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About The Sumpter miner. (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905 | View Entire Issue (May 15, 1901)
THE SUMPTER MINER VOL. II. SUMPTER. OREGON, MAY 15, 1901 NO. 36 MINING MEN FLOCKING IN COMING TO SUMPTER FROM EVERY WHERE ON EARTH. New Comer are Looking; for Buyi Rretl dent Operator Returning; From Their Annual Pilgrimage to the Money Cen ter All Bring Favorable Report of the Future of the Mining Induttty. Scattered through the columns of THE MINER today are paragraphs announcing the presence here of mining men from everywhere on earth. This Is a surer sign of the arrival of spring tjian sprouting grass, blooming flowers and singing birds. It means that It is time for begin ning mining operations on new proposi tions, increasing the working forces on mines that have been In operation all winter, of the consummation of bond ing and buying deals that have been pending for months past, when the deep snows have prevented inspection of pro perties Involved. The new comers are, none of them, Ig norant of the country. They have been reading THE MINER and corresponding with friends or promoters, and In nine cases out of ten have some particular property In view, which they are to ex- amine and buy, If It fills the bill. '' A half dozen or more gentlemen who make their headquarters here and own mines In this district, have returned dur ing the past week from their annual pll gri mage to the financial centers of the east 'and Europe, where they must go to se cure the sinews of warfare against Na ture, In their persistent fight to capture her treasure vaults. Some of these have their financial connections already estab lished and merely make the trip to submit their reports and arrange for the nature and extent of future work; Incidentally securing the needed appropriation, If the property Is not already a producer. These are Fortune's favorites. There are others who go on a still hunt for angels who are willing to put up their money against the game on an even or better break. There are the men who have not yet won their spurs In the finan cial world, but they are the gamest, shrewdest, most enterprising men who ever played for a princely stake. Nine times out of ten they will win, in the long run, for this calling lures to Its ranks only men of Intelligence and daring. The task of raising a hundred or so thousand dollars on a future possibility staggers and stalls the man who Is content to work all his life for a pittance. And all of these bring back words of cheer and encouragement, for the mining Industry in general and the gold fields of eastern Oregon in particular. The trend of capital, outside of the gigantic, dicta torial combines, Is towards precious metal mining. This Is the one chance left for the man of enterprise and Independence to Invest his money with an en couraging probability of rich returns and a certainty that the enterprise will not be either absorbed or frozen to death by some trust. This is becoming generally recognized as a patent fact, reports these returning envoys, and they agree that It 1s the most encouraging feature of the commercial situation of the world today. In it Is seen an opportunity for Individuals to maintain their Independence and secure a competence. H. S. McCallum Back From the Eat. H. S. McCallum, general manager of the Bald Mountain and Mammoth Mining companies, returned home yesterday from Lowell and Boston, where he has been for several weeks past, consulting with the men who control these splendid prop erties. Mrs. McCallum Is still In Massa chusetts and will not return home for three or four weeks. Mr. McCallum says his trip east was entirely satisfactory In its results; that both of the companies which he manages will continue opera tions on a scale of Increased magnitude and that much Important work will be done this season. Secretary Reed and Superintendent Davidson met Mr. Mc Cullom in Uaker City and returned home with him. D. L. Killen Arrived thi Forenoon. D. L. Killen reached Sumpter this morning, after an absence of a couple of months east, In Colorado, Nebraska and Iowa. He says there is a perceptible in crease In the Interest manifested In the last two named states in mining, especial ly in the gold fields of eastern Oregon. Many people there are investing their small surplus capital In mining enter prises, as the only opportunity offered for profitable returns on small amounts of money. Mr. Killen will remain here for a few weeks and then return east, to the Atlantic seaboard. AT WORK ON FOUR MINES. A. Mohr Has Induced Much Capital to Invert in thi Dittrict. Anthony Mohr reached Sumpter Mon day, after an absence of several months In Milwaukee. He was accompanied west by L. E. Royse, who had been in Chicago and Milwaukee for a couple of weeks. They are interested in several of the same mining properties and It was on business pertaining to these that Mr. Royse went east to transact. Mr. Mohr Is a director and officer of the Wisconsin and St. Louis companies, oper ating on Deer creek, the Fidelity on Wind creek and the Buffalo on Cracker creek, and through his efforts very largely work has been prosecuted on all four of these mines uninterruptedly for months past. He has Induced the In vestment of a whole lot of money In this dlstt let during the past year. Fortunately for all parties concerned, all of his properties are showing up fa vorably under development. THE MINER has of late frequently published encour aging reports from the Deer creek mines, where large bodies of better than low grade ore have been uncovered. On the Fidelity there are 300 feet of work ings, nearly all of which Is in pay rock. The Buffalo is an Immense deposit of low grade ore, that can be worked at a profit on a large scale. The ledge Is thirty feet thick and contains values' everywhere. A mill will be built on this property during the present season. Mr. Mohr is of the opinion that the Sumpter mining district offers the most alluring field for Investment of any sec tlon In the West, and he Is showing his faith by his works. He has plans on foot for some important enterprises that will be of vast benefit to this camp and the surrounding districts, that will doubt less mature before snow flies in the fall. Miss Richardson announces to her many old and new customers the arrival of a new line of ch'ffons, valllngs, trim mings and pattern hats. See them. PROGRESS IN