corporations.
'i'. Hay, of Medford, representing
the Rogue River Electric company,
was in the city Inst week, and held
an extended conference with Mayor
Nell on the subject of supplementing
1 ho' municipal electric power plant
w ith power from tha Gold Ray plant.
The Siskiyou company has offered
to sell the elty all Its equipment and
franchise In Ashland. If the city will
not operate Its new municipal power
plant except In case of emergency
nnd get all Its power from that com
pany for a long period of years.
Tie city hns neither accepted nor re
jected either propositions as yet.
MOTHER FIGHTS TIH'GS
AT MIDNIGHT HOI R
PORTLAND, April 27. Though
badly beaten by three men, who she
said, entered her home at midnight
for the alleged purpose of kidnap
ing her 17-year-old daughter, Am
eta, Mrs. Tonilna Agostlno succeed
ed In holding her assailants oft un
til neighbors, aroused by her screams,
arrived to aid her. During the
melee the girl's clothing was torn
from her body by one of the men.
Finding themselves baffled the trio
backed from the house, after firing
two shots at Mrs. Agostlno, Jumped
Into a wagon drawn by a single horse
and escaped.
TWO WOMEN AKIIE8TF.I)
IN DIAMOND ROIinERY
CHICAGO, April 27.-Tim police
today arrested two women residents
f a south side rooming house, In
front of whl'h, the automobile used
!y the four men who robbed Albcrtl
Si Son, Jewelers, of $25,000 In gems,
was seen to stop. The women fur
iilHhcd descriptions of two callers,
I who tnlly, the police say, with two
of the thieves. Detectives believe that
some one familiar with the inside of
Albertl'a store planned and expected
the robbery.
GQVERNK
IENT WINS
OREGON LAND SUIT
FINAL SETTLEMENT WILL
BB
DELAYED MANY MONTHS
JOSEPHINE COUNTY LAND
if
Government Fiully Wins,
Timber Tract Go to For
est Reserve
All
PORTLAND, April 24. In Its
suit for the recovery of 2,500,000
acres of land, valued at $75,000,000,
from the Southern Pacific railroad.
Judge Wolverton, In the United
States circuit court today rendered a
decision finding for the government
in every contention.
The land is located in western and
southern Oregon and follows the line
of the railroad through the southern
part of the state. The declEon pur
poses throwing out of court both the
croRs-complalnants and lntervenors
in the suit, which Include 65 settlors
who claimed rights to portions of the
land Involved in the action.
The court overruled the demurrer
of the Oregon & California railroad,
a rart of the Southern Pacific , to
the government's complaint and sua- ,
talntd the demurrer of the railroad
company to the cross-complaints of
the actual settlers on some of the
land In question known as the "Laf
ferty lntervenors and also all ln
tervenors who came Into the suit af
ter filing of the government's com
plaint." Attorneys for the Southern Paci
fic have not yet determined what ac
tion they will follow, but it is expect
ed that the case will be carried to
the United States court. William D.
Fcnton, chief counsel for the railroad,
said he was confident that the rail
road would finally win. He said the
decision reduced the question to one
between the government and the
railroad.
The decision comprised 25,000
words and it required three hours to 1
lender It.
When congress gave the land grant
to tbe Oregon & California railroad,
since absorbed by the Southern Pa
cific, It provided in the grant that
the company should sell it to actual
settlers in tracts not to exceed 160
acres to each ucttler and at a price
oi not nioro than $2.50 an acre. This
wan dono with a view of bringing
about a rapid settlement of Oregon.
Tho government alleges, however,
that as much ns 1000 acres of land
was sold to single individuals In dl
lolntlon of contract, and tbe
Kovernmcnt In September of 1908
took action ask lug for cancellation of
the pal ent of tho tract,
Previously, A. W. Lnfferty, now a
congrcHHiuan, hnd filed a suit against
the company that tho title be given
to C5 persons, who asserted they had
settled on tho tract and had been re
fused title. In Its action the govern
ment Included these peoplo In Its su't .
for recovery.
Tho suit Is based upon two grants
to tho Oregon &. California railroad.
The first grnnt was mado In 1866 and
'C8 and '69; tho second In 1870.
These gave the railroad the right to
every other section of land on each
side of Its right of way, provided the
Hue had actually been coiiHtrueted.
There was not much sale for the
lands until after the panic of 1 893,
when tho railroad company raised its
price to $10 an acre. This was after
the Oregon & California had been ab
sorbed by the Southern Pacific.
Special Proaecntor Townsend, in
charge of the government's case, de
clared that this was a violation of
tho articles of the grant, while the
railroad attorneys asserted that the
government had no right to stipulate
at what prlcn tnn Isrulu were tfl. rrj
SALT 14
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