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About The Sumpter miner. (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905 | View Entire Issue (July 31, 1901)
THE SUMPTER MINER VOL II. SUMPTER. OREGON, JULY 31. 1901 NO. 47 CABLE COVE District Full of Ledges Carrying Refractory Rock Million Dollars Worth of Work in Progress. No ono can form any accurate idea of tho vast amount of intortunt develop ment work that is being done In tho mining districts of I'ttxturn Oregon, until ho goes in person out into these gold ribbed Itluo mountains ; away from tho present quiet camp", anil nee for himself the numeroUH shafts ami tuunelH that aro buinp Hunk and driven into tho ledge laden hills. Nor can ho noqulro a true conception of tlio mineral deposits, their grout extent and inestimable value, tliat aro being revealed by thin systematic, intelligent work, until he ban eaten tho flapjacks and bacon of the hospitable prospector and slept with tho miner on Ids fir bough hunk, met both as a brother, listened to their stories and diplomatically induced them to "show mo;" tor your miner man does not speak by tho hook when talking to a stranger on the curb, when ho conies to town for grub and Miwder. Tho local newspapers can't tell tho wholu story, because more time and labor and money aro required to collect tho information than any of them can afford to expend. There aro some procrtics in tho district that aro ever kept before the public gaze. These aro owned by men who spend much time in camp and are over willing to take reporters into their conlldenco. Hut there aro more mines lielng devel oped, and rapidly approaching tho pro ducing period, that are never mentioned in tho papers than there aro of those that monopolize tho mining news columns. Last week a Mi.vkii representative spent three days in tho Cable Cove dis trict, just long enough to learn that two weeks at least would bo required to visit tho properties on which active work is now in progress, and secure anything like complete data for a comprehensive article on tho one district. This, there fore, docs not pretend to bo such a story. F. J. Hard said in an interview in Port land tho other tlay: "There is no best district in eastern Oregon ; they are all good." There is doubtless much truth in that statement, so no claim will lie made that the Cove is uiorlor to other districts, but one thing is certain excepting other mining sections of eastern Oregon, it is a "world beater." Of course, no authoritative figures can bo given, but the writer believes that in the territory botwecu the ISuld mountain and tho North Fork of the John Day, a distance of seven or eight miles, mid an equal distance in the other directions, with the Black Hawk us the center, work, including tho erection of plants, is now in progress that will cost a round million of dollars. This area will take-in a portion of Cracker Greek district, will probably include the Mountain Bell, on which a power hoist and pump are in operation, sinking a 1,000 foot shaft; and perhaps also the Oregon King, on which a long tunnel is being driven. No attempt will be made to mention all the properties, in an effort to prove the above million dollar statement. The Cove proper is a broad basin sur IS A WONDER rounded by mountains, tho average alti tude of the summits of which is about 7,000 fee.t, from 1,000 to 1,500 nltovo the lowest point in tho basin. The mineral is found almost everywhere. It has Wen mined for many years. In the early days it was thought to produce free milling ores, and two stamp mills were erected; one on tho California and the other on the Hod Chief, both now idle. With depth, tho character of tho ore changed to refractory, carying greater values in gold and silver, but in combination witli iron pyrites. One peculiarity of tho early day methods was to start tho workings near tho sum mit. Tho Crown l'oint and California are notable instances of this blunder, no explanation of which tho writer lias ever heard. Iloth aro now driving tun nels from the base of the mountains, using air drills. At tho former, under the management of Price Capsey, a dis tance of MX) feet has been driven, and the tunnel is thought to bo nltout half way to tho ledge. Friday, 1100 feet of air pipe was laid, connected with a steam power blower, to purify the air in the tunnel. Away up near the summit, at the old workings, thirty or forty tons of rock that goes better than fiO aro still on tho dump, that will not pay to ship. Tills property is owned by a millionaire and Will, without doubt, bo a bullion producer within a year. Kvery ono posted on the subject over that way declares emphatically that the Imperial is a mine and a rich one. The vein is said not to ho a largo one, but the values it carries are immense, pay ing largo profits when shipped, even under existing generally prohibitive charges for transportation. It is re ported to be the belief of tho owner of the lllack Dwarf, Meuuo I'nzickcr, that ho lias the Imperial ledge. Much pros pecting has !cou doneoii this claim, and now that the ledge has been uncovered, preparations are being made for deep sinking. Substantia! buildings are lut ing erected, nud last week I.. O. Huff man was awarded the contract for haul ing the machinery for u steam hoist and pump. Mention was mudu several weeks since of an ingenious over shot water wheel contrivance, constructed by Mr. Shank, with which to pump tho water from his shaft on tho Standard. It works to in fection and costs nothing to oxrato. Ho is now down only twenty odd feet and is taking out some very good ore from u two-foot vein that is widening with depth. Ho will connect his hoist to tho water ower at an early day. On tho other side of tho divide from the Cove, which is included in Cable Cove district, the Baby McKoois the big proposition, being extensively developed with air drills, under the management of Colonel Grayson. The public is fa miliar with the operations of this com pany, that is driving a 9000-foot tunnel. At present tho greatest interest is manifested in the claims located on Big l.imlicr creek, because it N a compara tively new section and the highest assay values obtained in eastern Oregon are found in ore from the several properties already opened. I'ntil last year the Golden Utile, owned by Messrs. Fisher and Hillier' of this city, far down the gulch, was practically the only pros pected claim there. Several years ago a car load of f."il ore was shipped to the Uverett smelter, which scarcely paid tho cost. There is no wagon road into the gulch and the rock hail to bo packed to the Crown Point, two and a half miles. 