THE SUMPTER MINER.
VOL I.
SUMPTER, OREGON, NOVEMBER 15, 1899.
NO. 10.
--"
A
WATER WORKS
Splendid Plant Now Nearing
Completion.
ON GRAVITY SYSTEM
Abundant Supply of Pure Mountain Stream
Water Construction of Flume, Reser
voir and Mains Streets on Which Mains
Will be Laid-Town Will be Served in
About Three Weeks.
Early in the summer W. L. Vinson se
cured the franchise from the town of
Sumpter to construct and operate a gravity
system of water works for tire protection
and domestic use. He also succeeded In
getting control of the two valuable water
rights of Pole and Wind creeks. Pole
creek is situated three miles north of
Sumpter and (lows Into Powder river on
the Sumpter and Bourne road. Wind
creek is nearly one mile above Pole creek,
and also (lows into Powder river. The
waters of these two mountain streams
are of the purest quality. The creeks are
fed by living springs the year round and
the water Is almost absolutely pure. Pole
creek furnishes about twenty-live miner's
inches and Wind creek furnishes over
fifty-four miner's inches of water all the
time; which is largely Increased from the
melting snows during the spring.
Preliminary surveys were begun late In
August, to determine the most feasible
plan and route for a flume and pipe line to
bring this water to a reservoir site above
the town. After running several differ
ent lines and comparing the merits of
each, theenglneer, Arthur Philbrlck, made
a final location of the line from Pole creek
to the reservoir site, and then submitted
plans of the works to Mr. Vinson for his
approval.
The general plan of the works for a
supply line Is a covered flume 15,000 feet
long. In connection with this flume line
and about one mile north of town is an
1. 1 verted syphon 810 feet long, crossing a
canyon 125 feet deep. The flume is con
structed of H inch kiln dried lumber,
faced on the inside of the flume. Its di
mensions are it)i Inches wide by otf
inches high in the clear, inside. The
boxes are well strapped together by 2x4
straps, built in 16-foot lengths and set on
3x4 mud sills and laid on a true grade of
1 in 500, the entire flume being covered
with a 15-Inch cover, to be again covered
by not less than one foot of earth on top.
This flume is laid in a ditch excavated
deep enough to take in the entire flume
and when covered with earth and the
snows of winter will be beyond all pos
sible danger of freezing.
The Inverted syphon Is constructed of
the best quality of sheet steel, double
riveted water pipe, dipped in a bath of
asphaltum pipe coating. The joints are
the usual lead joint, caulked perfectly
water tight. At the bottom of the syphon
is a 4-inch blow off valve to wash out
any silt which may accumulate In the
bottom of the pipe line.
Work was begun on the ditch for the
flume September 22 and has been vigor
ouily prosecuted ever since. The exca
vating is now all finished, Including some
600 feet of rock work.
Nearly one-half of the flume construc
tion is also completed and with food
weather and no further delays in getting
lumber from Baker City will be all com
pleted within another week.
The most expensive portion of the
work and the most valuable to the town
is the reservoir, situated at the head of
the gulch above Mill street, at an eleva
tion of 200 feet vertically above town,
thus affording 86.8 pounds pressure
to the square inch in the business portion
of town. The excavating for the founda
tion of the dam was begun September
27 and work has been pushed steadily
with a force of from 30 to 50 men ever
since, until now It Is nearly1 ready for the
final lining of cement.
This reservoir dam Is one of the most
substantial constructions in the state, and
Is an original design of Mr. Philbrlck, the
engineer. It consists of a log crib work,
built on a true semi-circle, the cribbing be
ing filled with well tamped material from
the excavation. In dimensions the dam
is 40 feet across the base in the deepest
part of the reservoir, 24 feet high, and 6
feet wide on top. The semi-circle of the
dam has a diameter of 120 feet across the
top, while the depth of water will be 22
feet. The cribbing of the dam is all
notched and laid together like a well-built
log cabin, and the logs are all peeled and
drift bolted together with one Inch wrought
Iron drift bolts. The cross logs all point
toward the center of the reservoir. The
Inner surface of the slope of the dam will
be covered with 3-inch plank spiked to
the log cribbing and laid smooth. The
surface will then receive four inches of
best cement concrete.
