THE SUMPTER MINER.
VOL I.
SUMPTER, OREGON, APRIL 4, 1900.
NO. 30.
MINING MONEY
FROM EVERYWHERE
SEEKING INVESTMENT IN THE
SUMPTER DISTRICT.
Come in Palace Can and Work the Year
Around Nowhere on Earth are Mining
Operations Conducted With so Little
Privation and Danger What President
McKinley Says of Sumpter and Its
Mines.
"A practical man can not help becom
ing enthusiastic over the mining resources
of Oregon," said D. R. Young, of Ross
land, yesterday. Mr. Young is editor of
the Kootnay Mining Standard, has
long been connected with mining affairs
in the north country and has lately ac
quired considerable interests in the Sump
ter district. "I am not alone," he con
tinued, "in this conclusion, as there are
mining men from all parts of the globe,
including German, Astralian, English and
Canadian syndicates; Standard Oil peo
ple, men from Butte, Salt Lake, Repub
lic, Rossland and Cripple Creek districts;
In fact from almost every part of the
world, who not only agree with me, but
are backing their judgment by buying
property In the vicinity of Sumpter.
"There are 251 stamps already falling
ing In this district, and the following prop
erties, namely, Ibex, Bunker Hill, Anna
Lulu, Diadem, Van Anda, Richmond,
White Elephant, Bald Mountain, Inter
Mountain, Majestic, Keystone Belle,
Mammoth, Free Coinage, Bryson and
Mastiff, have ordered machinery which
will be installed as fast as possible. In
fact, freight sheds, platforms and several
cars are piled with mining machinery at
Sumpter, waiting to be taken into the
mines.
"Placer mining will soon be running
full blast. There are certainly hundreds
of acres of good placer mining ground
that has never been touched that contains
an immense amount of gold. The output
for 1899 for Oregon was something over
two millions, principally gold, and I un
derstand from authentic Information that
returns for last month were over ?2oo,-
000, which goes to show that Oregon has
a bright future.
"Oregon is certainly self-sustaining
outside of its mining industries. Fruit
growing in abundance, large tracts of
good farming lauds, good timber and in
some of Its valleys large herds of cattle,
all have a tendency to make mining oper
ations much easier and cheaper than in
any other district I was ever In. In fact I
know of no place on earth where mining
is conducted with more pleasure and less !
privation and danger to life than in this
district. This country Is reached on the
palatial cars of the Oregon Railroad &
Navigation company's lines. Klondike
dogs are not necessary and packing Is al
most unknown; nor do you have to travel
4,000 miles by Alaskan waters, only to
work three months and remain Idle the
other nine months of the year. But In
Sumpter district work the year around is
the condition that makes it possible for
poor men to live as well as the wealthy."
Spokane Spokesman-Review.
Colorado Floated in Portland.
O. C. McLeod returned yesterday from
Portland, where he had been for two
weeks past on mining business. He
says: "I accomplished exactly what I
went there for; to lloat a proposition to
develop the Colorado group. I was much
gratified to learn that people there are now
Mifficlently interested to invest their
money in an advantageous mining deal,
such as I presented to them. Formerly,
when I left there several months since for
Sumpter, such was nut the case. I think
that considerable Portland money will go
into our mines this year."
GREAT MINING EXCITEMENT.
President William McKlnley's Opinion of
Sumpter.
Win. McKinley, president of the Con
solidated (Mines, Limited, returned from
Sumpter, Oregon, Thursday night, and
states that that camp Is experiencing n
great boom, and that a great many prop
erties are changing hands. The only
drawback hi the ramp Is the lack of pro
ducing mines being offered on the market.
Those owning "going" properties are un
willing to name a price on them because
they know that they cannot re-Invest the
money to better advantage.
The Golconda mine, situated about
seven miles up Cracker Creek from
Sumpter, has been incorporated for $oo,
000, and the stock of this company seems
to sell readily at par. There are numer
ous other properties that have been
stocked and In nearly every Instance
where the companies own desirable prop
erties, their stocks are a ready seller.
