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About The Sumpter miner. (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905 | View Entire Issue (June 20, 1900)
Wednesday, June 20, 1900 THE SUMPTER MINER. INTERESTING FACTS. General Mining Conditions Here Most Favorable A correspondent of the Spokesman Review sizes up the situation hereabouts as follews: Amidst general activity In the eastern Oregon gold fields placer mining is this year reviving to a considerable degree. Several new claims have recently been staked and in some instances large amounts have been taken out In a very short time. On Span ish gulch f$ooo was taken out In two weeks and on Salmon creek two Chinamen washed out $650)11 13 days. On Kolb's gulch a single miner washed out $400 this spring and a party of six miners made $50 per day by shoveling dirt into sluice boxes. In a free gold quartz ledge a pocket was opened which yielded $500, and a pieie of rock contain ing tS was found in the dirt that a badger had thrown out of a whole. Hundreds of prospectors are busy scan ning the country in search of the yellow metal and almost every day new quartz is brought in to be assayed. Sumpter Is becoming a great mining center, and is attracting the attention of many eastern capitalists looking for chances for investments. Inquiries are received almost every day from eastern men in regard to the mines of this section, and many representatives of capital have been out to look at the mines. Surrounding Sumpter within a radius of 20 miles are over 2000 quartz locations, 25 of which are large producers and 200 others which have over $3000 worth of development work done on them. With in the same radius are perhaps 150 placer mines that are worked annually and pay well. Besides these mines copper has been located in large amounts. In the Golconda mine, one of the richest in this district, ore running as high as $20,000 per ton in gold has been taken out. Other regular producers of this section are the Columbia, Cougar, Badger, Union, Companion, Bonanza, Red Boy, North Pole, Ibex, Balsely ElKhorn, Virtue and Conner creek, which together yield annually over f 1,500,000. There are besides these mines ten Irregu lar producing mines that average about $175,00 a year and several new producers that show an output of about $100,000 per month, or $1,200,000 per annum. The total amount taken from placers during 1899 was about $600,000, most of which was shipped to San Francisco, Seattle, and Boise. It is estimated that between $4,000,000 and $5,000,000 will be taken from the Greenhorn district this year. A large amount of improvement work Is In progrees in this district. Sev eral new mills are being constructed and a number of the old ones are adding more stamps and other machinery. Hvery day from fifteen to twenty-four horse loads of freight and ten or twelve loads of machinery leave the Sumeter depot for the surrounding mines and several car loads of freight and machinery are always waiting to be transferred to the mines. The McEvven stage line keeps eight stages busy and two other lines are doing well. Preparations are being made to build an electric road from Sumpter to Granite and Bourne, which will greatly increase the amount of business between these places, as it will open the road to several other mines that are only waiting an easy method by which they can be de veloped. Prospective Rail Rroad for Harney County. General Manager Brancroft, General Freight Agent Eccles, Chief Surgeon Plnkertonand Livestock Agent Tuttle, all of the Oregon Short Line Raiload company, spent yesterday In Burns, hav ing come out from Ontario bv private con veyance. They are making a hurried trip through this section, presumably to gain an Idea of the prospective railway traffic it contains. It is generally thought, but not absolutely verified, that the surveyors now at work at M.ilheur c-invon tre In the employ of the Short Line, and this, with the fact of the above named officials, leads to the belief th.it that road has construction operations in view which are not given out publicly. The party left Burns this morning for Shaniko, via Prineville, and at the rail road town will meet the manager's private car and return to Salt Lake next Monday. The party was favorably Impressed, and indeed surprised, with the conditions they found In Harney county and in the thriv ing town of Burns. In the event a line Is built westward from Snake river It will find the town of Burns In its path. Mr. Brancroft will return here next fall, when he will be able to make a more thorough Investigation of the country's resources. Harney County News. K. R. Casper's Story of Sumpter Mine. The San Francisco Mining and Engi neering Review, containing the article on the mining districts surrounding Sumpter, written by K. R. Casper, special corres pondent, has been received here. It is an excellent story, included in which is a treatise on the geological formation by John F. Leland, that Is well written by a man in whom is combined theory and practical knowledge. This article is the leading one in the Issue. A cut of Sump ter adorns the first page, followed by a number of Illustrations of mining proper ties. Mr. Casper has done his work well Ask for the Columbia beer, brewed in Sumpter. SPOKANE Drug Co. Only exclusive whole sale drug house in the state. We sell only to merchants. Make the best prices on min ers' and assayers' sup plies. Freight no higher than from Portland. Write for quotations. Spokane Drug Co. Spokane, Wash. Reserved for LAWTON INVESTMENT COMPANY. " V1 George W. Weigand... t HIGH GRADE LIQUORS AND CIGARS a Mining Men's Headquarters Next Door to Wonder Store J 0 nuuKir., uidiui 4'''''-' A BUTTE HEADQUARTERS j C. B. & M. Co.'s Beer Best in Town J. B. SCHMIDT Sumpter at Bottling Works jt j j Gagen & Sloan, Proprietors. j jt j j j Manufacturers of all kinds of car bonated drinks and ciders. Or ders filled and shipped on short notice. jt jt jt jt jt SUMPTER, - OREGON the: gem saloon A. J. STINSON, Prop. (Successor to Snyde & Stlnson) Only the Best Brands of Liquors Served Over the Bar SUMPTER, " OREGON Raul E. Poindexter, MIN ES BcoroitD McNcal'b Codc. Sumpter, - - Ore. f