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About The Sumpter miner. (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905 | View Entire Issue (July 18, 1900)
Wednesday, July 18, 1900. THE SUMPTER MINER. 1 RAILROAD RUMORS. Significant, Inspired Theory From Harney County. There is no question but what several railroads are sparring for points in their efforts to get the advantage of each other In the division of unoccupied territory to the south and west of Sumpter. The sit uation Is an interesting one. The Port land Board of Trade Is already whereaslng and resolving relative to capturing the trade nf this splendid empire which the railroads will open up and develop, and the papers there are speculating through doubtful columns of space as to what routes the several roads will follow. On this subject the leading editorial in the Harney County News of last week is pregnant with slgnl'icance. It Is so be cause it i evidently Inspired by Hon. A. W. Uowati, one of the leading politicians and most influential citizens of that sec tion of the statr. His son is one of the publishers of the News. Mr. Gowan, senior, has represented his county in the legislature several sessions, when he formed intluented alliances, from which he can secure accurate information on this important matter. He lias recently re turned from a conference with the poweis that be at Porland, and this is what he has to say on this interesting subject through his son's paper: Harney, Lake, Crook and Grant counties, constituting the great inland portion of Oregon, occupy a position unique in the long continued isolation of their industries from the modern means of transportation. An area as large In ex tent as somr of the eastern state, these four counties comprise the features of mountain, valley and desert, out of which a sparer population has wrought a cumu lative development under conditions that would stagger the enterprise of a people long accustomed to better facilities. This region has, by yielding an, output of high class products, made rich contribu tion to the distant railway lines that skirts its outlying extremities. It has been In the position to pay tribute to the adjuncts of full commercial development, but not to receive its greater benefits. Now it seems the inevitable time is drawing rear when this great section will offer its in ducements to railroad building, and offer them not in vain. Primary to this condi tion, the News believes, is the sudden activity which marks the operations of the Idaho Midland, a short line between Butte, Montana, and Boise, Idaho. It is only reasonable to regard this seemingly independent line as an intermnuutain link over which the Burlington expects to reach the sra. A junction at Snake river with the Ore gon Central & hasten), and the comple tion ot that road would furnish to Inland Oregon an outlet to the east and west. Also it would deplete the business of the Oregon Hallway &. Navigation company and the Oregon Short Line to the extent of the trarfic between the summit of the Cascade mountains and the Boise river, together with a large portion of Idaho's ' live stock, wool and trult, which now seeks the east over the Uregon Short Line and the Union Pacific. The In fluence of the triple system is easily dis cernible in th activity which marks the development of the Columbia Southern, and indications point to dual lines of that road, embracing the southern spur of the Blue mountains, diverging from Shaniko to carry the traffic of Wheeler, Grant, Crook, Harney and Malheur counties out 1o the tracks of the main line at Snake river. It is easy of belief that such a system Impends, and that contrary to opinion long entertained, the first rail laid Jn Harney county may come from the main line of the O. R. & N. South to Lakevlew from a point in Harney county would constitute a paying feeder for such a system, and is not now regarded as among the impossibilities. Should the competition for this virgin territory be sufficient to induce such rail road construction as seems plainly indi cated by the present situation, there is within the grasp of Burns opportunity to achieve importance far beyond the meas ure of the dreams that for years have pictured the future of the town. The op portunity lies in the coming chance to grasp the ripened fruits of railroad con struction and dedicate them to the good of a greater Burns. The opportunity must be met and grasped; it will not lie down in the hand and ask for the closing of the fingers. Rough Rider at Salem. The Sumpter Hough Riders received the largest sum of money apportioned to any militia organization attending the state encampment at Salem, receiving pay from July 5 to 14. The amount given the troop was ft 180. In its encampment notes, the Oregonian says of the Rough Riders: "So far as first appearances are concerned, Troop A is at a disadvantage. The Sumpter troop is composed almost en tirely of well-to-do business men of that enterprising town in Baker county. They have been careful in selecting their horses, and have spared no reasonable expense to I make their appearance all that could be desired. The horses are nearly all of the ' same color and of about the same sie. A ! different condition prevails in the Lebanon l troop, for there are scarcely two horses of ' the same color, and In the sizes differ greatly. The boys are all voung, many of them farmer boys, and the horses used are those that could be spared from the usual work. While there are some first class horses in the troop, most of them appear to be tar trom thoroughbreds. When the horses are lined up for drill and the colors pretty badly mixed, they pre- 1 sent a spectacle that Is a little amusing, i but when the boys ride down past the re- j viewing officer In lines marvelously straight, the amusement changes to ad- ! miration." Professor Looking for Fossil. ! Dr. J. C. Merriam, W. J. Sinclair, Vance Osmount, Herbert Furlong and J. 1 C. Sperry, of Berkeley, California, and I S. L. Davis and Eugene Davis, of The Dalles, Oregon, compose an expedition of fossil hunters that are prospecting the many lava beds in Grant county in search of fossils. The gentlemen from Cali fornia are collecting these specimen for the University of California, while L. S. Davis, accompanies them as a guide, and is making a collection for the University of Munich, Germany. They spent a few days on the Middle Pork of the Joyn Day river, on the property owned by A. D. Sloan. It was In this locality that years ago fossil hunters from Princeton college found the fossilized remains of a five-toed horse and other animals that were extinct hundreds of years prior to the epoch of the mastodon and other animals common to that age. These gentleman passed through town Tuesday, en route to the John Day valley, where they will remain some time in quest of fossils. Long Creek Eagle. Reserved for LAWTON INVESTMENT COMPANY. -k. 1 George W. Weigand... HIGH GRADE LIQUORS i, AND CIGARS t a Mining Men's ileaJqu.irtrrs Next Door to Wonder Store KUUKiM:, UKf.dUiN A . -5 BUTTE HEADQUARTERS tit 1 C. B. & M. Co.'s Beer Best in Town J. B. SCHMIDT Through the Yellowstone. The new route via the Oregon Short Line Railroad and Monida, Mont., enables you to make a delightful trip through the Yellowstone National Park, entering via Monida and coming out via Cinnabar, making it unnecessary to cover any por tion of the route twice. For beautiful descriptive booklet, write or call at Ore gon Short Line Ticket Office, 142 Third street, Portland, Oregon. Handsome lot of Dickens' vest chains for men at P. C. Brodle's jewelry store, Opera House block. I THE GEM SALOON A. J. STINSON, Prop. (Successor to Snyde v Stlnson) Only the Beat Brands of Liquors Served Over the Bar SUMPTER, - OREGON 1 Raul E. Poindextor, , MINES cDrono McNcAi'a Codc. Sumpter, - - Ore.