The entire Inner surface of the excavat
ed bedrock will have a thick coating of
grout and finished cement lining of the
best Portland cement. There will be a
cement walk constructed all around the
finished structure, with an iron railway
built on the Inside to keep out small boys.
Just outside of this walk the Townsite
syndicate will grade a circular driveway
all around the reservoir.
The main pipe line leading down Mill
street as far as Granite will be 10 Inches
in diameter. The main on Granite street
will be 8 Inches In diameter. The main
pipe on Mill street from Granite south to
the end of South Sumpter will be 8 inches
In diameter. There will be a 6-Inch main
on North street from Cracker to Bonanza;
an 8-inch main on Granite street to
Cracker; a 6-inch main on Auburn aven
ue from Cracker to Bonanza; a 6-inch
main on Austin street from Mill to Bon
anza; a 6-Inch main on Cracker street
from Auburn to the end of Riverside ad
dition; a 6-inch main on High street from
Mill to Cracker; a 6-Inch main on Sump
ter street, and 4-inch mains on Falrview
and Bonanza streets, the Bonanza
street main, running from North to Aus
tin street.
The pipe used will be the very best
double-rivetted steel, made by Messrs.
Wolff & Zwlcker, of Portland, and all
dipped In asphaltum and tested before
leaving the shops by a severe hydraulic
test.
There will be 30 fire hydrants to set at
most convenient corners for quick action
in case of fire. These hydrants will be all
double-nozzle hydrants of the most mod
ern design constructed.
Gates will be placed at proper intervals
and points along the line, and the entire
system will be a circulating system, with
only two dead ends.
All of the pipe and other .materials will
arrive In Sumpter within the next two
weeks.
It may seem Incredible to tome, but
Mr. Vinson delares that with favorable
weather he will have pure mountain water
In the streets of Sumpter early in the
month of December, or within three weeks
from date.
ROBT. ANDERSON CLUB
Republicans Organize Under
Appropriate Name.
A number of republican residents of
Sumpter met last evening in the offices of
the Townsite syndicate and organized a
club, by the election of Edward Everett
Young as president and John M.Murphey,
seccretary. W. L. Vinson, Charles S.
Warren and Cato J. Sohns were ap
pointed a committee on membership. Af
ter a general discussion of questions pol
itical, a set of resolutions were adopted
which declared substantially:
That the name of the organization shall
be the Robert Anderson club, for the hero
of Port Sumpter.
That politics should not enter Into the
afialrs of the club so far as dictating the
municipal policy of the Town of Sumpter
Is concerned; declaring that the Jefferson
Ian test should be applied to candidates
for office; "Is he honest."
That President McKiuley's administra
tion be endorsed and that he should be re
elected; and the seal of approval was fixed
to the gold standard, protection and ex
pansion. That the proper place for citizens op
posed to these principles Is In the demo
cratic and populist parties. Again it was
avowed that politics should not enter Into
municipal elections, that the best man
should be chosen for office, but in national
affairs nothing but republican principles
should prevail.
That Oregon has had great men at the
national capital; that for Edward D.Ba
ker and General Joseph Lane the mem
bers have the greatest veneration and re
spect and that Harvey W. Scott Is their
choice for United States senator.
ANOTHER SAWMILL HERE.
W. L. Vinton Hat One About Ready to
Begin Operations.
W. L. Vinson Is having built a small
saw mill just north of town, the output
from which will be used principally in his
own mammoth enterprises. It will be In
operation within a week
Its first work will be to get out timbers
and lumber for a bridge across Powder
river, at the foot of Granite street. This
structure will be 366 feet long, connecting
the original townsite of Sumpter with
Vinson's addition west of the river. Its
eastern approach will rest on the Granite
street grade at its intersection with
Cracker street. It will be eighty feet In
width, with a driveway fifty-six feet wide
and twelve feet walk on each side for
foot passengers.
