.
THE SUMPTER MINER.
VOL. I.
SUMPTER, OREGON, NOVEMBER 29, 1899.
NO. 12.
F
u-''
CANADIAN
CAPITAL
Has Begun to be Invested in
Sumpter Mines.
BUYS THE SNOW BIRD
Colonel E. & Topping , of Trail, British
Columbia, Will Arrive Today and Make
Final Payment on That Property Will
be Developed by a Financially Strong
Corporation Compoted of Prominent
Mining Men.
General Warren went to Baker City
on the logger this morning to meet some
capitalists from the north and consum
mate an important mining deal.
Colonel E. S. Topping, of Trail, Brit
ish Columbia, a pioneer mining promoter
of the Rossland district since its first dis
covery and the original owner of the Le
Rol mine, will return with him tonight,
to close the contract for the purchase of
and make full payment on the well known
Snow Bird mining claim in the Cracker
Creek district. This property is bounded
on the south by the Golconda, on the east
by the Climax and on the west by the
Free Coinage. The latter Is owned and
being developed by Portland parties and the
other properties are already well known
to all mining people.
Active development will begin at once
on the Snow Bird, which being among
mines already producing, will undoubtedly
give it a similar place at an early date.
The purchasers, of whom Colonel
Topping is one, are a strong British Col
umbia combination, composed of J. S. C.
Fraser, manager of the Bank of Montreal
at Rossland, W. D. Shea, a well known
mining man of Montana, Elllng Johnson,
well known as a mining expert in British
Columbia, and other prominent mining
men of Rossland and Trail, together with
W. C. Calder, a leading business man of
Sumpter.
This property has a good record and
will doubtless prove to be a great divi
dend payer under the able direction of Its
new owners.
DEVELOPMENT ON THE DIADEM.
Eighteen Inches of $300 Rock Encountered
at a Depth of 22 Feet.
Charles Bonner, who has the contract
for sinking the shaft of 100 feet on the
Diadem, came to town last night to pur
chase fresh supplies for the mine. He re
ports that he commenced sinking in the
bottom of the 1 6-foot shaft and is now
down six feet deeper. At a depth of
twenty-two feet the lead Is well defined.
He has a good solid foot wall, but as yet
no hanging wall. He has thirty inches
of ore that will average over $300 in gold
per ton, and the balance of this shaft is In
ore that will run 140.
It would not be surprising if the Diadem
turns out to be one of the banner mines
of Oregon. It has every Indication of be
ing a bonanza such as has seldom been
found in this part of the country.
This property is under the able direction
of J.X. Pardee, a veteran mining man of
Utah and Montana, who has personally
nspected the property and has made two
paymentson same. He Is working it by
contract, let for too feet of shaft, to be
completed by January i, 1900.
New Find Carrie )e227 In Gold.
Perhaps the richest rock ever found in
eastern Oregon was discovered a few
days since not a great distance from
Sumpter. It assays 311.36 ounces to the
ton, a valuation of 16,227.20. Three as
says have been made, all resulting about
the same. At first it was thought that
some mistake must have been made, but
the two subsequent assays verified the
first. THE MINER has seen the assay
certificate giving the above figures, but
furthei than that no Information, regarding
the location or character of the ledge,
could be elicited. The rock Is said to be
refractory and very deceptive in appear
ance, somewhat resembling the darker
shades of iron ore.
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.
Reported That the S. V. Ry ha Appro
priated Public Street.
At the regular meeting of the city coun
cil Saturday evening, the judiciary com
mittee was Instructed to Investigate the
unlawful appropriation of city streets by
the S. V. Ry, and by the aid of the city
attorney to recover possession of this
public property. That official was author
ized to engage legal assistance, If neces
sary. Marshal Baker reported that some peo
ple were going around town with chicken
pox, which disease has been pronounced
by Drs. Pearce and Anderson to be con
tagious. The marshal was Instructed to
enforce ordinance No. to, and was given
a written order by Mayor Gleason to that
effect.
Alderman Parkinson reported that'
minors have recently been seen In saloons.
The marshal was Instructed to "ring off "
that practice.
A permit was granted A. P. Goss to
construct a crosswalk in front of his bank
building on Mill street.
And then something was said about the
streets being in bad condition. If such is
really true, the matter will soon be reme
died, for the marshal was instructed to
firmly request owners of abutting property
to fix things.
Van Duyn Hotel Property Sold.
The Van Duyn hotel property, on
Granite street, has been sold to Mr. Col
lins, of Anaconda, Montana, for Msoo.
The lot has a frontage of fifty feet, the
hotel building occupying the west half.
The new owner will at an early day begin
the erection on the east half a building
25 by too feet, two stories high. The
first floor wilt be used as a restaurant and
the second floor as a lodging house. Bel
linger & Ritchie are remodeling the Inte
rior of the hotel building and will make it
one of the most attractive places In town.
Another Paper for Sumpter.
A man named Cassldy, from Pendleton,
was in town several days last week, feel
ing the public pulse to see if he could de
tect an impulsive, persistent throb in
response to his proposition to get out a
semi-weekly paper, to be called the
Sumpter something and to be printed In
the East Oregonlan office at Pendleton.
THE MINER suggests as a name for this
journalistic hybrid, "The Pendleton Gall
Sack." It is reported that the effort to
fill the long felt want In Sumpter will be
made at any early day by the Pendleton
print shop.
Johnson & Davis, confectioners on
MHItreet, offer their own make of fine
Turkish Nugget chocolate and bon bons.
MACHINERY, 22 CARS.
Receipts at Sumpter During
the Past Week.
