Wednesday, December 20, 1899
THE SUMPTER MINER.
"SUMPTER IS ABUTTE."
Is New? Being New,Is Wicked
and Interesting.
If you take Butte of earlier Jays of
the halcyon days of the middle eighties
.when the camp was new and lusty and just
a trifle more wicked than it Is today and
compare It closely with this golden dot on
the eastern Oregon map, neither will lose
by the comparison. Sumpter Is new
glaringly, painfully new. Being new, It
is also wicked. Being wicked, it Is also
Interesting, and because it is new and
wicked and interesting, and because also
the gold mines of the surrounding coun
try are rich enough to satisfy the dreams
of an opium-eater, and because also more
rich mines at the rate of a dozen a year
are being added to the list of dividend
payers in the district, and because also
enough Butte people and Spokane people
with push and snap and go have come to
the camp to make it a success, Sumpter is
a Butte.
For thirty years Sumpter, from the so
cial standpoint, has been In the gentle
hands of tvo separate and distinct species
of slow-pokers, each superior to the other
in some particular regard Oregonlans
aid Chinamen. The former, during all
the Intervening time since 1876, have
stood by a.id watched the Chinamen
work. The latter, during these twenty-live
years, have taken out of the placer
diggings a sum of gold variously esti
mated at from ten to twenty-live million
dollars. The Oregonlans herded cattle in
the foothills, grazed sheep on the moun
tiiu slopes, and never made further Inves
tigation into the richness of the district
than to occasionally inquire of the China
men If they didn't want to buy some beef.
I got it straight from an old California
prospector that the way the Oregonlans
discovered gold In this district was through
a cowboy down on Camas prairie, who
loaded up on red-eye and held up a China
man bound for the Wells-Fargo express
ortice at Pendleton. This was some time
in J.
Sumpter the Sumpter of today was
born last year. This vouches for the
youthfulness of the camp. After it be
came known that a syndicate composed of
Standard Oil company people, who, In
1897, paid three-quarters of a million dol
lars for the Bonanza mine, sixteen miles
from Sumpter, were producing a monthly
average of 40,000 in gold; and after the
Kid Boy mine began pounding out half
that figure, and after the North Pole joined
the list, and with a dinky stamp mill
began to make millionaires of its owners,
and after General Charles F. Warren
came to town and began a systematic dis
semination of facts regarding the camp,
and after English & Son took hold
of the Golconda mine and began digging
out ore at the zso-ft level, which, In the
language of the Alaska miner, was "gold,
carrying some quartz" Sumpter began
to live. For six months she wore swad
dling clothes; at the end of that time the
camp assumed swagger airs, blossomed
out as a city of some metropolitan preten
tious and began to hum.
To the Hutte people in Sumpter who
have taken the bull by the horns and in
cidentally taken a tiler in real estate and
mines, the sound of this hum Is pleasant
music. All the Montana men In this camp
stand to win big money. Some of them
already have cleaned up snug sums. Gen
eral Warren, of course, is the king bee
atojnd here. C. F. Booth, ex-Mayor
Dugan, W. F. Cobban and some of the
others have irons In the fire which will
pan out heavily when the time Is ripe.
They are all quite happy and not the least
lonesomeor homesick, for in the lauguage
of the Hon. Charles F. Booth, "Sumpter
is a Butte." L. Bush L. in Anaconda
Standard.
Building Leased for Two Years.
A. M. Keltic has leased from Charles
Booth, for a term of two years, the build
ing now used as a hay warehouse by the
Sumpter Hardware company, adjoining
THE MINER office. He will have It reno
vated, remodeled and raised to conform to
the new street grade. Already there are
one or two applications In to rent It for
business purposes, though no lease has
yet been given.
To the Ladles of Sumpter.
You are respectfully invited to Inspect a
beautiful line of modern hand-made Point
and Battenburg lace work. I also have
or will design patterns for any lace pieces
desired, furnish materials, give lessons, of
make work to order. The largest line
and variety of genuine Mexican drawn
work ever shown in eastern Oregon, and
at such prices as will permit you to make
handsome Christmas presents at moder
ate amounts. Call at the home of Mrs.
Dr. Tape, adjoining the office, where I
am temporarily located. MRS. MARSH.
The
Bellinger- Ritche
Company
.OF SUMPTER.
OREGON
Dispensers of only the
Choicest
Brands
Liquors
Including Old Overholt, Can
adian Club. Ushers and James
Watson Scotch, I nported 1881
U. I.. Tl.. C.... U. ....-...
m.iliuy, nice jwii ciiiicaiy,
and all the Leadiug Brands of
Wlnts and Cigars. New and
Elegant Fixtures. Comfort
able quarters for gentlemen.
No better service In Oregon. '
.The Magnolia...
The Bellinger-Ritchie Company,
Proprietors.
(Formerly Hotel Van Duyn Bid.)
General Brass and Iron Founders
and Machinists.
Baker City
Iron Works
GEO. F. MCLYNN, Proprietor ::::::
Special attention given to
repairing ami renunc
kinds of machinery.
and rebuilding all
Baker HIV. Telephone Red 161
New Harness
Shop.
MCEWEN & SLOAN, Proprietors.
SUMPTER, OREGON.
REPAIRING - A - SPECIALTY
J SHOR Jl
OPPOSITE THE LIVERY STABLE.
A BEAUTIFUL LINE
OF FASCINATORS
Now In at the Red Front. Be sure and come
and see our fine Line of Comforts, all-wool
Oregon Blankets, large Cotton Bats, Etc. Dry
Goods and Ladies' Furnishings, Gents' Under
wear of all weights, Overalls, Shoes, Hats and
Winter Caps. In our Grocery Department we
carry a full line of Gordon & Dilworth's high
grade Jellies, Plum Puddings, Mince Meat, etc.;
also Heintz' relishes, which need no other rec
ommendation than the name. Fancy Lunch
Goods to suit the most fastidious are also on
the shelves, with a full assortment of staple
groceries. Remember the place.
ec
THE RED FRONT
W. C. CALDER, PuoPMiiTOR
OPERA HOUSE SALOON
SUMPTER BEER ON. DRAUGHT
BILLIARD AND POOL TABLES
Agents for Matting
ly and Moore Whis
key a 2o-year-old
whiskey as good as
Elixir of Life. All
whiskies are out of
bond and guaran
teed the genuine ar
ticle. Popular re
sort for Commer
cial Travelers and
Miners.
SUMPTER,
OREGON
Kahler & Hawley
Postoffice Store
FRESH GOODS ARE ARRIVING DAILY
Complete New Stock of Men's and Boys' Winter Wear, Clothing, Over
coats, Underwear and Footwear of all kinds. Special a fine Hue of general
STATIONERY GOODS
S
KAHLER & HAWLEY,
SUMPTER, OREGON
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