THE SUMPTER MINER
VOL. II.
SUMPTER, OREGON, DECEMBER 12, 1900.
NO. 14
QUARTZBURG DISTRICT
PROMISING COUNTRY TRIBU
TARY TO PRAIRIE CITY.
Famous for Its Placer Mines in Early
Days Now Delving (or Quartz
Though Crude Reduction Methods arc
Employed, Some Mines are Worked
Out Talk of a Smelter.
On Dixie creek, some seven miles from
Prairie City and about forty from Sump
ter, is the Quartzhurg mining district,
once fumed for Its rkh placer mines :md
now attracting much .-ittentlon because of
its quartz deposits, carrying gold and
copper.
There are two distinct mineral zones in
the district. In one the formation Is a dlor
iteandthe ledges ate very small, seldom
reaching a loot in width, Irregular as to
width and values, with free gold near the
surface, generally getting base with depth.
The other zone could be called the copper
belt, w here the ledges are very wkle,reach
Ing fully 100 feet on the Sherbondy group.
The formation is a porphyry, locally
called phonolile. The big ledges are all
accompanied by a porphyry dyle, which
is considered a sine Indicator of perma
nency and values.
Aniongthe small ledge mines the Present
Need Is the only one that is being worked
to any extent. It was acquired a short
time ago by l:red Morey, son of Hon. P.
P. Morey, of Portland. They have re
cently completed a modern self discharg
ing arastra and are pushing work on a
tunnel to tap the ledge at a depth of over
400 feet, which will be the only deep work
ings in the camp. The results will have
a bearing on future development. This
property has produced $30,000, worked in
a crude way, and there are tailings and
ore sufficient to turn out at least 515,000
more. The upper levels have been stopeJ
where the ore is free and the base is lei t.
The Keystone, adjoining the Present
Need, is one of the "has beens" of the
camp. In early days It was a good pro
ducer, but through leasing and bad man
agement it has been stripped and consid
erable outlay will be necessary before
work on it can be resumed.
The Little Denver, adjoining the Key
stone, was a good one, but when the sur
face was washed off, there was little left
as an inducement for future work.
The Conger, on Conger ridge, has two
well defined ledges, showing mud) regu
larity and continuity throughout the tun
nels, which are 150 and 200 feet. Ore
has been taken from this property running
several hundred dollars to the ton. It Is
being worked under lease by Howell and
Mclntyre.
A tunnel has just been started for the
Bison ledge, but nothing beyond assess
ment work will be done this season.
On the Sam Jackson group, recently
purchased by the Dixie Mining and Smelt
ing company, work has been started on a
4oo-font tunnel.
The Copper King group, owned by
United States Marshal Howser, Is being
developed by a tunnel.
On the Willie Boy group a tunnel to
tap the ledge at good depth has been
started.
The Copperopolis has built a road in to
its property and erected buildings on the
claims.
F. S. McDede has a very promising
claim on VVIckieup creek, on which he Is
running a tunnel.
John Myrdal has a very promising cop
per claim, on which he is pushing work.
He has several feet of copper assaying t8
per cent, with good values in gold.
Lee Bernard has done some work on
two copper claims and has started a cross
cut tunnel to gain depth. The surface
showing is good, the rock showing horse
flesh and chalcopyrites of copper.
The largest and most promising group
In the district Is the Sherbondy property,
owned and operated by Byron Sherbondy.
There ate four claims in the group, so sit
uated that they can be mined at great
depth with a tunnel. The cropplugs show
a ledge of over 100 feet in width that can
be traced for several hundred feet. The
principal work is a 35000! crosscut tun
nel that shows up large bodies of high
grade copper ore. There Is an eight-foot
streak ot porphyry, Interlaced with min
eral, that gives an average assay of $28.
The ore In the main ledge runs from 540
to 5113 and as high as 84 ounces of silver
has been obtained, but with depth the sil
ver disappears and the gold values in
crease. The copper is mostly blacluixide,
with some pyrities and horse flesh. There
are a number of open cuts and shalts,
showing up the property thoroughly.
