Wednesday, October n, 1899.
THE SUMPTER MINER.
READ AND
REFLECT
SOME SOUND ADVICE TO OWNERS-OF
PROSPECTS.
Poor Butineti Policy to Demand a Bono
of Prospective Buyer for the Privilege
of Developing Your Own Claim. Such
Method Will Scrioutly Injure the Dbtrict.
There Is a (rowing belief In the minds
of outside mining men, that while there
is no question as to the merits of the
Sumpter ore belt, it is Impossible to ob
tain anything like a reasonable opportu
nlty to develop prospects held by a certain
class of claim owners In this section.
The Intelligent, trained, experienced pros
pector, who has seen something of the
commercial side of life, knows how diffi
cult It is to Influence capital, and is al
ways reasonable In his demands, but the
unreasonable attitude of a numerous class
of claim owners will certainly result in
keeping capital out of the district, and
more than offset every effort thus far
made to attract men of means to enter
and develop this field, and thus retard, If
not completely check, the development of
one of the greatest gold belts In America,
and In the end become a lot of worthless,
undeveloped claims in the hands of their
owners, who will foolishly lose the op
portunity to benefit themselves and the
camp.
If the former owners of the Little
Giant had taken this unreasonable and
selfish position, there would have been no
mine or mill there today. They gave per
mission to those who were willing and
able to find a mine, to work their property
and received wages on their own property
while It was being developed, and Inside
of a year sold their mine for )o,ooo. It
would seem that examples like this would
instill a little business sense Into the
heads of the class referred to, who, like
the proverbial "dog In the manger," will
neither eat nor allow anyone else to.
There are men in tills camp owning
claims, upon which there Is not a hole big
enough to cover a hat, who cannot tell a
man whether their ore runs a nickel or a
dollar a ton, have no conception of the
law of averages, who demand a bonus of
every intending Investor for the mere
risky privilege of discovering a mine.
This Is a part of the history that has re
tarded the growth of all camps, but there
are more men here who know nothing of
the value of their ore than any spot I
know of. What they are working for Is
hard to discover. They might as well dig
a hole In a snow bank. The writer re
cently visited a mine where the owner
claimed lie had been robbed by the last
leaser. When asked what his ore aver
aged per ton, he did not know. The mys
tery is how he knew he had been robbed.
The woods are full of these fellows who
continually make the mistake by assuming
the other fellow doesn't know anything.
The law of retribution Is certain to follow
these mistaken notions. It is possible
that these men will get over this delusion
some day, as they sigh for lost opportu
nities and In the remote future have the
sweet satisfaction of knowing that they
are the sole owners of a piece of ground
600x1500 feet that they can leave to their
heirs.
A man or company that puts money in
to a prospect with a view to find a mine,
Is certainly taking a big per cent of the
chances, while the owner of Jthe claim
takes none. He Is sure of wages while
prospecting his own ground. If a mine Is
found, his chance for a sale Is good, if not
he is ahead of the game anyway. The
utter absurdity of asking an investor)
from one to five thousand dollars for the
privilege of spending more thousands on
a non-producing claim, Is apparent to
anyone who will give it a moment of
thought. The forfeit asked is generally
the limit of the owner's faith in the claim,
otherwise he would work his ground or
allow others to do so.
As a rule, the milling gold ores of this
and other gold districts, are not poor
men's propositions, except where the
owner can develop and sell. Even if de
veloped, a mill of some kind Is required
before any income can be looked for.
There would be just as much sense for
the state to pass a law placing a tax of
f 1,000 or more on every man who desired
to make a mine, as for the owner of an
Idle claim to tax an Intending investor for
the opportunity of exploring the ground.
A going mine inspires faith, an Idle
one acts the reverse, and shows a lack of
faith.
If the owners of unworked ground de
sire the aid of experience and capital, or
have any regard for their own success or
that of the district, they must pursue a
more rational and business like course.
It Is easier to tear down prosperity than to
build it up.
