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.