Wednesday, September 27, 1899
THE SUMPTER MINER.
-
M
k
RETURNS AFTER 19 YEARS.
How Sumpter and Vicinity Impresses a
Man After That Long Absence.
Hon. J. H. KobbiiiSi of La Grande, Is
at the Sagamore, having returned here
Thursday by the Sumpter Valley railway
from a week visit to Sumpter, Granite
and many of the surrounding mines.
Mr. Hobbins is ex-receiver of the U. S.
laud office, and Is now manager and vice
president of the Chicago Store company;
whose mercantile establishment In the
"sugar city" is the largest of the kind in
Union county.
This gentleman's younger days were
passed in the now famous gold fields
about Sumpter and Granite. From 1864
to 1880 his father, Harvey Hobbins, had
trading posts at Sumpter, Granite, Robin
sonville and North Fork; also operating a
sawmill. He conducted a hotel at the
Monumental mine, and at various periods
was identified with almost every Import-1
ant enterprise in a big scope of country, j
Mr. Hobbins in an informal talk with a 1
Democrat representative remarked regard '
lug his week visit in the gold fields:
"I left that country nineteen years ago
and have not visited it for about nine
years. The country Is now truly great
and the vast changes are to me truly wen:
derful.
"Resides the present milling facilities,
there are being erected in the country I
visited four up to date quart, mills. Hut
if I told you of the many Improvements
which I myself saw it would till columns
of your paper.
"Everywhere I went I found people
busy and did not see an Idle man. You
meet scores of newcomers, on horseback,
011 toot or In vehicles. They all seem to
have on hand Important business and
rush along as though they were on the
chase of a sure thing, mighty good thing.
"Sumpter is enterprising In the fullest
sense ot the word and is growing rapidly.
There will be oilier good mining camps,
hut Sumpter has even now plenty of
nearby mines to always maintain her as a
city of very considerable milling and com
mercial importance. It may be booming
there, but the boom is one of the kind
w hich has a solid bottom which will never
drop out.
"( iranite lias just started but she has a
good lot of the same active, working min
ing fever everywhere manifested in Sump
ter. It will not be long until at least live
good quart, mills arc thundering away 011
pay rock within easy reach of (iranite
and I would not be at all surprised to see
a splendid camp there in the not distant
future.
"Willie there is sure to be a mighty
good city at Sumpter and an important
point at Granite, you may say that it is
my opinion that nothing on earth will
ever take from Baker City her place as
Oregon's principal mining center. The
people of Sumpter and Granite and of
those golden mountains generally are
made of the true American stuff which
does not wait for prosperity, but makes it
by rustling. Hut Haker City's central
position will continue here as the chief '
mining center among sill the other im
portant points in Hastem Oregon, among
which will always be the wide-awake city
of Suinpter." Baker City Democrat.
Abandoned Mines Prove Valuable.
The alternating periods of depression
and revival of mining, such as we have
experienced during the past decade, al
most invariably prove to be conditions
that are needful and appear as though
providentially designed. The resumption
of work In old, neglected mines, and the
reconquest of abandoned and depopulated
camps lias resulted in many startling rev
elations of discovery for which the his
tory of mining in America during the past
twenty years furnishes the most valuable
precedents. For instance, when at a
depth of 1 50 feet the Congress mine in
Montana was dtemrd a worthless prop
erty. Now, at 800 feet, it is held at
valuation of f j,ooo,ooo. The Fortunia at ' ,
1500 feet was sold for 5140,000, It is now j ;
valued at more than 53,000,000. The
famous Copper Queen mine, Arizona, Is
to be placed in the same category. An-
propos, the recent habllitatlon of numer-'i
tuts old mines and camps of Colorado has I
been fruitful of many Immediately happy
results, and among these the old pioneer
district of Empire can be cited as a bright
and promising example. Mining Reporter.
MINE OWNERS, ATTENTION I
Call for a Meeting to Organise a Mining l
District.
There will be a mass meeting of the I
mine owners of Cracker Greek, Red Hoy, '
Granite, Bonanza, and all other camps in '
tills vicinity, at Ellis opera house, Sump-
ter, Oregon, Saturday, October 7th, at 2
p. m., for the purpose of forminu a recti-1
larly organized mining district, making
laws, rules and regulations defining its
limits and transacting such other business
as may be necessary for the formation of
such district. Signed:
JOHN RHODIN, J. F. CUIMD,
F. L. Hl-ALV, A. J. STITSON.
S. CHAPMAN, LEVI SMITH.
CHARI.HS S.WARRI-N. VV.C. CALDI-R,
J. W. DUCKWORTH, A. L. MCEWF.N.
E. l. manning and many otiii-rs.
Developing the Black Cat and Carbon.
John Harris, of Spokane, who bought
and incorporated the Black Cat and Car
bon claims on Ibex mountain last winter, ' 1
was here with G. C. Munro, the I
managing director of the company, and
paid a visit to the property last week.
Mr. Harris says the ledge In a big one,
running about parallel witli the Ibex lead.
The cropping of quart, are very large,
but somewhat broken up on the surface.
The character of the quart, is almost
identical with that from the Ibex. A
good deal of surface prospecting has been
necessary to locate the right position for
a shaft. It will take some little time to
determine the width and values on the
lead. A cabin and blacksmith shop are,
in course of erection, preparatory to get
ting in supplies tor the winter.
Van Duyn Be Swiggctt, Brokers.
C. S. Van Duyn has resigned his posi
tion with W. C. Calder, to engage in the
real estate and brokerage business. He ,
has formed a partnership with L. V.
Swlggett and opened an office temporarily
In the parlor of his popular hotel, the Van
Duyn. Mr. Swlggett, before coming to
Sumpter, was engaged in the real estate"
business at Butte, Montana. They are
both rustlers, and courteous gentlemen,
thoroughly up in the business, familiar
with the local situation and are sure to
occupy a conspicuous position as mining
and real estate brokers hi this prolific tield.
Fine job printing done at Till: MlNKR
office.
Sumpter
Hardware
Company.
General Hardware, Stoves
and Ranges. Mill and Mining
( Supplies. All kinds of build
ers and Plumbers supplies.
U.
Agents For
Schuttler Wagons....
j
The Red Front.
SOME NEW
SUGGESTIONS .. .
Ladies.
I. Mil LION.
M V. MOIT.
We have Just received a line new
line of Dress Goods, Exclusive Patterns,
Dress Skirts and Trimmings, Outing
Flannels, Ties, Ribbons, Laces, Under
wear, Etc.
Men's Wear,
The latest shapes In F'all and Win
ter Hats.
We carry the iro. G. Snow Shoes.
All the weights in Seasonable Underwear.
STO'I I A SHELTON,
Attorneys at Law.
MIMI'l i:k.
OHftiON.
W. A. SAMMS,
ARCHITECT,
HAKI-R CITY, OREGON.
Reliable plans, specification-, and esti
mates furnished.
P. E. POINDEXTER,
MINING OPERATOR,
SUMl'TEK, OHriiON
Mine raamlnrJ nj rrpdlcd un. Rcfrrrrxe.
any tutnr cr mlnlnj; man In Sumpter.
Just Look at This.
A FEW ITEMS IN
TABLE DELICACIES.
J.;,
Gordon & Dillworths Port, Cognac
and Sherry Jellies, English Plum Pud
dings, Orange Marmalade, Peach, Straw
berry and Raspberry Jams, and many
other good things for the stomach's sake.
;,ll
w. c.
THE RED FRONT.
, Prop.
Sumpter, Oregon.