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.