THE SUMPTER MINER
VOL. I.
SUMPTER, OREGON, DECEMBER ij, 1899.
NO. 14.
rf
BIG BUYERS COMING
CLARK & SWEENEY EXPECTED IN
SUMPTER SOON.
In Starch of a Gold Property Output of
the Red Boy and Golconda Magnolia
Mill About Ready to Begin Operation
Free Coinage Snowing Up Great
Another Dredger Deal Colonel Topping
Tie Up the Van Anda.
Clark & Sweeney, of Spokane, among
the most prominent mining operators in
the Northwest, are expected to arrive In
Sumpter in a few days. This firm's spe
cialty Is promoting large deals and is cred
ited with having unlimited eastern money
at its command.
These gentlemen created the great stir
in the Buffalo Hump country last winter
by tying up the Big Buffalo at the unpre
cedented price of a million and a, half, the
property then being a mere prospect.
They finally failed to make the pay
ments as they fell due and a half dozen
other parties have since tried to bond it.
Of late It is reported that Clark &
Sweeney have again secured control.
They own mines principally In Idaho
and Montana, among which Is the Bunker
Hill .and Sullivan In th.e former states
where the great labor strike occurred last
summer.
The purpose of their visit to. Sumpter Is
to buy a mine. '
This camp Is the magnet that attracts
all the magnates these winter days.
Stamps Soon to Drop on (he Magnolia.
The Magnolia mill will have Its stamps
dropping between the fifteenth and twen
tieth, the machinery belng.all set and only
the necessary connections having yet to
be made with the' pipes to start the mill
going. Magnificent specimens of ore
were shown from this mine here yester
day and taken to Portland to be placed In
the Chamber of Commerce exhibit.
Free Coinage Values Increasing.
Vic Schilling and E". Cannon, half
owners of the Free Coinage, were out to
the mine Monday. . They report a great
improvement in the values of the ore, of
which they have at this time eight feet
along the foot wall. The tunnel is now
in nearly 300 feet, and when ten feet fur
ther In will cross cut to determine the
width of the ledge. They are highly
pleased u ith the propertv and say money
would not buy it.
To Dredge Crane Flat Diggings.
It Is reported that several Boise, Idaho,
men have about completed negotiations
for the purchase of the Crane Flat placer
ground, in the vicinity of Granite, for
9 1 5,000. A Mr. Williams, representing
the buyers, was in Sumpter a few days
since. He stated while here that If the
deal Is consummated, his company will
put in a gold dredger of the most modern
design and begin operations in the early
spring on a large scale.
CoL Topping and the Vus Aada.
Colonel Topping, whose arrival in
Sumpter was mentioned in THE MINER
two weeks ago, has returned to his home
in Trail, British Columbia. He examined
several properties while here and it is re
ported, probably correctly, that he secured
an option on the Van Anda, but the state
ment published in a Baker City paper
that the purchase price is i, 500,000 and
the deal definitely closed, should be treated
with a 200-pound sack of salt before swal
lowing. High Value Found on the Colorado.
The Colorado mining claim and fraction,
on Granite summit, five miles west of
Sumpter, being worked by P. D. Healy
and A. J. Stlnson, the owners, have de
veloped some wonderful values, consider
ing the slight depth attained. One assay
shows 9372.12 In gold, and the meanest
sample assayed gave 96.18, these being
virtually from the cropplngs. The owners
are much elated, as they apparently have
good reason to be.
Byson Gold Mining Company.
Horace Sloan, T. R. Yorger, W. H.
Jones and F. R. Dunn, all of Sumpter;
have incorporated the Byson Gold Min
ing and Milling company, capital stock
980,000, par value ten cents a share. The
company owns the Byson and Tiger
claims. It Is understood that little if any
of the stock of this company will be
placed on sale; that the owners think they
have a good thing, have the money for its
development and Intend to make and
operate a mine.
RED BOY AND GOLCONDA.
