icttrssxKXBSKtmaBaaesss.
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Wednesday, September j, 1902
THE SUMPTER MINER
3&
TESTING COAL
FROM JOHN DAY
Rail Road People Interested in
The Proposition.
All tlm big transcontinental railroads
are looking for coul more coal. Tlity
must imvu it for fuel, for use of petroleum
lias not yet been sufficiently tested to
warrant the suggestion that it will soon
be in general use as fuel. Success enough
lias attended the .tests so far, nowevcr,
to justify the iiue that it may ultimate
ly be used extensively. Kven in that
event, coal will always command i-xju'ii-sive
respect for domestic purposes.
Hence, we may readily understand
why iwrslstciit effort is being made to
establish the fact that extensive coal
beds lie along the course of the John
Day river; and knowledge of thecircum
stancu that u big railroad company Ih
behind the present effort to make u tinal
test of the quality of the coal in local
Heidi assures lit! that a big railroad com
pany Ih searching for adequate cxcuhu to
build into the John Day country at an
early day ; first, for development and line
of our coal deosit8 and other rich and
extensive resources, and, second, to
head off envloiiH couietitorH who are
anxious to harvest protitH from tho same
Held.
The mission of V. V. Itcesc, who went
to Portland thin week with excellent
samples of coal from the dcxisits below
John Day town, in in line with the above
suggestion, lie went bh the agent of
those who represent millions of capital.
His samples will bcmibjcctcd to'scruti
110118 analysis by exerts for the O. It. &
X. Co., and, if the tent prove favorable,'
it meaiiH a big railroad up the John Day
river within a short time. In the pres
eut emergency in which railroad com pa
il ice tind themselves, there can be no
doubt of tho correctness of thin conclu
sion. Prairie Citv Miner.
FIGURING ON COPPER SUPPLY.
Exprt Will Aiccrtain Total Stock of Re
fined Article oc Atigutt I.
An effort in being made in the east to
tind out how much refined copHsr there
Ih in the United States and iih soon hh
the information Ih obtained, it will be
given the public in circular form. The
information in to be based on govern
ment reorta and statements of ware
house men in Liverpool, Havre and
Swansea. Thu compilation Ih to lemado
by Messrs. Led mix ,k Co., who are not
only tecliuically familiar witli the sub
ject, hut who are In position to sccuro
the tigureH desired in the makeup of the
statistics.
In relation to the promised compila
tion Dr. Albert It. I.edoux, of New York,
nays!
' "It is true that at the suggestion of
friends I have undertaken to ascertain
the total stocks of copjier on August 1,
11)02, and have met with uuexctei
success.! Mtst oHIie, important copper
producers Imvu given life in confidence
their stocks on hand at the mines, in
transit or in warehouses, whether sold or
unsold. And in other cases I have ob-
tained'the necl-isary information hit my,
own wv. In most cases I liul'iidl dlnV?
culty In verifying statements rendered
annul confident that the figure which Ij
shall publish 'will accurately represent
the, real Jrade situation, sofar as, influ
enced by the question of stocks.
''Xot only have I obtained estimates
from producers, but ; haye-ascertained
stocks held by the" refiners' of the conn
tryVlietlier In the form of matte, bars,
anodes of rettnedj- XhetlK0reB cptilds-be
ready for publication at this time ex
cepting for the fact that I am endeavor
ing to avoid' duplication. For instance,
it is reported to me that a certain min
ing company lias a certain amount of
copper on hand and if this copper hav
pened to bo in a refinery it would bo in
cluded in the refinery's report, unless
particular rare was taken to separate it.
It will probably be published about Sc
lumber 1. I have purposely avoided ad
ding up the items so tlint T can truthful
ly say to inquirers, that I do not know
myself what the totala will figure out
until the very end of the' compilation."
SAME OLD COMPLAINT.
Kiiiteu.Minkk: During the past six
weeks I have had a task to perforin that
has betjn one of thu most ditlicult I have
ever (tfmVrtaken, ami I have crformed
the same kind of labor in many western
states and in British Columbia, during
the past quarter of a century. The work
alluded to is thu acquiring and compila
tion of information regarding the mines
of eastern Oregon.
