8
THE SUMPTER MINER.
Wednesday, May i6, 1900
DECLINE OF
Haul Ore from the Badger to Susanvillc.
It was ascertained Thursday that It is
PLACER CAMPS, more than probable that the Hader Gold
j Minlnjr company, whose property is about
, three and a half miles from usanville, on
(ilk creek, will this summer haul their ore
from the mine to Pendleton and then ship
to San i-'ranclsco, Instead of hauling to
Maker City. Last year tills company had
thirty-three teams engaged in hauling ore I
to the latter place. It is understood that
arrangements are about completed with
the first National bank of this city to
to take care of their interests at this point.
I he only drawbacks to Pendleton In the
Their Lives Are Always of
Short Duration.
The following editorial in the Spokes
maii'Rcview describes the conditions In
eastern Oregen:
The early history of Id.ilio Is repeated Pst have been the condition of the road
in Alaska. In iWij, 40,000 gold seekers
were drawn to the rich pl.icer camps of
Id.ilm. H.nuroft says that notwithstand
ing the falling off In eastern immigration,
the Boise mines alone drew between 25,000
and jo.ooo men to southern Idaho. These
ligurcs about cover the highest estimates
and tile need of a bridge across the middle
fork of the John Day river. The bridge
across the river was put in last winter
and Granite lias undertaken to put the
road in condition. Thus it seems that
nothing now remains to prevent the ore
coming tills way. Charles .1. Maker, of
of the number of men who will go into 1 Pendleton, expects to enter Into a contract
Alaska this year. 1 w'tn tne company to put 011 four or live I
In those days, as now, there was keen Mx-horse teams to do a portion of this
rivalry between town and cities over the
tr.ide of the placer camps. Portland,
Walla Walla, l.ewistuu, Umatilla land
ing, and even Sairamento, California,
competed for the business of the various '
camps in northern and southern Idaho.
I.cwlstou was a lively place. It com
manded the rich diggings of northern
Idaho, and its ambitious inenliants had
dreams of reaching out for the richer trade
of the Boise country. 'I hey dispatched a
party to old Port Boise to ascertain if it
were practicable to navigate Snake river,
from I ewiston to that point or beyond.
'I his party, alter waiting until the river
was near its lowest stage, descended from
Port Itoise to l.ewistou on a raft. "It was
soon made apparent, however," .ays the
historian, "that l.ewistou was hopelessly!
cut oft trom Salt Lake, and even from
Itoise Itasiu, by craggy mountains and,
impassible liver canyons and falls."
As r.ulidly as one rit.li camp wasev1
liausted, another was found, and the mer-
1t11l.1l minds darted hither and thither
like globules of qiiiikMlver in search of
gold. Por a few years the new discover
ies overbalanced the exhaustion of the old
hauling. Pendleton Tribune.
REVIVAL IN THE JOHN DAY.
Quartz Mining Superceding Famous Old
Placer Diggings.
The snow is rapidly disappearing from
the mountains and the foothills are almost
alive with prospectors. Attention has
been generally turned from the placer dig
gings to the quart ledgcs.and the search
ers are aiming for the bodies of gold ore '
that have been found to be characteristic '
of the belt. This John Day valley Is an I
Interesting country, and many a romance
and tragedy Is recorded in its history.1
1 he discovery of rich placers brought an
adventurous and hardy people to Its fields
in the early '60s. 'I hen little or no atten
tion was paid to the quart deposits, the
creeks being easy to work and yielding .
rich returns. Now, however, with the!
aid of modem machinery, ledges are de
sired and searched for.
As a result of the new life that has
come Into the district, Prairie City, the
sleepy little hamlet of yesterday, is today
1 bustling town with all the modern spirit
diggings and the population increased ' Jn,t ,he "l,J IwMMments. Bi.ildl.iR has,
rapidly; but there came i time w lieu the
balance turned, and then the country lost
Its transient population nearly as fast as
it had gained it in the eldorado days.
I hus now with Alaska. Dawson has
lost the gteater part of its population, and
t'sen now has the appearance of a de
serted mining camp. In a few years, at
tuithest, the same fate will fall on Cape
Nome, and hi a few more year, the thou
sands who are now gathering in Alaska
will natter to the lour winds, 'this has
been the history of California, of the
placer camps of Australia, and of the once
famous camps ot Idaho. Alaska's Indus
tiles will then tall b.uk 011 Its permanent
lesouries Us quart mines, it cn1111nerii.il
ore shall be dKoeied, and Its lislieries
and lumber.