The Two Produce $31,000 In Let Than
Thirty Day.
A total of approximately 3 1,000 was
brought in yesterday from two of Baker's
Lfamous gold producers and placed in the
First National bank.
Mr. Clark Tabor, of Godfrey & Tabor,
owners of the famous Red Boy mine,
brought in a sum of money metal under
stood to be close in the neighborhood of
920,000, the result of a month's operation
of the faithful Red boy, whose regular
monthly cleanup varies from 920,000 to
927,000, or more, with the regularity of
clock work.
Manager John T. English, of j. G. and
J. T. English the energetic owners and
operators of the splendid Golconda mine)
brought in from this treasure vault over
9ii,ooo. 1
This handsome sum Is from a twenty
days' run of the Golconda's mill. Baker
City Democrat.
Both mines are In this district, contigu
ous to Sumpter. The above designation
as "Baker's famous gold producers," is
merely one of the harmless t vagaries of
the county seat papers.
I
Buying Furniture in Carload Lots.
E. A. Case, president of the' Case
Looney company, Incorporated, Is In Port
land placing necessary orders to keep
their furniture, carpet and house outfitting
establishment In line to supply the heavy
demand made .upon them. Parlor and
bedroom sets, kitchen and haH'furniture,
carpets, etc., will begin to arrive at once
in carload lots, to replace the inroad made
on their store and warerooms recently.
Disastrous Mix-Up With the Steam Saw.
Last Friday an employe of the steam
wood saw slipped and fell against the
balance wheel of the saw while in motion,
inflicting a cut of three Inches on the back
of hisjhead and breaking two ribs. Dr.
Pearce' performed the necessary repairs
and the patient Is reported doing well.
Music
Professor C. E. Halght will receive a
fow pupils, either single or In class, for a
course of Instruction on the piano or organ ;
also in telegraphy. Enquire corner Bo
nanza and Clifford streets.
Overcoats and ulsters at Johns- & Co.
GOLD COMES HERE.
Both Banks Prepared to Han
dle the Output.
Until recently all gold taken from the
Sumpter mining district has been sent to
Baker City and other places to be ex
changed for currency. The reason for
this was necessity and Is apparent; there
were no banks or other institutions here
to pay cash for the yellow metal.
Now, however, that there are two
banking houses doing business In Sump
ter, both prepared to handle all the, gold
taken from the adjacent hills and placer
grounds, it s no longer necessary to pass
through this camp In order.to cash In.
Both the r-'irst 'Bank of Sumpter and
the Bank of Sumpter report that already
the miners have'' begun to bring In their
hoards of gold, In dust and bricks, ex
changing it for coin or "soft money,"
and in turn, exchangiug that for the vain
pleasures of, this world; every miner man
to his taste, he paying the money, of
course, exerslses a free choice. A wide
range of diversions and Inducements Is
here offered the gold diggers for parting
with their treasure, with no one to inter
fere with their' preference, method or sys
tem. Thus far only the smaller producers are
disposing of their dust and bullion here,
the custom of years not having been
broken by, the new order of things so re
cently established. But it can be contil
dently predicted that ere long the big
mines, as well' as the Individual miners,
will begin to do their banking business -In
Sumpter, whlfh. will inevitably contribute
largely to. (he eve; and rapidly Increasing
volume of local business.
' Heavy Saows tad Pleasant Weather.
Heavy snow has fallen during the past
week and It Is sincerely hoped that It has
come to stay; that the large quantities of
goods which were stored here waiting for
the roads to'Mmpiove, may be hauled to
thevarlous surrounding mining camps.
The weather1 has been mild and pleasant,
however, snow, ,011 the,.ipofs of houses
melting during the warmer hours of the
day and freezing Into thousands of Icicles
on the eaves as the temperature lowered.
Building operations have not been inter
fered with, except the annoyance of
digging, out lumber from great snow
banks.
What a Contractor Has Done in a Month.
