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About The Sumpter miner. (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 28, 1901)
IHESUMPTER MINER VOL. II. SUMPTER, OREGON, AUG. 28, 1901 CONFESSION OF FAILURE. IMPOSSIBLE TO COMPILE ACCU RATE MINING STATISTICS. So Much Work in Progress in the Various Districts Surrounding Sunipter that Com plete Information Can't be Secured. Figures May Not Lie, but They Never Tell the Whole Truth. Difficulties met With in Collecting Facts. All of which Means that Eastern Oregon is Becoming a Rich Empire. It is an old and generally accepted proverb that "figures do not Ho," but they rarely tell the whole truth. They never do, when marshalled by an honest statistan who is endeavoring to prcHcnt to the reader tho condition of tlio min ing industry in a live district. Several tiiucsduring recent weeks Tiik Minkr bus started to pruuire an article giving accurate, authentic facts regard ing the work which has been dona and is now In progress in the several districts immediately tributary to Sutnpter, but as often us this task has been taken up, Just so often has it been ubandoncd, in hopeless despair. There is no trouble to collect a great mass of information on the subject, as tho columns of this min- er during the post year testify. It is only a matter of mental industry to compile und tabulate these facts ; but when the task should bo thought finish ed, the compiler would know better than anyone else how inexcusably incom plete his work would be. Tills may sound a trifle paradoxical, but the lan guage employed is used advisedly. The fact of tho mutter is, that before all the intormutlon regarding any sin gle district could bo collected, much of it would be undent history, and to at tempt to assign each industrial enter prise accomplished or being prosecuted to any limited space of time would ho farcically inaccurate. Go into unv nf the district surrounding Sampler this season with such an object in view, put in a week trying to cover a half dozen square miles, write and publish your story, und the first man you mcot from tnai territory win ask you why you didn't mention so und so's projKsition, tho biggest thing there excopt his own. He chances to know of this other one. Only those who sM.uk on tho subject from exierience can appreciate the cor rectness of this idea. The explanation is simple enough. Tho seeker after truth soon learns that if he confines his research to tho county roads he will roll up in his blankets at night, with a pract ically empty note book. Ho will next accquiro the information that if he goes only where the puck onies travel, he will overlook many u bet. Of ull the people in the worm, miners and pros pectors put in mora time attending to their own business and less in looking after the affairs of their neighbors, so second hand information is scarce and hard to get. Unless the trail to the miner's cabin passes very near to that of his neighbor, he knows little or noth ing of his neighbor's claim, ledge, shaft or tunnel, and if the little log hut is hid den from sight just beyond that rise, or down in that gulch, he knows nothing of it of its owner's existance, save what giant powder blasts may reveal to a practiced ear. Climbing for. pleasure or Idle curiosity over thickly wooded mountains is not a favorite amusement with tho average miner man. Of the big companies, those operating steam power plants, of course, it Is .... trick at ull to tret all kinds of infnrn.n. tion, because every body knows nil about them. But ho who tries to vnrlfv M... same, even the statements of the' gener al manager or tho suiH'rlntondent, one by the other if both will talk discov ers one central fact ; namely, that some body has been working off a plpodrenm. When it comes to securing information from tho scores of outsiders who tunu- all about tho affairs of unv lmrtleulnr company, which they were given in strictest confidence by a bosom friend who works on the night shift, or got uruiiK last week with the assayer well, such stuff is us worthless as a "tip from 11 race track touter. And what does all this signify, tho reader doubtless asks. It menus (hlu much, and that is u whole lot : That in theso Blue mountains, gold leduo veined. a great army of men, of that cIubs the most daring, energetic, resourceful nnd