There Is no necessity for a man to sep
arate himself from his brains because he
owns a small hole In the ground.
J. F. L.
Gem of the Mountain Bonded.
It. R. Erwiu and John F. Leland have
taken bond for a year on the Gem of the
Mountain mine, at Susanvllle. The wa
ter will be taken out and preparations
made to begin work at once. The Gem
has a line record. It Is a patented prop
erty, nod ranks second to none as a pro
ducer. Three feet of the ore milled fio
per ton In gold over the plates, and there
Is over a foot that will run over J50 In
gold. The mine was worked at a profit
In the 'seventies by Fred Cabbell, who
built the first stamp mill in that district.
It Is a payer from the jump.
LINES OF THE
Sumpter Stag
Transfer Co.
CARRYING U. S. MAILS.
SUMI'THR-CANYON MOUTK.
ir. p. m.
I'.ia . m.
1:40 p m.
I.v
Ar
l.v
Ar
Numpirr.
CtlNurJ
(.1111. .cj;
Auitln
.Ar
,Lv
.Ar
10: o a, m.
laia, m.
7: )o . in.
Lvj uojim
CnnnrcilriK l Auttln will, ttigrt for Canyon City
n4 Intrdur point.
I'4u p. m. I Lv
joo p. m. I Ar
GiriorJ
.llonama.
. ..Ar I 7:10 a. m.
tv I 6:10 a. m.
CunnfCtlng at llonama with ttagrt lor I'y.
UnNntonvlllr. Worlry. Virginia, Uon Juan an J
IXctirr mlnrt.
SUMITCH-(iKANITC ROUTE.
!:( p. m. I l.v, Sumplrr Ar I 10
4JJ j. m. I Ar (iranllf. Lv t
o.oj a.
no a.
Llvrry at (Sranltr lii North I'oik, KtJ Hoy, Han
sen nj aJacrnt mlnrt.
SUMI'THR-HOUHNI: ROUTE.
11: (o p. m. I Lv Sumptrr. .Ar g:oa. m.
I'ou p. in. Ar lloumr ...Lv Boo a.m.
l'.oj. m. f Ar. Columbia .Lv i;oi. m.
Including Noilli IVil, L. a C, Cllmai, Ohio anJ
aJJaccnt imnrt.
General Hrass and Iron Founders
and Machinists.
Baker City
Iron Works
GEO. F. MCLVNN, Proprietor ::::::
Special attention given to
repairing and rebuilding all
kinds of machinery.
Biker CttV. Telephone Red 161
Basche
Hardware
Co.
Successors to
W. R. HAWLEY.
Sumpter, Oregon.
w-
General Dealers in.
Shelf and
Heavy
Hardware
Iron
Steel
Pipe
Mining and
Mill
Machinery
A
Agents For.,
"Hercules"
Powder
Fuse and
Caps
C. O. Batch
tche
r...
...Manager,
H. J. JORY
MINING ENGINEER.
Northwestern
Assay Office
Samples by mall receive careful
Attention.
Mines examined, reports and
maps furnished.
BOX 122 .
. Sumpter, Or.
New Bakery
jt J AND CONFECTIONERY
All kinds of Fresh
Fruit in Season.
O. BRECHTEL, Proprietor
Opposite S. V. Ry. Depot.
& -WVWVW
Phil V. i
Nebergall I
practical
Sign Writer
fiousc
painter atib
Decorator.
CAPITAL HOTEL
Sumpter Oregon.
t. sr4
L. N. CRANE & Co.
Contractors and
Builders.
Cabinet Making, Upholstering and Mat
tress Making a Specialty.
riRST-CLASS WORK GUARANTEED.
Leave orders at the SUMPTER MINER
office.
MINES, MINING AND
REALJSJATE
Choice Residence Property For
Sale Cheap.
List your mines and prospects
with me and I will effect a sale
for you. Have Eastern buyers
for good mining properties.
..H. H, FRITZ,..
Nelll Block, corner Mill and Granite Sts.,
2d Floor, Sumpter, Ore.
f.
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