Wednesday, January 16, 1901
THE SUMPTER MINER
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MUST BUILD RAILWAYS
Would Develop the District and
Build Up Sumpter.
What is required to make the mining of
ores profitable and also make Sumpter the
city it jught to be? The first step of the
greatest importance is cheap transporta
tion, either by a system of tramways or
narrow gauge railroads. To show the
importance, one cannot do better than see
what this has done for the benefit of other
places.
At Central City, Colorado, there is a
system of narrow gauge railroads winding
in every direction, up hill and down,
hauling ore in not over two ton cars to the
stamp mills of Central City and Black
Hawk, without which the immense
amount of ore couid not be treated at a
profit.
At Deadwood, South Dakota, there are
two systems of narrow gauge roads and
both go to nearly every mine. Both put
up ore bins at their own expense for the
miner to dump his ore Into.
This ore is hauled to the different reduc
tion works at the railway freight charge
of one dollar per ton, and there is dally
transported over these roads 700 tons of
ore that by wagon freight would leave no
profit whatever to the owners. The
steepest grade on this road is 440 feet per
mile, showing that where teaming is pos
sible a railroad is also.
What would such a system mean If
carried out to every mining camp In this
district? At the present time it would
mean the shipment of hundreds of tons of
ore to reduction works at a profit, that
cannot begin to be moved now. It would
also lead to the same results it has at
Deadwood and other places; suitable re
duction works for the treatment of the
different kinds of ores in Sumpter. It
would put hundreds and hundreds of men
to work at good wages.
How many prospects of today would
produce from one to two tons and over
per day and would pay their own way
and make themselves into mines, that to
day are hardly able to struggle along?
This question is one of the most vital
importance to the whole community, and
if properly placed before capital could
show nothing else than a good, profitable
financial business undertaking. That
there are both mines and splendid prospects
that will make mines nobody acquainted
with the district can dispute. This being
the case, such an enterprise cannot help
but succeed. But like any other under
taking, it takes money and lots of it, and
what Is worth doing at all Is worth doing
well. C. R. T.
Exprm Companies at "Highway Robbm."
Some members of the legislature could
accomplish an excellent piece of work by
making an effort to abate the abuse of
excessive express charges. The express
companies are allowed to charge what
they choose for carrying parcels and as
they have a monopoly of this carrying
business, greed only is a barrier to their
extortion. They collect more than the
traffic will bear, frequently charging more
than certain packagesare worth, frequent
ly collecting double charges because of
their bungling methods. Whenever a
person pays the express charges on a
package he should demand a receipt and
getting, it mail it to the person to whom
he sends the package. There are any
number of Instances where collections are
made from both the consignee and con
signor, the express companies excusiug
themselves whenever they are caught by
attributing such carelessness to a "mis
take on the part of some employe." There
Is no interest that needs regulating by
legislative act as much as the express
companies, for there Is no "graft" that is
worked so persistently and with so much
result at the expense of the public for the
benefit of a few than that of these com
panies. The newspapers of Oregon owe
it to the people that support them to agi
tate this matter and keeo at it until the
abuses, are abated. East Oregonlan.
HOW COLORADO BECAME GREAT
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By Advertising to the World Its Vast
Mineral Wealth.
Secretary Hard, of the Oregon Mining
Stock exchange, in conversation yester
day relative to the encouragement Oregon
lias given to the mining man, stated that
in 1880 Colorado only produced a little
over $3,000,000 in gold, which Is about
the amount produced in Oregon last year.
Nearly all of the producing gold mines In
Oregon have been known of all this
time.