determined that inhabits tho Knrtli, is engaged in a nluuderliiu eiiternrlim against Nature. They have learned that hero tho old dame has stored her richest treasure and they ure going to loot tho hidden vaults; with drills und dynamite blast open tho gneiss and granite wulls. There is no longer any doubt Hint th gold is here, nnd ns men succeed in tak ing it from its hldinir nlaco. thev snnml it more liberally than do anv others who either work or schemo to ent: thnvhnfi.i splendid cities, live luxuriously, make irmicBiuuii ncn, artisans prosperous and nowspajter men tired. There is no more doubt of the great future of the gold fields of eastern Ore gon than there is of the fact that Mm Creator also made "little apples." NO. 5 1 THE "O.K." IS ALL RIGHT Silver Dick Ledge Cut at a Depth of 85 Feet. Many Hungry Bears Near Long Creek. Never within the memory of tho old est mountaineers huvo the hours been so bold ns now, says u recent roisirt lo Mm Oregoniun from tang Creek. Stockmen nro becoming apprehensive for the snh.t v of their calves und sheep, for the reusoii that the bears ure boinu literull v Htnrvi..i oui 01 meir retreats in the mountains, and have begun to prey uniii the young stock. Tho severe frost that ruined garden vegetetubles and fruit hloHHi.my early in tho seuson lias nlso cut off the natural food nf the heurs hv hll..).il,, tho huckleberries, as well us the numer ous other things iijmjii which they sub sist. Throughout the entire mountain region there are wild berries in abund ance during ordinary seasons, und the hears prefer to remain in their nniiv.. haunts unless forced out by tho pangs 01 hunger. This summer there are ab solutely no berries ut all, and there is even a scarcity of wild honey, on ac count of tho blossoms being killed by tho frost, thus preventing tho bees from working. Tho bears are therefon. m. short rations, and ure forced to confine themselves to a diet of red ants and pine boughs. It is the opinion of stonknw.,. that before winter sets in th Iwom a,,. going to become extremely troublesome. It has even been suggested that for. the protection of young stock, hunting imp. ties will have to be onranhted nl Mm mountains cleared of wild animals be fore the nuisance can be abated or safety become assured. The Sunday night shift working in in the tunnel of tho Oregon King Gold Mining company, on the Silver Dick claim, broke into the ledge. Tho face of the tunnel was then In uuimM.),... ....... 200 feet, und t ho ledge wus encountered ut eusi mrty feet nearer the mouth than had been calculated. nwlinr. of .... to the favorable und unoxiieeted trend' and din. Messrs. Baldwin and Swlggett.olllcers of tho company, came in from the initio yesterday afternoon, bringing with them some of the ore taken from Mi,. I.ul,... ..t this jKiint. Assays are bolnir made, hut returns have not lxmi n.r-,lv...i , t.i Mi.nkii goes to press. Frank lluldwhi this forenoon mudu three nun tests nn.l got a good string of colors in each In stance. There is no niioMtlim Imt i.,i the rock is unusually rich f..r !.. ..,.. tion. It is also diftVr..nt I,, ...... from any yet found in M r.r,ui.,r f v.,,.1, district, lieiug almost hlnelc In ....I,.- secklcd with small Iron particles. Both wio general character of tho ore and tho pun tests indicate that there is a con siderable, iwrcentago of sulphurets, all ui wiucn, in this country, carry gold values that jmhi tests do not reveal. Tho depth from the surface at which tho ledge is cut is about w feet. Tho width nf the ledue is not known. n Mm foot-wall litis not been rcuched. Since IHintruting tho ore body about ten feet has been driven on the led, whirl. i now solid nnd covers the entire fuco nf the tunnel. Tho Oregon King is controlled livens!. ern men, several of whom are connected Willi the postal service, including Post master Hicks, of Philadelphia, nn.l Charles Hedges, ut tho head of Mi,. rr.. delivery system, Washington. L. V. Wwiggett sold to these gentlemen tho Silver Dick claim while east lust winter. Mr. Hedges wus out hero a conplu of mouths since, made the payments Mum duo und organized the company. whlMi is a strong one financially. nil the year round. In order to bring the water in theso natural reservoirs to Sunipter, it would have to bo either con vey ed a ditch around by Ikitirao. or else through a lOOO-foot tunnel. He doubts whether the supply would justify the mnoiiillttini necessury by the adoiH tion nf either plan. Ho did, however, make u valuable find on m... .i.. .. . foot wide de,H.lt of marble, of excellent ".utility und of remarkahle U-nuty. It Ihhmow ,,,, , aiIor wl(i um,twork l lllack Hi.ltti Honn.u rii.t.tt.t.. t ., iiimmic in uvvry ulrivtioii, IluHiiVH ulim. 1 ui :. "" his mining denl, he will build his 11T J . '" Huml'er f stone from this find if tho cmintv win 1...11.1 1 to the quarry : that Mil lu tt i.. ,.