12
THE SUMPTER MINER.
Wednesday, June 20. 1900
BOUGHT THE BRICK.
Banker Paid $13,600 for $6.80
Worth of Copper.
An Associated press dispatch dated at
Hastings, Nebraska, .lunriji says that
William Kerr, president of the Adams
County Hank, of Hastings, Itas received
word from the Denver mint that a "gold"
brkk lie had purchased from a stranger
at Leavenworth, Kan., a few d.ivs atni,
for $13,600, is made ol copper. The brick
his only partner had been the Indian.
Together they had smuggled a large brick
of the precious metal, which was abund
ant in the mine, across the Mexican
border. Half of it was for the old time
partner, Albert, and the other half he
would share with his Indian friend. Rut
lie was Ignorant of the mining laws, and
he was anxious to Interest some one who
would look alter their Interests in the
mine.
AU. Kerr was struck with the apppar
cut slnceieity of the stranger, and the
story the banker thought plausible.
When he hud heard him through and
signified a willingness, if the representa
tions were proved, to open negotiations
for purchase ot a share of the mine, til
miner let the banker into the secret, that
THE WONDER
GEO. VV. WEIGAND,
PROPRIETOR.
GENERAL MERCHANDISE
A complete stock of Dry Goods, Ladles and Men's Furnishings, Boots,
Shoes, Hats and Clothing.
THE WONDER, BOURNE, OREGON
was uansicrreti to nir. Kerr by i man j ,lt. K,,j fci w., hj hl ,lt. W(mtts la.ar
who represented himself to be an old Leavenworth, Kan., and that the Indian
mining partner in California of Albert was there watching It.
Kerr, a unisln of the bank president. Mi. j Ue (.veiling' the banker told his
Kerr on June j, naompanied the stranger f.imiy n,,. lL. iaj wvl MljjeI1y called
to Leaveworlli where the brick, held by .XWIIV business, and accompanied the
an Indian companion of the "miner" was
drilled. 'I he sample, which Kerr had
assayed in Kansas City, was loiiud to tun
f 20 to the 0111111'. Mr. Keir nturned to
Leavenworth, drew on his bank lor .i ,
Ocxj, and he... line possessed ol the bruit
winch he sent to the I rrst National haul;
at I )enver.
I he Denver end of the storv is tlius
told by the Republican of that vilv: It is
the old slory of the rich hanker, the
aflable stranger, the gold blick and the
mythical bonanza mine in Mexico, In which
the stranger Is willing to let the banker
gain a controlling inteiest on such Matter
ing terms th.it Hie rit.li old hanker can
not resist. Of course, there is the lost
cousin ol the banker, whose partner the
stranger had been, and the silent Indian
through whom the mine was discovered.
Hut the gold lulcl Is the subject of im
mediate chief Interest. It will be disposed
of at a small cost, because the present
possessors of it are in need ol cash, and
arc unsophisticated prospectors who do
not know the regular ways of disposing of
such valuables as the trulls of their toils
in the mines. Then there is the buried
treasure, guarded by the iguoiant but
faithful Indian. Tills is a sketch of the
latest and one of the boldest gold blick
swindlers of late yeais, which was un
earthed in Denver.
The brick Is now In the United States
...t... 1.. ii.i. ..i... i. 1.. ..1 1 .1 .
mint 111 tins my. 11 in iiKinii mice leci
stranger to Leavenworth.
Arriving there the ne.t day, May 31,
they waited until midnight, when the
strangei conducted Air. Kerr hevoud the
limits of the city and into the woods. At
Hie entrance to a cave they were met by
the Indian, who at the command ot the
white man prodiued iroui tile depths of,
CASE FURNITURE COMPANY
THE HOME FURNISHERS
Parlor, Dining and Bed Room furniture in sets or separate- pieces.
Beautiful line of Carpets, Linoleum and Mattings. Come in and let
us explain why you can save monev by buying at home.
We can positiv ely do so.
