Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Sumpter miner. (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 3, 1900)
Wednesday, October j, 1900. THE SUMPTER MINER. ORIGIN OF OUR MINING LAWS. Precedents Established by Min ers Formed the Basis. The mining law of tli; U ilted States did not have their origin in legislative lulls, or in committee rooms of congress. The first gold mining of any importance that attracted much attention was in Cal ifornia, more than a halt century ago. The Argonauts of '49 had no precedents, of which they had knowledge, to guide .ind govern them. They knew but little, If anything, about mining codes of other countries. So in their cabins on the banks of the American river, they convened and in their crude way organized a mining district and enacted a code of mining law. 1 hey defined the size of a claim, prescribed rules for Its location and workings; estab lished u miners' court and so laid the foundation of what his grown Into an ex tensive system. As the placers were worked out and the gold-bearing quart7 leads were discovered, the genius of the frontier miner as a law maker was found equal to the emergency. The history of the early legislature has never been written, and yet It Is fraught with intense Interest. Those rugged ad venturers had left homes, kindred and comforts of life. Between them and the scenes of birth and childhood stretched hundreds of miles, mostly an arid, unoccu pied waste. 1 hey had passed perils un told to reach this Kldorado land. Then they found themselves homeless; the dark mountains stood about them like God's wardens, and the music of the winds, as It played among the pines, doubtless seemed like voices of dear ones watching and waiting far away. We do not won der that in these strange and weird condi tions Hret Harte could find expression for his inimitable stories, so realistic and full of the pathos of mining life. When congress entered upon mining legislation, It did not turn to England, I r.ince or Spain for precedents, but to the rules and regulations devised and adopted hv the miners of the Pacitic coast. And it is interesting to note these statutes enacted by congress were tirst constructed by men who had, lived in the mines, awing tlie miners who had h milled the pick and shovel and who were familiar with all thnr provisions as they had been enacted in the miners' meethgs, where they knew and recognized no higher law , and the courts h tve ever folloved closely the purpose and intent of these lirst law in ikrrs. So that there is scarcely a prospector who does not understand whit he must do in locating and holding a min ing claim, and what his rights ate under the law . Location on the apex, follow lug the vein 011 its dip, bounded by the end lines extended down vertically, etc., all these provisions weie lorniulaled' bv the miners. In all our jurisprudence there is 110 law or code or laws tint have oilgi nated so directly from the people as our mining laws. Hut few traces of the cabins of mining camps are lound on American river today. Hallways, villages and commerce have swept them all away, but the work and wise provision done and enacted in those almost forgotten places and days live in our statutes, decisions of our courts and in the deeds and doings of miners all over our wide domain. Black Hills Milling Keview. Great Activity at Mineral H. C Strattou.ot Portland, manager of a number of mines at Mineral, was in town this w eek on his way home from a trip to his company's properties. From him we learn that work on an extensive scale will soon be commenced at Mineral. 1 The company's sawmill at Monroe ueek was started this week, and twelve or fif teen men are now employed in building a wagon road from the sawmill to the mines. As soon as the new sm-lter plant, which w.is ordered from Denver recently, is put In place, a large force of men will be em ployed to get out ore, and Mineral will again become a lively mining camp. There Is mil an idle man in Mineral who wants work. Huntington Herald. Location Notice and Warning. Here is a location certificate srt up on a discovery In the vicinity of Grand En campment, Wyoming. It is entirely legal ( also, whkh is not always to be said of the prospectors' effort in this directien: "We I found it and we claim it by right of find-' ing it. It's our'u. It's 750 feet in every direction except southwest and northeast, and there It's joo feet on each side of this writin.' It's called the Bay Horse and we claim even the spurs, and we don't want no body to be jiimpin' on the Ray Horse that's what these trees is around here for and we've got the same piece of rope we Ind down in old Missouri." Exchange. Portland Developing Cracker Creek Claim. The Sumpter Consolidated Mining com pany of Portland, owning four claims on Cracker creek, has commenced develop ment work within the past two weeks. Various values from different prospect holes run from a trace to $9.94. D. F. Richards Is In charge of the work and is hopeful of opening up a mine In what Is said to be a good property, according to surface indications. Rocky Mountain Scenery By Day Light. Day light stop over at Niagara Falls. Through first-class touilst sleeper from Pacific Coast weekly for Chicago, Boston, New York and other eastern points via Rio Grande Western (Great Salt Lake Route), Denver ft Rio Grande, C. K. I. & P. and Illinois Central to Chicago, connecting In the Union Depot with Mich igan Central's similar Car lor points east. For full particulars call on or address, H. H. IHLMUUI.L, Com'l Agent UK. Cent. R. R. i 142 Third St., Portland, Oregon. I For Sale. j Front hr, baci bar and I irge mirror i for sale, hor lurthcr inhumation call at , THE MINKR othce. T.D.Bellinger & Co. .OF SUMPIF.R. ORhGON Dispensers of only the Choicest Brands Liquors 01 Including Old Overholt, Can adian Chili, Ushers and Jainrs Watson Scotch, Imported 1JW1 Brandy, Three Star Hennessey, and all the Leading Brand-, nf Whirs and Cigars. New and Elegant Fixtures. Comlor' able quarters for gentlemen. Nu better service in Oregon. ...The Magnolia... T. 0. illlaitr t C., PiM (Formerly Hotel Van Duyn Rid.) lAf Fraser and Chalmers Chicago Mil LING MACHINhRY-Rolls, Stamps, Crushers, Perforated Metals, Jigs, Frue vanners, Etc. MINING MACHINF.RY-B.llers, including Si'derhohu Boile., Air Compressors, Reldler Pumps, Fur naces, Ett. Write to our Chi ago office for Catalogue. Represented by MtNNO UNZ.'CKER, Hotel Warshauer, BAKER CITY, OREGON imubihiabV IflLfljIKSS B5"j GOLDEN EAGLE HOTEL RE-OPENED UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT To Be Conducted on the ill First-Class Restaurant European Plan J n Connection T. T. DANILSON, PROPRIETOR Sample Rooms for Commercial Men. SlIMI'll U, OHK'.oN dBkHflflBHkjiJHHflfc BE 4BBJBBJBBBjBBflBkVBB9Akt B BBvBBBMMfiBBBB&vBV4w. j BBBVj7 m fCXnW 48 and $0 First Stre.t, Near Pine Cawston & Company SihOMorft to II. P GREGORY COMPANY Engines, Boilers Machinery and Supplies.... PORTLAND. ORE.1 1 ' fa'W 1YI I i4iy HYDRAULIC. MINING AND DREDGING MACHINERY. RIVETED STEEL PIPE. w..T.ro. AMERICAN IMPULSE '?".. WATER WHEELS. ETC. WOLFF & ZWICKER IRON WORKS H- k"".-'P''w'"p!1 PORTLAND QBMJ g, OREGON h3L mr BlEXaBBl3La Dixon, Borgeson & Co. tbj'V I 7UT I M.inul ictimr. of l.tiiy IVmiIiIii nl -T SSbit FRONT ST., COR. WASHINGTON Show Cases .tlUltlU S)('I)- ilMs' VII (,.M .It llSK IIMUI'IN. PORTLAND, ORIS. 1 A. P. GOSS, President A. J. GOSS, Cashier Bank of Sumpter 5 Tri.ucU Ctmrtl king ImImm Interest Allowed on Time Deposits Drafts drawn on all parts of the world. Special attention to collections. Safety Deposit boxes for rent. SUMPTER, OREGON v