THE SUMPTER MINER. VOL I. SUMPTER, OREGON, FEBRUARY 7, 1900. NO. 22. FIGHT FOR A FRANCHISE TWO PARTIES WANT TO BUILD ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. Portland People go on a Still Hunt lor Val uable Privileges 1 But Arc Not Still Enough Local Combination Head OH the Play and Declare They Will Win Just Who the Outsiders Are Is Not Known Definitely. Thursday and Friday of last week it was known to a few interested parties that an ordinance would be introduced at the meeting of the city council Saturday evening, granting a franchise to construct and operate electric railway lines through the streets of Sumpter. This would materially Interfere with the plans of General Warren and his asso ciates, who for months past have been working on a plan to build a system of electric roads to the surrounding mining camps. These gentlemen at once began to devise ways and means to head oft tills move by outside parties. With this end In view, a petition was presented to the council signed by Charles S.Warren, W. L. Vinson, T. K. Mulr and W. C. Calder, asking for a franchise covering certain portions of Mill, Granite, Cracker and Austin streets and Bourne avenue. The petition stated that they al ready own a right-of-way to Bourne. An ordinance was introduced granting an exclusive franchise over all streets in Sumpter to l.ee McGrew, requiring that work of construction be commenced by July 1 of the present year and that the line on Granite and Mill streets be finished by January i, 1001. These are the im portant points of the ordinance; the In strument is a long one and goes Into min ute detail. No one in these parts seem to know who Lee McGrew is. His attorneys, Stott & Shelton, say that he is from Port land, is an experienced electrician and has been in Sumpter two weeks. They de cline to say who is back of him in this en terprise; but declare that the general Im pression, that Little & Bell are his asso ciates, is not true, and to a representative of this paper these gentlemen also denied the accusation. Mr. McGrew has not "seen" THE MINER and a reporter failed to find him and secure even an interview. The affair has aroused much general in terest in the community. Mr. McGrew 's plan of action was evidently to railroad the ordinance through the council before any adverse interest should become aware of his presence here or his designs, which was a shrewd plan, all right enough, but It failed. He has a fight on his hands now and it will be a hot one If prosecuted. Sam Stott says his client will win out. On the other hand, the local combination is confident that the McGrew crowd wont be in the running; that an ordinance to be introduced Saturday evening granting the franchise to residents of Sumpter will eventually pass. This opinion is based on promises of a sufficient number of al dermen. Fraternal Union of America. A lodge of the Fraternal Union of America, one of the new and popular beneficiary orders, has been organized In Sumpter by district Deputies Jonathan and John Sturgile, with forty-five mem bers. The lodge is known as Sumpter I Lodge No. , F. U. A. Saturday even j ing In Ellis hall lodge room there will be 1 a semi-public installation of these efficers: E. C. Steffen, fraternal master; George Raker, justice; Frank Shaver, secretary; J. L. Sullivan, treasurer; Mrs. E. A. Spalding, mercy; Mrs. Barbara Duck worth, truth; V. R. Mead, protector; Miss Josephine Stadman, guide; Mrs. V. R. Mead and T. D. Taylor, stewards; J. O. Lockhart, guard; VV. A. Green, sentinel; Dr. C. M. Pearce, physician; Miss Car rie Spalding, musician. Free Coinage Wonderfully Rich. V A CIiIIIIki r,ti.l tAvlfi, frim , I . ri. o t Itimiiiu )'"j 1 the Free Coinage, which property shows ' up better and richer with every blast. He brought down with him a bottle of con centrates, he having taken the rock from the ledge, crushed and panned it himself, a quarter of which Is coarse, free gold. Mr. Schilling declines to make a public statement regarding what he proposes to do with all his money when he finally 1 cashes in. He left for Portland on the 1 12:45 P " train yesterday. COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS. Franchises Asked for Building and Sewer 1 Permits Granted. i At the meeting of the city council Sat urday evening building permits were granted to J. T. P.irkinsou, W. H. Glea son and I. Williamson. A permit was granted Messrs. Looney, ' Robbing and Potter to construct a private I sewer from their property on and near the corner of Granite and Center streets.along Center street to the main sewer in the alley between Granite and Sumpter. A number of permits were granted to build side and cross walks. 1 The committee on tire and water re ported that the water company makes a charge of six dollars for tapping the main and fifteen cents a foot for service pipe to the curb, allowing a rebate of fifty cents a mouth on water rates until the bill is paid. The health officer was Instructed to gel bids on furnishing medicine for. city pa tients. The judiciary committee was In structed to see what can be done towards Inducing the county to reimburse the town of Sumpter for taking care of county I paucius. 1 lie my .muriicy was in I structed to draft an ordinance requiring all physicians to report all cases of con tagious diseases. At the request of the city attorney the empoundlng ordinance was laid over for one week, after passing to its second read ing. The amendment to the flume ordinance, making it include the entire town, was passed. An ordinance was Introduced granting to Lee McGrew an exclusive franchise to construct and operate electric railway lines through the streets of Sumpter. A peti tion signed by Charles S. Warren, W. L. Vinson, T. K. Mulr and W. C. Calder asked for a similar franchise. Both were laid over until the next meeting. Reports of town officials were tiled and bills amounting to about $700 were al lowed. Hllg ard-GrantU Road Survey. President Smith, of the Hilgard, Gran ite Si Southwestern railway, reports that Engineer Clark's surveying crew is now at the mouth of Fly creek, nineteen miles from Hilgard. The minimum grade is 27 feet to the mile, and the maximum, which is for a short distance only, is 74 feet. From present Indications the distance from Granite to Hilgard