During the past seven days twenty-two
carloads of machinery have been received
in Sumpter. Fifty-three carloads of gen
eral merchandise arrived here during the
same time, making seventy-five carloads
of freight to reach this camp in one week.
Of the machinery, twelve carloads were
consigned to W. L. Vinson, to be Installed
In his electric light plant, Tor use In his
water works here In Sumpter, and at his
mines In the mountains.
Two carloads consisted of mining mach
inery for the Golconda, six for the May
Queen, and two for the Red Boy.
The roads leading to the various mines
are in such bad condition at present that
it will be almost impossible to haul this
machinery to Its destination until a freeze
up occurs.
All this gives some Idea of the vast bus
iness which is being transacted at this
camp, and the unprecedented activity of
mining matters In this district. In the
language of the sport, "it's a winner."
Did He Die Under an Anumed Name?
Charles Pressler, a miner about forty
years of age, died at Bourne last week.
The body was brought down to Looney
& Case's undertaking parlors and burled
Saturday. The Impression prevails that
there was some mystery hanging over the
man's life, and that Pressler was an as
sumed name. This Impression was
strengthened by the fact that every effort
was made without avail to get some re
sponse from his family, who are said to re
side In Los Angeles, California, and to
be In good circumstances. The theory is
advanced that the reason for this failure
is that his family name Is not Frexsler,
and, of course, the telegrams were not
delivered to them. Deceased was popu
lar with his associates, who ralseJ among
themselves about t;o for funeral and
other expenses.
Woodmen Elect Officer for 1900.
Nugget Camp No. 408, Woodmen of
the World, at its regular meeting Monday
evening elected the following neighbors to
serve the ensuing term, commencing Jan
uary, 1000: P.C.,E.C.Steffen;C.C.,Slm
Durgan; A. Lt., C. L. Ferry; banker, J.
B. Stoddard; escort, J. W. Flegle; sentry,
W. A. Green; watchman, L. Knapp;
managers, F. Brown and Gentry Talla
fero. A social session followed the regu
lar one, which was, as is usual with the
Woodmen, an enjoyable affair. Thanks
giving evening the Woodmen will give a
grand ball that promises' to be one of the
most pronounced social successes of the
season. There will be good music, and a
large crowd is already assured.
Progrce on Hospital Proposition.
The ladles interested In the promotion
of the Protestent hospital are at work and
report favorably the result of their en
deavors. A meeting for the selection of
trustees, officers and committees will be
called in a few days, and steps taken for
immediate building.
Revival of Railroad Rumor.
There has been considerable talk around
town for a week past, to the effect that
the O. R. ic N. had resumed negotiations
for the purchase of the Sumpter Valley
railroad, to which report some credence Is
given In certain knowing quarters. It is
possible, however, that the universally
entertained devout hope is father to this
belief. It is known that some months
since an effort to effect the purchase was
made, and it was reported at the time that
the Sumpter Valley people refused point
blank to sell. One thing Is sure, that this
town and district must soon have better
transportation facilities, and if such can
not be secured through this method, some
other will be devised. The expense for
transfering carload lots of freight, from
broad gunge to narrow guage cars, at
Baker, and the short haul from there to
Sumpter, Is a trifle more than the "traffic
can stand," as Colli Huntington Is ac
credited with remarking on a memorable
occasion
SAYS SUMPTER'S ALL RIGHT.
I. H. Robbim rite About the Prorpcct
of that Camp.
J. H. Robblns, a former Pendletoninn,
writes to W. D. Handsford, and reflects
the enthusiasm which Is shown by all
persons who visit at that peace. Mr.
Robblns says:
"I am much pleased with the change I
have made In business, In coming to
Sumpter, and am only sorry I did nor
come here six months earlier. Talk about
your lively towns, we have never seen
anything like this before in Oregon. 1
might give nn illustration of how rapidly
property has advanced. Two weeks ago
another person and I bought a lot for
3000. Yesterday, I sold one-half of It
for 3$oo.
M am confident the town will be per
manent. Its situation warrants such ex
pectations. It Is a natural distributing
point, and has genuine mining Interests
behind It.
"We now have 2000 people, and every
incoming train Is crowded. A business
building fifteen feet front and forty deep
rents for from fsoto 75 a month, and of
fice rooms for from 10 to 4o. There
seems to be a demand for everything and
everybody.
"Our bank, although as yet only In
temporary quarters, has more business
than we can attend to. It has grown far
beyond our wildest expectations."
Mr. Robblns indicates In the letter
throughout an abiding faith in the future
of the camp, and believes that not only
will the coming year witness a great rush,
but also that It will maintain Its Import
ance during the years following.
All of the many friends of Mr. Robblns
In Pendleton will learn of his fortunate In
vestments with pleasure. East Oregon
lan Snow Falling Today.
After two or three days of almost sum
mer temperature, there being no freeze
even at night, snow Is falling today and
It Is hoped that It will get cold enough to
prevent it from melting. This Is neces
sary, In order that hauling machinery and
supplies to the mines may be resumed.
It will also add somewhat to the pleasures
of life here In town, where walking for
pleasure has been abandoned for a week
past. This is not intended as a surpris
ing news item for local readers.
That New Cash Grocery.
Mrs. William Mayer and Walter Pat
terson, of Wm. Mayer & Co,, arrived
from Portland Monday, where they pur
chased a fine line of fancy groceries with
which to establish their new Cash market
and grocery, corner Center and Sumpter
streets. They expect to be ready for bus
iness tomorrow.
Go and see Case, Looney & Co.'s new
furniture arrivals.