THE COVE Snow a Handicap But Not a Barrier to Work. At a meeting of the directors of the Gipsy King Gold Mines company, held Monday evening, the resignation of Win, Rumery, was accepted, being occasioned by his absence in Alaska tor an Indefi nite time. F. C. Hrodle, a local stock holder, was elected a member of the board to till the unexpired portion of the year. Superintendent Rartholf, who had just come down from the mine, reported head way being made In the tunnel as rapidly as the hard rock through which they were driving would permit, though the last few shots were breaking Into somewhat softer rock, which Is heavily mineralized, as shown by the samples brought in. The tunnel has been turned slightly to the right to more quickly cut the ledge, which Is expected every day. The general opinion as expressed by sev eral mining men acquainted with the prop erty, is that when the ledge Is cut the company will have shipping ore. Superintendent Bartholf reported hav ing located a new claim adjoining the Gipsy King group, upon which is a par allel.ledge to the main one, on which the work Is now being done. The new claim is the property of the company and in creases its holdings just that much, with out additional investment on the part of the present stockholders, and is certainly a valuable acquisition. As soon as the snow disappears and the roads are in reasonable condition to haul heavy loads, the company will put In ore cars and track, which will greatly faclliate the work. The everlasting snow Is really the only barrier to making the Cove district a miner's paradise. In a recent Interview with A. H. Spragur, superintendent of the Baby McKee mine, he said to a Baker City paper, while dis cussing the snow and bad roads questien: "Hut, notwithstanding these difficulties, everything In the Cove is prosperous. The greatest encouragement exists for work, and driving ahead despite snow. The Gipsy Queen and Gipsy King com panies are having food carried to their properties on men's backs from the Mountain Belle, at an expense of seven and one-half cents per pound. This Is the best evidence of the confidence they have In their properties and the eagerness with which they are rushing to develop them. If the companies did not feel that they had big returns In sight, they would naturally suspend work until the snow hadmelttd and transportation of provis ions could be accomplished with less diffi culty and expense. Crown Point Will Prove to be a Sentation. Superintendent Price Copsey, of the Crown Point mine, In Cable Cove, start ed out yesterday with two tons of sup plies for that property, expecting to travel as far as the wood camp on wheels and then by sleds the remainder of the way. He says three weeks more will see the Cove clear of snow. The Crown point people are working a double shift of min ers and making at least three and a half feet per day with the steam drills. They expect to create a sensation when their ledge Is cut, as It will be the deepest working at the time in Cable Cove. Four-Foot Blind Ledge in Baby McKcc. Colonel J. T. Grayson, of the Baby McKee mine, arrived yesterday on his way to the Cable Cove properties, in which he Is Interested. He says the miners struck a four-foot blind lead In the Baby McKee ground a few days since, which is very rich and he is going up to see the new find. The Colonel has been very fortunate In securing good mineral properties for his eastern Invest ors and himself, and when they come over here this summer will no doubt be more than pleased with their holdings. This summer will see more people from the east who are interested In Cable Cove than any other section of eastern Oregon. COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS. That Public Nuisance, the Water Ditch, Cusied and DUcuued. Owing to the absence of the mayor and several members of the city council Satur day evening, that body adjourned until Monday evetiine. At that time, with A. W. Ellis in the chair, the perplexing problem of the water ditch was tackled. The special commit tee appointed to look Into the matter re ported that it had Interviewed J. H. Stod dard, who has a lease on the ditch. Tills ever present public nuisance had broken loose the evening before and Hooded several houses, and washed away the front vards of several citizens, on Granite street, east of Mill. Alderman Stoddard made a light for the perpetua tion of the nuisance, and though the other five members of the body, including Mr. Ellis, who owns the ditch, were opposed to him, he won a temporary victory. The tactics employed was to promise In the future to keep the ditch repaired and pay for any damage which a break may occa sion. With this understanding the mat ter was Indefinitely postponed. The contract entered Into with THE MINER for doing the city printing for the ensuing year was read. No objection was entered to any of Its provisions. The monthly reports of officers were adopted on recommendation of the finance committee, to which they were referred. An ordinance was passed fixing the salary of the city physician at fifteen dol lars a mouth. The committees on health and police and streets and public property were In structed to Investigate the Auburn street sewer, the cess pool near the depot, and the matter of securing a public dumping ground. Machinery for Gold Bug-Gristly. Two car loads of machinery for the Gold Bug-Grizzly company arrived at the depot yesterday. This Is the sinking and hoisting plant, mention of which was made in these columns last week, as hav ing been purchased and shipped. It con sists of a so-horse power boiler, 35-horso power engine and all the other machinery necessary for going down 800 feet. This company owns a property on the Ibex ledge that promises to be as rich as any In the district, and Manager Hennessy thinks he will have a developed mine, ready for a mill by fall. Smelting $8 Ore In Brilbh Columbia. A. L. .McEwen returned several days since from British Columbia, where he had been on mining business for several weeks. He says the Industry there Is far from being in a satisfactory condition. The speculative period has passed. There Is a large tonnage In the Kossland dlsl trict, the dally product being fully 1000 tons, and as a result there Is necessarily some big pay rolls, but the ore Is of a dli couragingly low grade and the operators are not getting rich any too fast. They are smelting eight dollar rock. Never fails Giant powder.