Wednesday, September 20, 1899
ME SUMNER MINER.
f
SURPRISING
SUMPTER.
HOW THE CAMP IMPRESSED AN
IDAHO NEWSPAPER MAN.
It b the Hub of the Gold Field, Which
Possesses the Miner's Trinity, Ore,
Water and TimberAll the Mountain
Roads Lead to Sumpter Writer Had to
Sleep in an Unfinished Shack Un
housed Crowd Some of the Mines in
Detail.
In the Boise Statesman of the sixteenth
Instant the following interesting letter,
written by Don Donaldson, from this
camp, is published:
Sumpter Is the Hub city, the very cen
ter of the richest mining district now be
ing developed in the world. Sumpter has
the miner's Trinity ore, water and tim
ber are in great abundance upon all sides.
Sumpter is the point to which every
one must go and return when visiting the
Cracker district, Canyon City, Frairle
City, Bourne, Granite, Red Boy, Gol
conda and Bonanxa. It is equally true
that every one in these big districts,
some of which are at the very door ol the
camp, must come to Sumpter lor supplies
and outfits; where all machinery is lauded
by rail; wherr large sawmills cut their
timbers and lumber; where in a few weeks
they will do their banking. The camp is
tilled with the best mining element ever
congregated together.
Up to the present year veryjlttle atten
tion was given Sumpter as a mining cen
ter, but when in January the Bonanza
mine was sold to the Standard oil people
tor one million dollars, prospectors and
investors began to flock into Sumpter;
tow 11 lots and other property began to be
gobbled up and values rose three fold.
Today the camp is fully 2,000 strong
and growing like a mushroom. Build
ings are going up on all sides. Hotel ac
commodations are inadequate (your cor
respondent being housed in a little cottage
in process of construction), though they
arc large. A newspaper, named THE
SUMMER MINER, is about to be pub
lished and is obliged to accept a barn as
an office for the present.
Extensive placer mining is being con
ducted within the town limits at the pres
ent time.
To show the strength of Sumpter's
backing and what she counts upon to
build her up and maintain her, a little
may be said In relation to a few of the
many rich mines that lie near by.
In the first place, attention is called to
the E. 4 E. ledge in the Cracker creek
district. This ledge runs northeast and
southwest, about 50 miles In length, the
Center of which is less than seven miles
Iroin Sumpter. On this ledge we first
find the North Pole, a mine of ij claims,
owned by Raring ot London. They have
a 50-1011 cyanide plant at work on this
mine and have more ore blocked nut than
any other mine in the United States.
This mine was sold a few years ago by
Jim Duckworth for 10,000 and was con
sidered a very large deal. Today It would
take a sum made up ot seven tigures to
luy It. , n
Then we come to' the E. 4 E. group of
i) claims, owned by St. Louis' people.
They are equippeJ with a 2o-stamp mill
and a chlorinatioii plant and have 15,000
leet of development work done. This
mine has paid 150,000 net per year for
three years.
The Columbia mine comes ne.st. It Is
owned by Minneapolis men and is work
ing :i io-stamp mill. The ore easily con
oentrates and amalgamates. The com
pany is installing a new holMlug and
compressor plant. It has been shipping
concentrates, some of which have gone as
high as $1,700 per ton, while 4c pti cent
has been saved. in tree gold Iroin the
plates. There are now about leady to
s.iip three carloads of concentrates. The
present owners have refused J 1,000,000
tor the mine and consider it one of the best
properties in the World.
Leaving the Columbia, we almost stum
ble upon the famous Golconda mine,
which Statesman readers have heard so
much about of late. This mine has 2,000
feet of development and is operating a
loo-ton bromine plant. It was at the
2oo-foot station that they found the rich
ore which runs about Jio.ooo, somejof
which runs as high as 200,000 per ton.
They have not as yet found the length or
breadth of this pay chute 'which seems to
widen as they go down They have to
date ore to the Value of over f 500,000
ready to ship.
We neM find the Mountain Bell, which
P. E. Polude.Nter sold to the Standard oil
people. A very strong ledge Is in sight
and big development has begun.
Then we find the Amazon and Cupid
mines. owneJ by Pittsburg parties. They
have begun development with n large
force of 4iien.