Among the more recent companies there
is that of the Co-Operation Gold Mining
company, which Js operating a group of
claims live miles from Sumpter on the
Granite road. This company has un
covered a large body of high grade ore
that runs from 10 to 18 per cent in copper
and from $ 5 to f 20 in gold and silver per
ton, and found in the grass roots. The
Consolidated Mines, Limited, have se
cured a number of claims in close proxi
mity to the Co-Operative company prop
erties, and also up toward the Golconda.
Mr. M.KInley states that while he was
In Sumpter he secured a suite of rooms
and will establish a branch office of his
company at that point. Although the
roads are in frightful condition, caused by
the recent thaw, he said it does not seem
to retard freighting or to keep the pros
pector, or mine owner, promoter or capital
ist from crowding the stages to their full
capacity. In his opinion Sumpter will be
the scene of the greatest mining excite
ment during the spring and summer ever
experienced in the west. Boise Mining
World.
Rich Strikes Near Prairie City.
Several ricli strikes are reported from
Prairie City, the new mining town at the
head of the John Day. Dr. Lon Cleaver,
who is heavily Interested in mining prop
erty in that section, telephoned to his
brother, E. E. Cleaver, of this city, that
half a doen rich strikes had been made
three miles from Prairie City. Another
rich strike was made on Dixie Butte
mountain, six miles from Prairie City, of
free gold which was said to be very rich.
The bare particulars of the strikes only
were telephoned and no details were
given.' Mr. Cleaver yesterday tried to
obtain additional news, but the wires
weie not in working order and nothing
further could be learned. Baker City
Democrat.
Go to Fenner & Worthington for all
kinds of engineering.
Columbia beer, brewed in Sumpter, is
second to none.
Superior job printing at this office.
I FINE BANKING HOUSE.'
First Bank of Sumpter in
Elegant Quarters.
The furniture for the First Bank of
Sumpter arrived todiy nud handsomer
hank fixtures, of more artistic design :md
elegant finish can't be found in eastern
Oregon. The fixtures were manufactured
by A. II. Andrews V Co., of Chicago;
are of quarter sawed oak, Pollard fmlshaud
crystalied plate glass. The chairs and
sofas are upholstered hi Turkish leather.
The whole Is in keeping with the
building owned and occupied by the bank,
which Is of brick, with stone trimmings;
6a by 25 feet, two stories high, plumbing
and electric wires throughout. The upper
lloor consists of the most desirable ollice
rooms in town. The first tloor Is occu
pied by the bank.
There every convenience known to the
business Is found. The vault, positively,
Is complete and modern. The walls, tloor
and ceiling are made of brick, stone, ce
ment and railroad iron. Although it con
tains $150,000 of deposits, besides the
capital of thelnstutlon, a skilled burglar
couldn't make wages if allowed to work at
it unmolested. It would take him too long
to dig Ills way into the treasurer apart
ments. The First Bank of Sumpter is doing n
large, legitimate business. Its officers
and employees are men of experience,
courteous to, and popular with patrons
and the public at large. It Is distiued to
play an important part in the development
and building up of this region.
Local "Burglars Arc Aburgllng."
Among the thousands who have come
to Sumpter during the past few months,
there were necessarily some tough charac
ters. Since Saturday night the police
have arrested Annie I'll key, Flossie
Hill, Nellie Powers, J. W. Hicks and
Warren linker, charged witli various de
grees of theft, from stealing a hypodreinic
syringe which went to the pawn shop
to "rolling" a man for f 360. They were
all bound over to the circuit court by Jus
tice Steffen, before whom they were tried.
Only one of the parties, a woman Impli
cated in the rich haul, had given bonds at
noon today. She shoved up f 500 cash
bail.
Granite Light and Power Co.
In Bake( City yesterday articles of In
corporation of the Oregon Light and
Power company were filed with the county
clerk. The incorporators arc: W. J. Pat
terson, Grant Thornburg, John Scintilla:
and William Moreland. The capital stock
Is 550,000, with par value of ft each. It
Is the purpose of the company to put in an
electric light and power plant at Granite
to furnish lights for the town and power
to the mines of the district. Baker City
Democrat.