Opera house Block - Sumpter, Oregon
,V'fc'.'V'Vvv.-'a.''fc.''V.'v.i
the cave the gold
1 provided himself
brick. Mr. Kerr had
Willi a gimlet, witli
w Ilk li hediilled into the brick, gathering
up tlie dust and carrying it away. This he
took to Kansas City and had assayed.
The result showed a true gold value of
fjonn ounce.
At that rate the brick was worth some
thing more than ?iK,ooo, and the simple
prospector had asked but $13,600 for it.
Mr. Kerr at oiue drew on Ills hank lor
the sale price and returned to Leaven
worth. Another midnight visit was made
to tlie cave and the exchange was made,
Mr. Kerr leceiving the brick and the
stranger pocketing his check.
The miner promised to call at the
banker's home and transfer him a third
interest in therlch mine, but failed to show
up, and this aroused the financier's sus
picion. The brick was sent to Denver
and the fraud was so palpable that it
needed but a cursory glance by practiced
assayers to discover It. The weight, too,
was a clear exposure of the fraud, for so
large a block of gold would be nearly as
heavy again as this lump of copper. An
A. I'. (JOSS, President
A. J. (JOSS, Cashier
& Bank of Sumpter
Trinsictt Central Bmklni Business
Drafts drawn on all parts of the world. Special attention to collections.
Safety Deposit boxes for rent.
SUMPTKR, OREGON
''.--''
'
long, three Inches thick and nearly four assay showed the suspicions of the mint
inches wide. It is pure copper, unsullied
except for poorly applied coating of what
is commonly called gold paint. It has
a cash value of fti.80, and cost the Ne
braska banker 1300. The brick
reached Denver last Saturday, consigned
to the First National bank, to which
M.r, Kerr cnt It to have Its value
tested.
Mr. Kerr has had the brick in his pos
session nearly two weeks, it was on
Decoration day that a stranger approached
the banker with his story ot a fabulously
rich mine which he had discovered in
Mexico. The stranger represented that
he was an old time partner of Albert Kerr,
a cousin of the banker, whose absence
for several years had made any word
from him, through whatever source, more
than welcome to the banker. Only a few
days before a letter had been received,
purporting to be from the long absent
cousin, containing tlie cheering informa
tion that the cousin would soon return to
Hastings. All this the stranger seemed
to know, and he tallied feeling of the long
years that he and Albert had spent to
gether, in the mountains of Colorado and
California, Dually drifting in to Old
Mexico, where they became separated.
Then tlie stranger had found the old
Indian, who directed him to a wonderful
rich mine. The stranger came to Hast
ings for the purpose of finding Ids old
partner and sharing the good luck witli
him.
Hut the wavs of the clvllled world had
heuune strange to him. Fur mouths now I Butte
officials and employes were correct. It
was pure copper, with but a very poor
attempt to conceal Its true metal.
Proposed Mining Congress.
General Passenger Agent Hulburt, of
the O. R. tV N. has written a letter to the
Baker City Chamber of Commerce, In
which he says:
"It seems to be the concensus of op
inion on the part of the Raker county
mine owners that no effort should be
made to secure a meeting of the mining
interests until some time In August. This
strikes me as a little late, but those
familiar witli the conditions seem to think
that it is tlie proper time. I have nothing
from the Chamber of Commerce for some
time, and assume they did not care to
take any action at the present time. It
was the company's Idea that some effort
should be put fortli on the part of tlie peo
ple of Baker and Sumpter, in order to
make the occasion one of more than ordi
nary Interest, but if we find that we are
unable to secure any assistance In that
direction, we will undoubtedly name low
rates for an excursion at a later date, and
I will favor making two different dates,
one from Portland, up to and including
Pendleton, and a little later, one from Spo
kane up to and Including all points north
of Pendleton; the later to take In points
trom tlie line of the Spokane Falls &
Northern and if possible will secure ex
cursion rates from points on the Oregon
Short Line, Including Salt Lake and
Free
Assay...
..
During the next ?o days every
new subscriber to The Miner who
pays 2.oo for one year's subscrip
tion in advance will be given one
assay for gold of any rock he may
bring in. Free of Charge
The
Sumpter Miner
Sumpter, Ore.
V?