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About The Sumpter miner. (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 1901)
Wednesday, January 23, 101 THE SUMPTER MINER SPANISH GULCH MINES Have Been Worked for the Past Thirty-Five Years Situated In the southeast corner of Wheeler county, In the Camp Watson mountains, a spur of the Blue mountains, are the Spanish gulch gold diggings, con slsting of extensive placer and numerous quartz veins, from which for the past thirty five years gold has been taken, which In the aggregate compares favor ably with any similar area known. And after so many years of successful mining, the quartz propositions, especially, are still In their infancy, and new discoveries in placers are of very recent date. These mines take their name from a discovery made in 1862 by two Mexican or Spanish packers, who worked out a "pocket" found In a ledge that crosses the gulch In the vicinity of the old trull. In the fall of 1864 a company was organized In Canyon City to prospect on Rock creek and Its tributaries. The moving spirit in the en terprise was the late Dr. J. M. McCoy, well and favorably known to the old pioneers of Grant county, and for many years a resident of East Portland. Find ing nothing on the creek, they turned their attention to the gulches and found favorable prospects in Spanish gulch, which led to the formation of a company, with the doctor as manager, which sur veyed out the first ditch and built the same In 1865. This ditch is seven miles long and was worked by the hydraulic process, the company using a "distribut ing chest," the most Improved method of that day, which has long since given way to the "giant." Other discoveries have been made, another ditch was constructed n 1871. It is five miles long, also from Rock creek. Both of the above ditches are owned by George V. Owens, Milt Laswell, Mrs. John Erlckson and Mrs. W. E. Waterman. The third ditch brought to the gulch is from Birch creek and was built by Dr. F. C. Horsley In 1872, and Is known as the Sho Fly ditch. It Is now owned by Geo. V. Owens. There are two other mining ditches, one from Rock creek, known as the Sand Gulch ditch, owned by Joles & Co., of The Dalles, six miles long; the other is from Birch creek, also six miles In length, owned by Judge Keeley & Co. The best developed quartz claim Is the Red Jacket, owned by F. S. Allen, An drus & Co. We were shown four assays from an average of the ore that ran $16, $19, $22 and $24 respectively. The vein is from five to seven feet in width. The Kershaw brothers have a quartz claim that bids fair to become a bonanza. George Anderson has one of the best pros pects in quartz there Is in this county. The name of the claim is not known to the writer. Judge Kelly and associates have a bond and lease on the Blue Bucket and Mys tery quartz claims, and have a one-stamp mill to test the ore, and If it proves good, will add more stamps in the spring. The Blue Bucket and Mystery are owned by Charles McCowan & Co. Messrs. Owens and McCoy have two claims on Jupiter mountain, Spanish Gulch mining district, a recent discovery. The vein is 125 feet in width and any of the quartz shows from a trace to $3.50 in gold on the surface. These claims are known as the Noma and Marlon and are deemed valuable propositions. The best placer Is owned by Robert D. Cannon and W. H. Johnson & Son. In a ten weeks run last summer with four men they cleaned up $9,800. The gold Is coarse and of good quality. They took out several nuggets of from $$0 to $100 and one piece of sixteen ounces, valued at 272. The next best placer, which Is more ex tensive than Cannon & Johnson's claim, is owned by Joles & Co., who last spring took out a $300 nugget, which, however, had considerable quartz attached to it. Joles & Co. cleaned up $4000 during the season. Billy Waterman & Co. cleaned up 12500 In a four or five weeks run. The old Spanish gulch claims are worked by Chinamen and it Is not known how much they took out; but a conserva tlve estimate places at $30,000 the total amount taken from the SpanNh gulch placers In the year 1000. Canyon City Eagle. Another Sale of the Golcondi Reported. Another Associated press disprtch last week announced that John T. English, one of the two principal owners of the Golconda mine on Cracker creek, left for Chicago to close (lie papers transferring that proporty to a Chicago syndicate, j which will take Immediate possession of the property. The consideration of the transfer is placed at a half million dollars. The names of the purchasers have not been learned, but are supposed to be John W. Gates, the iron and steel magnate, and associates, whose expert, Captain J. R. Woods, was In the Sumpter district last year examining and reporting on a number of properties. In April, 1000, Captain Woods succeeded In practically closing a deal Involving the E. & E. mine, for a consideration said to he in six figures; but at the eleventh hour some of the St. Louis stockholders in the E. & E. company raised the price and the deal was declared off. -Baker City Herald. Leuont in Lace. Mrs. Marsh, next door to MINER ofti ce will give practical instiuctions In lace work. Materials and hundreds of pat terns to select from The Capital Hotel is again under the management of Mrs. George B. Tedrowe, which fact guarantees the best of service to all patrons. MVJiflffal D.&R.G.R.R. Scenic Line of the World Fuvonlo Transcontinental Route between the Northwest and all Points East. Choice of two routen thnnigh tlio Famous ROCKY MOUNTAIN SCENERY and four routes east of Pueblo tiutl Denver. All ms.-eiif,'ei grunted a day slo over in the Mormon Capitol or any where between Ogden and Denver. Personally conducted tourist excurs ions to Omaha, Kansas city, St. Louis chicago and the east. For tickets or any information re garding routes, etc., or for descriptive advertising matter, call on agcnU of Oregon Railway and Navigation Co., Oregon Short Line or Southern Piwific companies. B. K. HOOPER G. P. & T. A., Denver, Col. R. C. NICHOL, Gen'l Agt. Portland, Oregon. HOBSON MER CO. SUMPTER, OREGON X First K Annual Clearance X Sale! K IS NOW ON AT FULL BLAST. PRICES LOPPED OFF ON ALL SIDES. EVERYTHING A Special Bargain HOBSON MER. CO. SUMPTER, OREGON The Edw. P. Allis Co. MILWAUKEE. WISCONSIN. U. S. A. Mnifeoturra of Stamp Mill, . Concentration, Chlorination, Cyanide, Smelting, Converting and General Mining MACHINERY M. V. OROLL, I SpokBLne Wash. Office, 110 Mill Strt. MNin. J Eureka Feed & Livery Company H. K. BROWN, Proprietor Horses Boarded by the day or Month. First class turn-outs and saddle horses. Our spec ialty is the quick and safe delivery of freight and passengers to any and all points. 2 HAY AND GRAIN FOR SALEHS w. Real Estate, Loins and Insurance. Mining Patents Obtained Years of experience in Baker County Records. No. 2104 Court Street, linker City; Oregon.