This Town Needs Street Lights.
Last night was as dark as the inside of
a cow. That fact Impressed every one
who had to leave the business streets in
order to reach home, Including the writer,
with the crying need this town has for
street lights. When one is entirely sober
and the darkness is so dense that he can
see 110 landmark to guide his feet, and
chances to step off the sidewalk two or
three times within half a block, he loses
confidence in himself, his sense of unaided
direction in fact, in all things. He
creeps along, scraping every inch with his
'. imaginary pitlalls, holes,
I wells, discovery shafts, reservoirs that ho
knows are not In the same township.
And when he crosses the street, of course,
he misses the cross walk, lie escapes all
the high, dry spots, steps in the worst
mud holes in the ward, looses his rubbers
and then breaks the stillness of the dead
night with (rightful oaths, all In valu.
Now, with a man who is good and dttitil ,
it is different. He stumbles along like a
1 horse with the blind staggers, never gets
1 off his course, lands at home with even
j the soles of his shoes not muddy, and
' doesn't care whe.ttlier the streets ate ev r
I lighted or not, for it would make no dll
1 fereiue with him. He is guided by sou c
! ctiardlnn spirit: Haulms or Gambrlms
perhaps, who never falls to care for thtir
own. But the sober, substantial, tespeci
alile cltlen has no such watchful pr
lector, so he wauls and needs strrtt
lights and is willing to pay for then.
What does the council sav?
Will Run if Nominated.
In another column of Till: MlNLH to
day there is made the statement that
there are no candidates here for the demo
cratic nomination to any of the county
offices. Two or three men have be n
found, however, who may be induced to
adept nominations and make the run.
W. W. Looney has placed himself In the
hands of his friends, and says if the con
vention decides to place his name on Un
democratic ticket, that he will be thr
next sheriff of Baker County. Citlens
of Sumpter want a representative on tic
board of county commissioners and ntr
eudeavoring to Induce either William
Stlnson or A. W. Ellis to make the racr.
One or the other of these gentlemen will
probably consent. C. W. James, d
Baker City, who was here yesterday Ar
ranging the preliminaries for holding thr
convention, In his capacity as secretary
of the central committee, also laid a nit
work of wires to secure the nomination
of recorder. He is favorably spoken 1 1
by the delegates from Sumpter.
Assays From the Diadem.
J. O. Louudagin states that he has
made 20 assays of ore from the Diadr m
and his lowest return was f 145.55 pet'
ton in gold, silver and copper. The high
est assay was $426.51 in gold and silvir.
The lowest assay In gold alone was I us
per ton, while the highest for gold alone
was )26.28. On the dump the company
has 500 sacks of ore ready to ship. I nr
500 will weigh about 56,000 pounds, and
the ore will net them something over 20O
to the ton. There Is also between no
and 200 tons of second-grade ore on thr
dump, not sacked, which will mill J 50 to
the ton. Mr. I.ound.iglii has visited
many of the best properties in the distrkt,
and In his opinion, for the work done, trie
Diadem Is second to none. Portland
Telegram.
Will Form a Camera Club.
There are a number of enthusiastic
amateur photographers or kodak liends,
as they are sometimes called in Sumptc r,
who are discussing the question ot organ
izing a camera club. Certainly nowhere
could such a club find in Nature so much
that is grand and beautiful to work on.
There are hundreds of landscapes In tin
vicinity of Sumpter from which exqisite.
photographs could and ought to be made.
Portland Interested in Mines.
Judge Newbury returned to Sumpter
Sunday from a two weeks trip to Pert
land, his former home, and reports the
business men in all lines becoming inter
ested in mining and anxious for informa
tion as to this district, witli a view to in
vestment. He further says the newly or
ganized mining exchange will be a help
ing factor in the movement of legitimate
stocks of tile Sumpter mines.