During tire past thirty days Contractor
J. M. Melklejohn has built houses valued
at over 93000. A six-room honse for W.
R. Hawley cost over 96oo; an addition to
rid Rand's" house, costing 9350; a house
for Dr. J. J. Fisher, costing 9700; Ed
Mauser's, 9450; a neat cottage just fin
ished for Mayor Gleason on upper Mill
street with 'modern ' Improvements, cost
upwards of 9ooo. He now has a force of
men at work on THE MINER'S new office,
and will soon have finished a residence for
Mr. Nelll. '
Illustrated WriUup of SutapUr.
The Seattle Times of Saturday con
tained a page Illustrated wrlteup of Sump
ter, including a map of this district, three
views of the town and a picture of the
uncompleted reservoir. The matter was
prepared by Major W. T. Manning, of
this city. It is a mass of accurate facts
and figures and Information about the
camp, the mines and the people, that rep
resents Infinite labor In collecting and com
piling, that will always be of Inestimable
1 value to those who in future undertake
l the task of writing anything like a com
prehensive history of the long depression
and final rapid rise of this section of the
state. It is n splendid piece of work, for
which the thanks of the town are due to
Major Manning and the Times. A num
ber of large orders have been sent In for
copies of this Issue.
May Mean the Sale of Water Works Bonds.
President Goss, of the Hank of Sump
ter, accompanied VV. L. Vinson to Port
land a few days since. The natural Infer
ence is that they have gone down thereto
close the deal for the sale of the Sumpter
water works bonds. Full details of the
proposition made to Mr. Vinson by Mor
ris & Whitehead for the purchase of
these gilt-edge securities was published in
THE MINER some weeks since. Mr.
Goss Is one of the incorporators of the
company.
Comparative Vote at Crty Elections.
Without half trying, an interesting In
ference can be drawn from the vote cast
at the recent city elections of the three
largest towns In this portion of the state.
Pendleton leads the list with 751. Sump
ter comes next with 429 and Haker City
brings up the rear with 358. One year
ago .Sumpter would not have been in
cluded In any such comparison. At pres
ent It stands second and a year hence It
will head the list.
Another Man Looking for Bustntai Location .
Mr. Ralston, one of the leading busi
ness men of Pendleton, has been In Sump
ter this week, sizing up the situation,
with a 'view to locating here. He has met
with the same difficulty that all newcom
ers encounter; that of securing! building'.
He is favorably Impressed with' the camp
and its promise for the future, and will
doubtless decide to come here to remain.
He Is In the furniture business at La
Grande.
We Art "Setting 'Em Up."
And they are "beauties." Chairs, all
kinds of chairs (two carloads at one time)
special goods suitable for "Christmas"
presents. Don't buy until you see our
line. We offer you a 9iJ,ooo stock to se
lect from and on cash orders over 950 we
pay freight to Sumpter. Let us make you
an estimate on orders, large or small, fur
niture, carpets, paints, wall paper, shades,
curtains, etc. Queen City Furniture Co.,
Baker City.
Not an Even Chance lor Life
John Horsford, who was so badly In
jured by the runaway team last week, is
In a dangerous condition, with scarcely an
even chance for recovery. Concussion of
the brain and a depressed fracture of the
skull, with three or four lacerations of the
scalp are some of his injuries. Dr. Pearce
Is doing all in his power for the unfortu
nate man and It is possible Jie may re
cover.
Article of Incorporation for the Hospital.
'Attorney Richards has drafted the arti
cles of Incorporation for the Sumpter hos
pital and the same will be filed with the
state auditor In 'a few days. Contractor
Jones is now perfecting the plans for the
building, the original drawings being
slightly modified. When this work is
finished the order for lumber will be placed
with the Sumpter Lumber'company.
For Christmas.
I have a.few choice selections In em
broidered center pieces, pillow covers,
dollies, etc. Mrs. Marsh, adjoining Drs.
Tape & Pearce?s office.
Job printing at this office.