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
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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