will be under fifty miles, which is somewhat shorter than first estimated. Blue Mountain Eagle. WILL MAKE MORE BEER Columbia Capacity Increased Another Brewery. The Columbia Brewing and Malting company has been incorporated by John Armbruster, William Stinson and A. W. Ellis, with a paid up capital stock of 25, 000. The company owns the plant now in operation on Mill street, known as the Columbia brewery. The object of Incorporation was to se cure mere capital and enlarge the plant. The whole establishment will nlso be re modelled. A stone addition will be erected, to be used as an ice house aud cooling rooms. The capacity of the brewery will be Increased to 1000 barrels a month. This establishment has made money since the day it turned out Its first keg of beer. It is nlso repotted that the old Parkin son blacksmith shop, on Cracker street, will be enlarged and a brewing plant In stalled therein. The report seems to be reliable, but THE MINER has been unable to find among the wilderness of strangers now in Sumpter the parties who are pro moting this enterprise. Opening of the Golden Eagle. The Golden Eagle hotel opened its doors to the public .Monday, aud to a good busi ness, of course. The furniture aud fix tures in the house are new from top to bottom, and everything Is comfortable and convenient. The dining room Is large and well lighted, the cuisine is un surpassed aud the service excellent. (.'In ner is served at 6 o'clock, which has proven to be a popular change from local custom, as there are many people here who have been accustomed to this meil schedule and can't become accustomed to the noon dinner. Messrs. Gellally and Fowler, the proprietors, are evidently hotel men of experience and their success here is assured. Baker County's Assessed Valuation. The assessed valuation of Baker county for the year 1890 was 2,775,70jo. There are single mines here worth that amount of money. By far the greatest values rest in its mines, which will never be as sessed at their cash value. Many of these are not patented and are, therefore, not assessed at all. The products of the county this year, mines, farms and ranges, will equal the entire assessed value of last year. Baker, County's In debtedness Is only 11126,474 this last statement being made on the authority of the Democrat. Representing Wolff-Zwickcr Iron Works. Franklin Riffle, manager of the Wolff 61 Rwicker Iron works, of Portland, was in the city last week looking over the field here for selling mining machinery. Mr. Riffle is a civil, sanitary, hydraulic, con sulting and mining engineer of many years experience, and under his manage ment the Wolff Si Zwlcker company Is manufacturing up-to-date mining machin ery, jvhlch Is finding a ready market In the West. Sam Stott's Running Record. Sam Stott has the reputation of being the slowest individual on earth. Yester day afternoon, however, he was fifteen minutes late Ip arriving at the depot in Baker City and found the logger had left. He didn't feel like walking to Sumpter, so made a dash and caught the train be fore it reached the tank. A. W. Ellis is authority for both of these statements, and what he says, goes. Speaking of this, Mr. Ellis said that Sam Stott was designed by nature for a runner; that he has a reach surpassing that of any sprinter who ever went on the track, and that If he would only work up a sufficient motive power, would be a world-beater. E. C Finch Returns to Sumpter. E. C. Finch, a successful mining man well known throughout the Northwest, who was In this district a number of weeks last summer, arrived In town today from Portland, where he has been for several months past. He was one of the pur chasers last fall of the litternunmtaln, a developed mine with hundreds of tons of ore on the dump. A few men have been at work on the property all winter. Mr. Pinch is here to stock the mine, work it with a large force of men ar.d arrange to treat the ore. He will be here several weeks. REAL ESTATE ACTIVE. Numerous Residence and Several Business Lots Change Hands. Little attention Is paid here to deals in residence lots, scores of such sales being made every day. The Sumpter Townslte company continues to make large sales in their additions. Two blocks in the First addition were sold yesterday to Roseburg parties. Activity in the real estate market increases In intensity dally. In business property, however, every trade Is watched with interest by all bro kers and buyers. The latter continue to bid against each other whenever n desira ble lot Is put on the market, and when It Is known who the lucky one Is who se cured it, the others kick themselves for not having offered more. Several im portant deals have been made during the past lew days. Mohr & Mayer sold the J. Duckworth property on Sumpter street, 50 by 100 feet, to J. L. Abrams and C. E. House, of Spokane, for f j)oo. One year ago this same lot changed hands, the price being 275. Last Saturday Mrs. Laura Lockhart sold the lot on the comer of Mill and Auburn streets to Mr. Grifliu,of the hotel bearing his name, for j)oo, Mcl.eod St Co. negotiating the transaction. Yester day the same firm sold the rear end of this lot, 26 by 4$ feet to Craudall Si Irwin for i$5o. A two-story frame building will be erected here at once. Fritz & Dwyer sold for the Townslte company to Fred Ritchie the east twenty eight feet of the lot on Granite street, where THE MINER office formerly was. Mr. Ritchie's original Intention was to erect thereon at once a building, to be oc cupied by himself as a liquor store, but he has an opportunity to get quick action for his money aue may sell. Will Develop the St. Anthony. W. C. Koesterand William Klckhaefer, of Milwaukee, friends of Dr. G. S. Wheeler, the mining expert, who have been In this district for some days past, leave today for home. They will return later, having while here became Interested hi the St. Anthony Gold Mining and Mil ling company, which owns a property in the vicinity of the Red Boy. This mine has a 6o-foot ledge which carries values from four to ten dollars, the ore being easily and economically mined. The property will be developed at once. Fire Meeting and Drill Sunday. The fire department will be ailed out on a general alarm Sunday morning next, for drill and a subsequent meeting.