I he development under .vay now Is a tun
nel recently started, to tap a ledge upon
whlih little work has been done, but
which lias an excellent surface showing.
They expect to cut the ledge before the
first ol the year.
There are several other similar proper
lies in the camp, but little beyond loca
tion work has been done on some, while
others are worked out. The owners of
the properties have no conception of their
actual values and hold them so high that
men with money will not bother with
them. Prospects on which there Is abso
lutely no showing are held at $2000, and
old worked out claims as high as 53000.
There is not a stamp mill worthy of the
name in the district. There Is some talk
of a smelter, but it is considered the
dreamlngs of promoters who wish to profit
from It.
From Orphan Asylum to Governor.
Ex-Governor A. H. Burke, of North
Dakota, at present United States land
office inspector, with the whole country as
his territory, was in town yesterday. He
had just come in from Burns, where he
had been lookbig into the affairs of the
land office there. The long stage ride
over bad roads had knocked him out and
he laid up here a day for repairs, leaving
In the afternoon for the Sound. Governor
Burke is the best type of a self made man,
a splendid gentleman. He was an in
mate of an orphan asylum, a waif on the
streets of New York city, one of the
youngest volunteers in the Union army,
rising to the rank of captain, was the first
governor of the state of North Dakota
and made a spotless record in that po
sition. J. P. Wallace, general manager of the
Monmouth Development company, Is es
pecially commissioned to secure large pro
ducing gold and copper mines.
All kinds ot pies, cake, bread, etc., at
Brechtel's bakery, opposite depot and in
Nelll building. Orders promptly filled.
Genuine Olympla oyster cocktails to
order at Henry Finger's.
Something to depend upon Giant
owder.
Always reliable Giant powder.
BIG STRIKE IN THE LEO
Strong; Ledge Assaying $32.20
to the Ton.
A rich strike was made last week at the
Leo group of claims, situated on Beaver
creek, about two miles from Allmo post
office. This mine has been In charge of
W. U. Ball, who Is part owner.
The strike was made on a ledge that
was discovered about two weeks ago, and
shows some fine ore on the surface. They
have made an open cut across the ledge
from eight to ten feet and have found no
hanging wall yet. An average sample
from the ledge assayed values amounting
to 532.20. There are three or four ledges
on the property ot live claims, and allot
them give good values. The width ol the
ledges on an average is ten leet.
Owners of the mine had a 12s foot tun
nel run this summer, which shows up
three strong ledges that average 54.00
a ton at a depth ol lil'y leet.
1 This property is only one of a hundred
I prospects in this district that Is going to
1 make large mines In the near future. A
I lour or live hundred-loot tunnel will be
'driven on the Leo tills winter, that will
I tap every ledge in the mountain.
About a mile from this property, In the
Jerome, on the Little Beaver, L. C. Wll
I "on, one of the owners, uncovered a ilch
I lead last week.
Inventor of the Garvin Slack Furnace.
John C. Garvin, formerly of Denver,
but for the uast three years an operator in
the northern camps, Alaska and British
Columbia, was hi town yesterday. He
I will make Baker City his headquarters
! for some weeks, visiting the dllferent
J mine, in the several districts where the
I cyanide and chlorlnatloii process is em
1 ployed, for (he purpose of introducing the
Garvin stack furnace, invented by himself.
I He claims for it some striking advantages,
1 especially Its cheapness in the treatment
of ores in connection with the cyanide
process. Mr. Garvin says a number of
the mines in eastern Oregon produce ores
for which Ills roaster is especially adapted.
Sw.'ggett-Potler Nuptials.
L. V. Swlggett and Miss Flora Potter
were married this afternoon, Uev. Mr.
Shannon officiating. Their Intention to
be married today was kowu to but few of
their friends. They left at once for the
east and will be gone several months. L.