It is significant, though, that thus far
pav oie has eluded the Alaska searcher.
i he I'rcndwell mill Is still pounding away
-on great bodies ot low giade ote on the
seashore, but that Is apart from the pres
ent rush ot gold seekers. Nothing that
would invite the operations ol the exper
however, already started, and there is a
general revival. New businesses are be
ing opened and there is room for more and
need for many tilings, including sawmills,
shingle mills and factories. The resources I
ot the valley are not couluied to mining,
as there are timber, grain, grazing and
fruit lauds.
The John Day valley is sl or seven
miles wide and fifteen miles long. On the
south side of the river are the Strawberry
mountains and on the north the Dixie
Hutte and another range. The whole
country seems rich in copper, gold and
silver, and all the laud of the valley is
fertile.
To Illustrate the immensity of the de
posits, the Oregon Wonder, may be men
tioned. 'I he ledge is over 1400 feet wide
and has been traced for many miles. The
rock is sott, and therefore easily mined.
Narrow stringers are frequently found that
are of great richness, and experience has
shown that they gain width with depth.
Prom the Greenhorn mountains south
through the Strawberry mountains is a
aeiued and prudent quatu.lnerhasbeen,l,dt so '" wide and 150 miles long,
iound In the interior. ""k" "' """' "" """ """ ' '7' '
In this respect Alaska dltlers from the ? therefore praclkally a virgin field,
ea.lyl.lstory ot Idaho, liven when the , ? "J 'f VT' lndlca on, L ' s b'
Placer miners were washing out their , lnf ' mlnera ted belt. This will
millions primitive means were rigged up PMy ' f " '.l ew
tocrushtlie rich ore of adjacent ledges, tlo.i,. that will be explored this season.-
... llnU- I., iKA. Ivtivmi fnrlv. apnini ' oi'raiiH-ntYitw uum
'" -i-t "Tt --.--.. ..-.j
and tidy arasttas were run by water pow
er, making flattering returns, and the
number soon increased to eighty-four,
each crushing about a ton .1 day. In the
same year quaiU mills were brought in
Prairie City.
Notice.
Notice is hereby given that I am not a
candidate for the office of Supervisor of
roads of the Sumpter district, and I desire
Horn St. Louis, San Pranclsco and Port- that my name be withdrawn from the re
laud, and ld.1110 lairiy entered on uie ue- publican ticket. Signed:
velopment ol her remarkable quartz Gb'O. B. TRDROWE.
in'iies. I Sumpter, Oregon, May 9, iooo.
THE SUMPTER LUMBER COMPANY.
Now is the Time to Buil'd,
DON'T wait till mid-summer or late
in the fall. Commence now before
the rush, while pou can get plenty of
material cheap and while mechanics are
not crowded with work. Every season
repeats itself: A big rush late in the
season and a lull "in the early spring
time when the violets bloom.'
We have a fine stook of lumber and
we are equipped to get out detail work
for the finest kind of finish. A superior
quality of buildings are what we are
looking for this season, now that the
permanence of the town and country is
assured.
J. B. STODDARD, Manager.
"THE GOLCONDA" M3i
D. M. FERRY & CO., Props.
Only the best of everything, including first-class
music, day and night.
Family rooms up stairs. Sumpter, Ore.
STAR
SALOON
ALP. ALLEN
Proprietor
Handles the best of Liquors,
Wines and Cigars. Draught
beer a specialty by the
pitcher, bottle or glass.
Opposite Depot SUMPTER, OR.
W. S. BOWERS
. ABSTRACTS
Real Estate, Loans and Insurance. Mining Patents Obtained
Years of experience in Baker County Records.
No. 2104 Court Street, Baker City, Oregon.
EI
rwin & Co.
Real Estate
and Mines....
.. Opera House Block
"Just around the Corner"
NEBERGALL & MOORE
PROPRIETORS.
THE MAZE
Fine Wines, Liquors and Ggars.
SUMPTER, OREGON
NEILL BUILLING