Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Sumpter miner. (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 8, 1899)
THE SUMPTER MINER. Wednesday, November 8, 1899 CRACKER CREEK MINES RECENT DEVELOPMENT WORK EXPLODES AN OLD THEORY. Big antral Lode Doc Not Rob Parallel Veins Half Down Ledges Carry Good Values on the Surface District Em braces a Half Down Miles Square. The town of Bourne Is the cnplt.il of Cracker Creek, and promises to be the " IJenver" of the surrounding section of country. Although It has not advanced with rapid strides, the past year, owing to local cau.c.s, it is still alive, and will put on metropolitan airs next season, if all signs do not fall. Heal estate has not boomed lately, though there are shrewd men of meansplcking up snaps in that line, who e.xprct big returns from their Invest ments ere long. There are two stage lines terminating here, two hotels, two stores, three saloons and a healthy and moderately prosperous population. While residents are not given to booming their town, they do have the most implicit lalth in the mines and the mining outlook of the district. The rapid strides of Sumpter hi growtli and progress just par alyzes the oldest inhabitant here, and he docs not hesitate to assert that in n few years he will be a near neighbor to a thriving, bustling city at Sumpter. Cracker Creek district and Its sur roundings will, In a few years have mines and population sulticlent to support a city of ten thousand inhabitants here and at Sumpter, If present indications and this season's developments arc any indication. I he outside world knows something about the developed mines hereabouts, but they have no conception of the possi bilities of the future. The North Pole, the I:, it I:., the Columbia and the Gol cuud.i are practically only prospects as ct. I'hey have only reached prospect depths, but every foot downward shows Improvement, both in sl.e of ledge and quality of ore. Shafts are now being ex tended deeper on three of them. It is im possible to tell what a thousand feet will show. At all events, owners and man agers see n bright future hi store. The mines have been operated by owners for legitimate development and not for specu lation, and being private corporations, they have quietly pursued development work and kept results to themselves. Hence the district has not been advertised and nothing approaching a boom has been apparent. Development hi other parts of the district this season, however, has laid the foundation tor gre.it activity in the near tiiture. There lias been a current belief for years mat all values Hereabouts are con lined to what is known as the E. I:, lode. It was asserted, and by many be lieved, that the big central lode robbed all parallel veins of their vali e, and In con sequence prospecting on numerous other veins has been carried on only in a desul tory maimer; locators altera little work, allowing their claims to lapse for want of assessment work. This season's work has exploded the theory. The rock found in several claln.s on what is known as the "Ohio," a par allel vein, some thousand or uftccn hun dred feet north ol the central lode, has proven that rich rock is not confined to the ledge upon which the big developed mines are located. The Kree Coinage, or Hard Scrabble group, is yielding high grade ore. The Ohio has also shown iirst-class prospects, and so has the Fox, or Summit claims. In the Climax, on the Mime lead, very rich rock has been known to exist for some time. South of the E. li E. mine, a distance of 2000 feet, more or less, Is another large lode, on which two claim have been par tially opened this summer, that are show log up handsomely. They are the Little Cracker and Ellis and Tape mines. Good judges affirm that they bid fair to make very valuable mines. That makes two ledges, one on each skle of the cen tral ledge, that have not been "robbed," and they are In close proximity to the "robber." Still further north there has been quite extensive prospecting done on large ledges, the rock from the surface of which' assays as well as from the surface of the big mines. These Instances and others that might be mentioned have established a confidence hi the district at large that has never be-1 fore existed, and presages an activity In the development work next season hith erto unknown. By reference to Phil brick's map of this Immediate section, it will be observed that these parallel veins are continuous for miles, and do not merge into each other. They plough their way independently through mount ain and canyon and are diverged by no obstacle. Toward the south side of the district is a ledge varying from ten to eight feet in width, which can be traced by the crop pings for miles, which has scarcely been' chafed with pick or shovel the whole dis tance, notwithstanding the rock Is o! a lively character and assays prove It car ries low values. North of it runs the Utile Cracker ledge, then the E. & E. ledge, then the Ohio system, and still further north are two other leads of great width, all being comparatively about the same distance between each other. They run parallel and are separate and distinct. As It has been proven that these out side ledges carry values on the surface as good as the central lode, and as they ex tend from northeast to southwest for miles, It can be seen what a field there Is opened for the operation of capital in de velopment. The peculiarity of the district as shown by development, Is that the main ledges are large, are low grade on the surface and Improve with depth. The average assays from the best on the surface show from tvo to four dollars per ton, rarely exceeding live dollars. As there must be numerous smaller ledges scattered be tween the larger ones, and which are blind on account of the depth of the soil, it can readily be conjectured what such a held, embracing a territory from four to live miles in width and as many in length, may bring fortli in time to come. B. J. Watson. Handsome lithographed stock cert Hi cites, and Job printing of every descrlp lion at TBI: MlNI-H office. New & Harness Shop MGEWI-N & SLOAN, proprietors, SUMPTER, OREGON. REPAIRING - A - SPECIALTY J SHOP Jt OPPOSITE THE LIVERV STABLE. Basche Hardware Co. Successors to W. R. HAWLEY '''Sumpter, Oregon. ' GENERAL DEALERS IN Shelf and Heavy Hardware Iron and Steel Pipe Mining and Mill Machinery ' A i.r ,1 Ik !'! fio Agents for " HERCULES " Powder Fuse and Caps C. C. Basche MANAGER H. J. JORY MINING ENGINEER. N orth western Assay Office Samples by mall receive careful Attention. Mines examined, reports and maps furnished. BOX t22 ... . Sumpter, Or. New Bakery , J J J AND CONFECTIONERY if All kinds of Fiesh Fruit in Season. O. BRECHTEL, - Proprietor Opposite S. V. Ry. Depot. '' I Phil V. ;: Nebergall gg&a practical Sign IDriter flouse Painter ant Decorator. XH &S&&8& CAPITAL HOTEL Sumpter Oregon. j -. L. N. CRANE & Co. Contractors and Builders. Cabinet Making, Upholstering and Mat tress Making a Specialty. HHST-CLASS WOKK GIMRAN I LED. Leave orders at the SUMPTER MINER office. MINES, MINING AND REAL ESTATE Choice Residence Property For, Sale Cheap. List your mines and prospects J with me and I will effect a sale for you. Have Eastern buyers for good mining properties. ..,H. H, FRITZ,..! 1 Neill Block, corner Mill and Granite Sts.' 2d Floor, Sumpter, Ore. vi sJ