1 tit t last year Kugcno llartholf, a vet eran prospector from Colorado, one skilled in tint craft apparently to the occult degree, drifted into that dark, heavily timbered canyon, and found be neath tho deep wash of ages a number of broad, blind ledges that experts de clare are destined to add many millions to tlio world's store of gold ami silver. lie had nothing to guide him except the formation as excised in the bed of the creek and declares that the Job of dell nitely locating tho veins would have been really a fascinating occupation, had it been a trillo more dilllcult. Mr. llar tholf had reall.ed fSO.lXH) from tint sale of prosHcts before ho stuck a pick in eastern Oregon soil, all of which ho lost in business ventures, lie says he thinks lio lias paid enough for the knowledge that ho is a prospector and not a busi ness man and will in future act on this dearly bought information. Several of the claims which ho located aro now mines, tho aggregate value of which aro today more than ten million dollars, llospeut frl,(MK)of Istrrowed money on the famous Polar Star, in Colorado, now worth f:i,000,000, and had to turn it over to his creditors because (hit character of the ore changed, and during tlio Ilium cial panic of 'U:t he couldn't raise f IL',000 with which to put in a cyanide plant, the plates of his mill failing to save tlio gold. These trilling incidents in his career lie is induced to tell through tho inllueuce of the conlldenco inspiring glare of tho camp lire. Ho again has a fortune within his grasp, and all who know him, Iiohj that ho will rcall.o to the extent of his deserts and cash in at an early date. Tlio principal work done there so far has been on the Kvoniug and Morning Star claims of tlio Constellation group, tho Gipsy King and Gipsy Queen, 11(H) feet down tho stream. Three more prom ising prosKrls can't I hi found anywhere. Tho ledge lias Iteon cut In short cross cut tunnels in both the Stars, strong, well mineralized ledges Isitween jMirfect walls. In the F.venlng Star the wonder ful showing is made of the vein widen ing from six to eight feet from tint top to tint Itottom of tho tunnel. On tho King an oru shoot has been uncovered near tho creek that gives tho alluring assays of from f 100 to $100. This fact having lx-on noised around, many mining men have gone there and, on invitation of the management of the company, taken away hundreds of h)uik1h of this rich rock. The ledge bus been exospd by open cuts for ultout 100 feet, and this entire distance is now bo ing stripped. Tho crosscut tunnel is now in 140 feet , and tho country rock is becoming slightly mineralized, indi cating tho near approach to tho ledge. The formation tliore is absolutely solid and mining men of experience declare that when the ledge is cut, u mine of great wealth and crmanence will be added to the ever lengthening list in eastern Oregon. Tho King, aside from treasury stock sold in the oust, is owned entirely by Bumpier jteople. Across tlio creek, on tho Queen, a tun nel lias Wen run more than UX) feet on the same ledge, or rather on top of it, from the water level, little dcpthliaving been gained. This has been necessaay owing to tho lay of the ground. Oro can lie found almost anywhere a foot from the bottom of the tunnel, and from now on depth will bo gained rap Idly and there is scarcely a doubt but that in fifty feet more they will bo In solid tne. Superintendent Pattle, who lives in a substantial house on the prop erty with his wife, has done an excel lent piece of work. Xrs. Pattle has not been to town since last Octoltor. It is an interesting' group of men who are working on these and adjoining properties, Messrs. Otness, Mather, Wil liam", Isaacs, Sherman, Huffman, Har rison ami others. They all own Inter ests in some of these companies, Is'sides individually holding claims of their own, and to a man aro loyal to the gulch. There Is no chance of a labor striko t here. These miners are working for money with which to develop their own properties, which, of course, they liopo will make millionaires of them. Har rison Is the most envied of the group, for lie has his wife with him, who looks after household duties, while the bach elors are playing solo to see who will wash tint dishes and cut lire wood. Huffman, who owns a big group of claims that runs over to the 1-nko creek side of tho divide, does most of tho transportation business. There is no question hut what tho Cable Cove district has some great mines in embryo. Wagon roads aro most urgently needed now. Hut oven with good roads, It will scarcely pay to ship the larger portion of tlio ores when there is no prollt in frit rock. A matting plant plant on the ground is tho solution of (lie problem. The ores aro about neutral, with plenty of iron, and it is thought a siilllcieut per cent of cop per and lead to carry tho values Into thu matte. I. line rock Is near at hand and charcoal, a substitute for coke, can bo burned anywhere. TIiuImt and water aro there in abundance. These aru tho necessary adjuncts to successful smelt ing, and will ls utlli.ed nt no distant lay. Nicotine Company Incorporated. Tut: Mincii lias just furnished stock certlllcates, stock Journals, ledgers, rec ord hooks and coronation seal for tho newly organized Nicotine Gold Mining company, of Sumpter, which will devel op tho Wilson group of live claims ad joining tint Itcd lloy ground on tho west. .1. II. Itobbins, X. C. Itichardsnnd John Wilson are the iiicororators, the latter Itoing tint original owner. Work Started at tne Cracker Summit. Tho Ciacker-Hummit Gold Mining company has commenced work on tho lower crosscut tunnel of its claims above tho Golcoudn and Columbia mines, and exects to ilo some extensive work this summer and next winter. A small force was put on last Srturday, which will bo increased after August 6, when tho local manuger, W. II. li. Smith, will take up his residence tit tho projK-rty again. II. O. linker today received a fresh shipment of water melons, cantlloupes, cherries, berries, grajies, green corn, a variety of fruits and vegetables. Fresh flsh, toultry and eggs always on hand. Mill street market. Don't overlook an opportunity to se cure one of the cash prizes advertised on page 10 of this pajier.