When this bridge Is completed, look out
for a flurry In the local real estate market.
New Map of Sumpter Gold Fields.
The O. R. & N. has Issued a new map
of the eastern Oregon gold fields, In which
Sumpter Is given due prominence for the
first time, being Indicated by a red spot
covering about a section of land. The
map contains the names and location of
many mines not heretofore Included, and
in other ways It is Improved and brought
up to date. It will accompany the new
write-up of the district by that unapproach
able, Inimitable author of descriptive liter
ature, Colonel P. Donan.
Ducriptlon of Suatptsr'i Profit.
The Oregonian has written to Mayor
Gleason for a 200 word article descriptive
of Sumpter's progress. Although Mayor
Gleason is closely identified with this
town's progress, he doesn't claim to be
much of a hand at telling the story, so he
handed the communication over to the
tender mercies of General Warren. That
gentleman has formulated n reply in his
happiest characteristic vein, and If It sees
the light of publicity through the columns
of the great exponent of Oregonian moss
backism, It will be the warmest, most
dazzling story that ever run the blockade
Into that dull, state, flat and unprofitable
publication.
VINSON'S GOLD DREDGER.
Contract Let for Constructing the Largest
in the World.
W. L. Vlnsou has let the contract to
the Hammond Manufacturing company,
of Portland, to construct for him a dredge
to work Powder river placer ground near
this city. Six months will be required to
required to build the dredge, which will
cost $50,000 and will be the largest of Its
kind In the world.
Mr. Vinson owns about two miles of
ground nlong the river channel, several
hundred feet wide. This averages about
forty feet of earth to bedrock, which Is
estimated will go thirty cents per cubic
yard.
J. H. Stoddard owns thirty acres of
similar placer ground n short distance
south of his home on Mill street, on which
Archie Dowule and n Chluamnn have
been working for a few days, removing
ten feet of surface earth which covers the
pay dirt. Saturday afternoon he made a
test wash of twenty feet, from which he
secured two ounces of very coarse gold,
worth about i6 an ounce. This Is the
character of ground which Mr. Vinson
proposes to get at with his dredge.
New Electric Light Machinery Arrives.
A large force of men are now employed
placing poles throughout the city, on
which to string wires for arc and Incan
descent light wires which will be needed
for the largely Increased and Improved
service to be Inaugurated as soon as the
new machinery Is Installed, a large con
signment of which has already arrived.
This machinery will be placed In the
power house where It now stands and re
main there until spring, when It will be
moved to a brick power house to be built
on the west side of Powder river.
Is Baker Jealous of Sumpter ?
This Is the way Max M. Shlllock es
timates the state of public feeling In Ba
ker City relative to Sumpter, in his cor
respondence to the Portland Telegram:
"Instead of being jealous of the boom en
joyed by the thriving mining camp of
Sumpter, the people of Baker City are
rather glad of it, knowing that whatever
activity may tend to open up the vast
mineral resources of Oregon's new Eldo
rado must benefit Baker City, the metrop
olis of this section and the distributing
point for the entire mining country. Bn
kerites, therefore, say 'go It, old girl,'
and Sumpter keeps going."
Something New Under the Sun.
Something new In the advertising
fake line has struck this town, operated
by a gentleman profoundly versed In hu
man nature. He calls his scheme the
Celling Advertising company. The ad
vertisements are placed on the ceilings of
barber shops, so that the patient In the
operating chair, if he will keep his eyes
open while having his elongated cuticle
amputated, can't help from gazing on
these trade announcements. Who said
that a horse can be lead to water but can't
be made to drink?
Johnson & Davis, confectioners, on
Mill street, offer their own make of Turk
ish nuget, chocolate and bon bons.