- - " limb in news. .bio section ho has yet reached in tliu Blue mountains and tho trip tho hardest ho hits mude. ConsttlUtlon Contract Let. i:ugenoBartholfcainelu from Cablo Cove district today. He says he has all tho men available In III.. ;...s ....1..1. working on the hiiildln.,,. i-.i.... ..p,...i...i ,, """" """"" y...i, .... i uiusieiiuiioii, which it Is Jlesircd tn complete as soon us isisslble. 1 he contract for driving the long tunnel on the hvenlng Star claim has Irhiii let i 1 rolmsco A Chipinun, of Baker City. It Is for 200 foot. will. 1..11 y. taking it for BOO feet. It will Ik. aeon tlnuation of tho first iiin....i .1.1. 1.1.... cut the ledge in nlNuit slutv r..,.t 1.... ... coii.puratlvlly shullnw depth. Tho con tractors will beuln wort In ,. 1. 1 A agon load of supplies were taken out today, and tomorrow 1200 feet of trackage and nn oro cut will bo sent to tho mine. H. O. Hoffman Is doing tho hauling. Western Mining World Represr nntative Here J. S. Johnstone, representing tho Western Mining -World, nf Butte, nnonf tho ltest mining p,.rH ,,b,,w tho West, is iiiHpectinu tin. ,...1,1 11..1.1., .., eastern Oicgoii, for tho puroso of wrt. ng 1111 exnausiivo article of this section for that journal. Ho Is ir.iv..n - the country nn horselsirk, following tho trails when necessary, so as to nverlook none of tho good things. Before com Ing here ho made a trip through tho Seven Devils' country. Eastern Stockholder in the Sunrise Here. Kmilo Feigner, nf Dubuque, Iowa, ur rived in Similiter this forenoon. Ho H largely interested in tho Sunrise Mining company, which owns prnjiertles both in the Greenhorn und Ibex districts. In company with W. C. Calder. lie will go out to tho Sunrise cluiiii, adjoining me iiiior-Aiouutuiii, tomorrow or next day und Insjiect the work now being pushed there. Two shifts are sinking u shaft directly on. the ledge und are now down about thirty feet, in good ore, which curries an average ussuy value of mini 7U to ho in gold, silver mid cop. er. Mr. relgner will bo shown over other districts adjuceut to Stinipter, re maining hero a week or more ; when he will make a trip to the coast before re turning home. T O. Tfmrrlair. idmi . 3l.t .. der company. ThosA who Irnnw Mm AmfA.. l . goid hotel, always patronise the Capi Ul ; Mrs. fl.-B. Tedrowe, proprietor. . Fouasi Deposit of Excellent Marble. , Yesterday M. K. Bain went out above timber line, on the high hills northeast of town, looking for a water power that he heard could be secured in that vicin ity. On the other side of the divM l. found, at a great elevation, three snow- lea lakes, one of considerable manni Contract for 100 feet On theGlronda. At miner mis let tho contract for 100 feet nf tunnel 011 his (llrnn.lu, adjoining tho Silver Dick. The work was started Monduv and the tunnel is lieing driven in on tho ledge, from where it ou!i.lu, Tho leduo is ll lnrint mm ........ 11 o- "", ...wi.i limn twenty feet wide, and tliuoro is charac teristic of that found In M, -....!. Creek district, currying small values on the surfuco, which increase rai.l.llv WIM. depth. Tiik Minkh is receiving dully, many now subscribers, who uro taking advan tago of the siieciul offer, adi-uril.! ..u.. where in this issue, to participate in tho distribution of $16,000. Tho offer is an honest, bona fido one. onentoolil ..,..1 now subscribers. Bead it on page 10 of Tiik Minkh. Quarts location notices, with nin.i.vif of assessment work attached, for salo at ma minkr office. Five hundred dollars to loan proved securety. Address A. B. C Homptkr Minsk office. onap- ,car Read page 10 of this paper and sc what Thk Minkb offers its subscribers. leu taies, one 01 considerable magni. "" on page 10 what Tiik Minsk tude. Snow remains at that elevation offer8 Immediate subscribers.