V. Swiggett goes to Boston and other
eastern centers of congested finance, for
the purpose ol floating a mining deal or
two. He spent some weeks on the At
lantic coast last summer investigating
this matter and now hopes to consum
mate a good deal.
MUSICALE AND BAZAAR.
Delightful Entertainment Friday Evening
for Benefit of Methodist Church.
The musicale and bazaar to be given by
the ladles and friends ol the Methodist
Episcopal church F?iday evening at Ellis
opera house, is occupying the time and
energies of a large corps of workers.
Miss Ina B. Wright, the gifted vocalist,
of Baker City, will delight the music lov
ing people with some selections. Pleas
ing features of the evening will be the
Daisies' dance, by twelve little tots In
costume, and the drill of the Japanese
girls with umbrellas. Every number will
be worth the price of admission.
The Japanese booth will be In charge of
Miss Anna Myers, assisted by twelve
young girls In Japanese costume.
Misses Emma Worswlck and l:dna Van
Duyn will have chaige of the doll booth,
where will be found pretty dressed dolls
of all size.
Miss Edna Miller, at the candy booth,
will oiler for sale delicious home made
candles.
The refreshment table will be in charge
of Mesdames 1 1. nullum and Shannon.
At the domestic booth will be found ar
ticles both ornamental and useful for thr
busy housrwlfe.
Articles suitable lor Christmas presents
may be found In the various booths.
DIADHM CONTRACT LET.
Wire Received From Butte to This Filed
L.iM Evening.
General Wairen telegraphed last even
ing 1 1 11111 Butte that the provisions ol the
contract with Charles Homier to drive a
fioo-loot tunnel 011 the 1)1. idem had been
apptoved by the syndicate that Is putting
up the money for the woik.aud the papers
in the transaction executed. Mr. Bonner
will probably go out to the mine tomotrow
and get ready to begin operations. J. T.
Pardee lelt for Butte last week and this is
the result of his coi.letence with the Aton
tana capitalists. It is said that he recent
ly succeeded hi teorgaiillng the company,
and now has associated with him In the
ownership August lliiuze, the famous
.Montana copper man.
The contract with Mr. Bonner is for a
doo-tnol tunnel, which Is to be driven on
the ledge. Five months are given for
completion of the work, and the contractor
may use his own discretion as to the iium-
1 her of men to be employed. This will
progress rapidly, as the formation Is very
loose. Much talc Is found In the vein,
and the country rock, while of the slate
species, is reported more decomposed than
In the Bonana district, and therefore
more easily handled. Removal of It will
be of less difficulty than timbering the
tunnel.
When the tunnel reaches a point under
the shaft there will be 300 feet ot backs.
There upraises will he made to block out
whatever ore lies between the tunnel and
the surface. If this work develops the
material now expected, construction of a
mill and other preparatory work for oper
ations will commence immediately. Dia
dem ore is easily crushed and runs high
In free gold. Prom tests made near the
surface It Is estimated that at least 75 per
cent of the ore values will be saved on
the plates.
Cobalt Does Pass Into the Matte.
The question as to whether or not co
bault, as it is combined with other metals
in United States Marshal I louser's Stand
ard mine, will pass into matte has been
discussed much of late by scientific men.
C. K. Townsend, assayer at the smelter
here, has reduced 300 pounds of tills ort
at the little iron furnace operated by Val
entine Hi Co. down on the railroad track,
and demonstrated that the cobalt does
pass into the matte. The 300 pounds of
ore were reduced to thirty of matte,
which assays high in gold, silver,
copper and cobalt. Mr. TDwnsend
desires Till: MlNliH to state that he Is
prepared to demonstrate with this little
furnace whether or not the small per cent
of lead In Cable Cove ores will pass
Into the matte, carrying the gold values
with it; which he will do, with from 100
to 500 pounds of ore, at the cost of the
experiment, about twenty dollars.
Five quail bottles of Olympla beer for
li.ooat Henry Finger's.