"Without reviewing Oregon's his
tory," said Mr. Hard, "lice Is found the
key to Colorado's success. That which
is the most attractive Is what one wants
to put forward. Colorado, though a mag
nificent agricultural state, advertises her
self as a mining state. They said they
had gold there. They told the whole
world about it. They talked mining, they
engaged In mining themselves, they de
veloped the mines and they made for
tunes out of mining. They built smelters,
they built railroads. They were the first
to come to the assistance of the United
States treasury when there appered to be
a deficiency of gold in the treasury. The
world over, you hear of Colorado, and if
mining is mentioned you think of Colo
rado. "Last year Colorado produced in the
neighborhood of )5,ooo,oooii gnld,whlch
was about one-half of the mineral output
of Colorado. It Is astonishing and hardly
credible, but statistics show it, that even
In Colorado the agricultural product with
in one or two years has exceeded the pro
duct of mining In that state. Yet, agri
culture Is not the drawing card. It is the
mines that have attracted attention to
Colorado and made her the wonder state
of the whole world.
"I think I can say without dispute that
Oregon has as many and as large gold
mines as Colorado had ten years ago. If
Oregon would only put her best foot for
ward. Tlmbermen want timber, farmers
want farms, but everybody wants mines.
The state of Oregon should take this in
hand. Portland should, second, third and
fourth every effort." Telegram.
Another Rich Strike in the Bonanza.
Word reached this city from what is
considered a reliable source, that a won-
j derful ore body was recently opened up In
I the Bonanza mine. It is said to be the
) most marvelously rich and extensive
strike that lias ever been made in the
eastern Oregon gold fields. The strike
1 was made on the 30-foot level in dillting
1 from the shaft. The ore body is said to
be from eight to ten feet wide and to dis
count the famous Golconda and Belle
Baker strikes in richness and extent.
While in most Instances this exceedingly
! rich ore lies in pockets, In some instances
i it seems to be a continuous shoot. The
! ore on this level Is said to average up in
I the hundreds, while a large percentage of
' It goes up Into the thousands of dollars
per ton. The foundation is being laid for
new hoisting machinery of sufficient ca
pacity for deep sinking operations. The
machinery is expected to arrive in this
city within a few days. Included in the
shipment of machinery are new air com
pressors of the most modern design and
standard make. When this new machin
ery shall have been installed, the force at
the mine will be greatly increased. Our
informant says that sufficient ore has al
ready been blocked out to keep the mill
running for years. Democrat.
For rent One four-room cottage. Neill
Mercantile company.
OPERA HOUSE SALOON
SUMPTER BEER ON DRAUGHT
BILLIARD AND POOL TABLES
Agents for Matting
ly and Moore Whis
key a 20-year-old
whiskey as good as
Elixir of Life. All
whiskies are out of
bond and guaran
teed the genuine ar
ticle. Popular re
sort for Commer
cial Travelers and
Miners.
SUMPTER,
OREGON
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Golden Eagle Hotel
American and European Plan
T. T. DANILSON, PROPRIETOR
Sample Rooms for Commercial Men. SUAM'Tl-K, OHIiOON
A. P. GOSS, President
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A. J. GOSS, Cashier
Bank of Sumpter 5
TriniKts Otnirtl nklnf Iniit
Interest Allowed on Time Deposits
Drafts drawn on all parts of the world. Special attention to collections.
Safety Deposit boxes for rent.
SUMPTER, OREGON
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'&
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George W. Weigand...
HIGH GRADE LIQUORS
AND CIGARS
Mining Men's Headquarters Next Door to Wonder Store
BOURNE, OREGON
SUMPTER BOTTLING WORKS
Minulaclurrr uf .ill Mn.lt nl (..iihm.Hr J Diliiks .in J CUnt.
(vnlrl In (unnnllnn llh tin-
Kentucky Liquor House
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL.
GAGEN & SLOAN, PROPS.,
SUMPTER, ORE.
THE WONDER
GEO. W. WEIGAND,
f'KOHRII-TOK.
GENERAL MERCHANDISE
A complete stock of Dry Goods, Ladies and Men's Furnishings, Bouts,
Shoes, Hats and Clothing.
THE WONDER, BOURNE, OREGON
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