The Anna, Lulu and Rainbow mines
come next on this famous ledge. These
mines are of high grade ore. Active w ork
is going on.
We next find the Bunker Hill group,
owned by Captain Thompson and Angus
McQueen and associates. They have
done 1,000 feet of tunneling and are'erect
lug a well equippeJ hoisting plant.
Leaving the Cracker district, we jump
over to the Ibex ledge, which is parallel to
theE.&E. ledge.
On this ledge we first find live clai ms
purchased by Michigan parties last Janu
ary for 6$,ooo. They have in this sliort
space of time blockeJ out a half million
of ore, which is the same kind as is found
in the Golconda and Columbia. They
are blocking out ore sufficient to run a
2o-stamp mill.
The Rail Mountain mine is found on
this ledge and is owned by Michigan par
ties. They have run a tunnel 150 feet
and a shaft 100 feet and found a large
body of high grade ore.
The Midnight mine has been bonded
for f 10,000 by Mr. Hayward of Colorado,
and active development begun.
Then we find the old Mammoth group,
which includes the old Mammoth, Bell of
Raker, Cold Hill and Red Pox mines,
which have been stocked at 1,000,000
and active development begun.
We then pass over to the Cove dis
trict, where the ore Isof an entirely differ
ent character, it being a high grade silver
and lead of high value. This whole dis
trict is a perfect network of ledges and all
the spurs or feeders seem to be as rich as
the mother lode.
In the Cove district we find the Impe
rial or ( Jray Eagle group of mines, con
taining 1 ) claims, 6 of which are on the
main ledge. This group carries an enor
mous body of gooJ smelting ore and they
have now blocked out a halt million
dollars worth ot high grade ore for ship
ping. Then we see the California miue,whlch
has 3,000 teet of development work done.
It has a io-stamp mill and Is tak
ing out large quantities of shipping ore.
We find also the Herculean, the Don
nelly, the Raby M'Kee and others on this
ledge, all in an active stage of develop
ment, but I must stop for space.
Let us next go over the La Bellevue
district, which is better known as the
Granite district.
There we find this property bonded by
Bamberger & Keefe, of Salt Lake, who
have run 10,000 feet of tunnels and
are shipping quantities of high grade con
centrates. We find, also, the Buffalo mine, which
is a small vein of high grade rich ore,
work being pushed and 2,000 feet of de
velopment work done.
The Magnolia group, managed by W.
L. Vinson, Was only begun to be devel
oped a lew months ago, but he has opened
up a large body ot high grade ore and is
'putting in .1 io-stamp mill. Mr. Vinson
, also has the Maiden's Dream and Little
, Giant mines, which are In an active state
of development and mills for both of
which are now 011 the track at Sumpter.
I The Cougar, a mine of si claims. Is In
' the Granite district. The development
consists of a soo-foot tunnel on the ledge,
which shows up an ore body that will
average eight feet from wall to wall, the
entire body being of high grade milling
, ore. They have a shaft sunk no feet
the ore across the bottom of which aver
ages i62 per ton. They are putting in
a 2so-ton cyanide plant which will be In
operation in four weeks.
The Success, which joins the Cougar,
was bonded recently by P. E. Polndexter
for Jo,ooo. This mine has a uo-toot
tunnel and a 25-foot shaft and active de
velopment will be begun at once.
Leaving the Granite district four miles
we find the famous Red Boy mine, which
is only 18 miles from Sumpter. So much
has been said of this mine this notice of
it may be brief. It has probably the best
equipped 20-stamp mill In operation In the
United States. The mine is paying jo,
i 000 monthly dividends.
There is still the Greenhorn district in
which there are a score of mines In active
stage of development.
We must not forget the great Bonaua
group, which is In the most advanced state
of development of any in the section, and
which has in operation forty stamps
working night and day upon high grade
milling ore and is paying J 50,000 monthly
dividends.
There are scores ol other mines w hlch
have brilliant futures before them. There
are fully 1,500 prospectors in the moun
tains adjacent to Sumpter.
'
1
Phil V.
Nebergall
&'3SW$
practical
Sia,H Writer
lioiise
painter ant1
Decorator.
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