To say that I am surprised at the state
of affairs as they exist here is drawing it
mild. Ah an instance, I very much de
sired to ascertain the gold production for
the years 11)00 and 1001, and approached
every one I thought it Ksxlhlc to Mjst
me on the question. If any one has this
information I have been unable to locate
the individual.
Also, 1 am pained to say no one ap
pears to take any interest In changing
this condition of affairs for the better.
In fact, many are opposed to any enact
ment that would compel mine owners
making reorts as to their production,
claiming the owner of a mine cannot bo
called for a statement of his output any
more than a merchant can be comelled
to give out Information as to his busi
ness. Mr. Kditor, this argument strikes mo
as being silly. There is really no com
parison between thu two lines of busi
ness. The merchant with his private
capital purchases his stock froma whole
saler and disposes of it at a profit. His
is a vocation in which the Federal gov
ernment has no interest. Yet the asses
sor and. the tux collector can demand
certain statements from him according
to law, which become u part of the pub-1
lie records. i
On the other hand, tlio mine owner
acquires his wealth-producer from the
general government; that same govern
ment has a deiiartment at tho nation's
capital. Part of the business of this
department is to acquire and furnish
information as to the production of thu
precious metals in the United States and
give credit to each state or district.
But, astonishing as it may appear, I
am credibly Informed that the immense
amount of treasure being won from the
ground in the state of Oregon Is divided
hs follows :
Some of the gold goes to the United
States assay office at iloisc. Idaho gets
the credit.
Some goes to San Francisco. Califor
nia guts thu credit.
The high gradu shipping ores and the
rich concentrates go to Puget Sound.
Washington gets the credit.
Mr. Kditor, there is surely some way
by which this deplorable state of affairs
can be remedied. Oregon is a great gold
producing state. It should have proper
credit for its production. The Sumpter
district is wonderfully productive, yet
who can give the seeker after informa
tion any real facts?
Kamiai.i. 11. Kkmi.
Sumpter, Oregon, August 110, IDOL.
HEI
Why Go East
Over thu sun-hurnud sage brush and
alkali plains when you may just as well
taku a delightful, cool and comfortable
ride through thu heart of thu Itocky
mountains in view of the grandest scen
ery on tho American continent? This
you ran do by traveling on thu Wo
(irandu system, thu far famed "Scenic
Line of the World," the only transconti
nental liuu passing through Salt Lake
City, (ilenwood Springs, l.cadvillc, Col
orado Springs and Denver, en route to
eastern points. Three daily express
trains maku close connections with all
trains east and west and afford a choice
of five distinct routes of travel. Thu
equipment of these trains is thu best, in
cluding free reclining chair cars, stand
ard and tourist slcoHrt, a jierfeet dining
car service, and also personally conduct
ed excursion cars, each in charge of a
coniieteut guide, whose business is to
look after the comfort of his uuests. No
more pleasant and inexpensive means of
crossing tho continent can bo found than
is provided hy these excursions. I-or
additional details address .1. D. Mans
field, general agent Itio Oriinde Hues,
No. 1L'4 Third street. Portland, Ore.
Only transcontinental line
passing directly through
Salt Lake City
Leadville
Colorado Springs
and Denver
Three splendidly equipped tra lis
dally TO ALL POINTS KAST.
Through Sleeping and DluingCara
and free Itccliulng Chair Cars.
Thu most Magnificent scenery in
America by daylight.
Stop overs allowed on all classes
of tickets.
For cheapest rates and descriptive
literature, address
J. rD. tMNSFELT),
flentral Agent.
Vi Third Street, Portland, Ore.
T. G. Harrison, agent for thu Giant
Powder company.
Leave your order tor anything in thu
reading line with DuNuffu fi Mur..y.
Thu most Njwurful and popular explo
sive iSiant iowder.
Only thu best brands ol liquors ami
cigars at Dunphy's "Thu Club."
I test brands ol cigars at Hoffman's
liakery.
Usu Giant owder, fuse and caps.
Don't Guess
but if you are going east write us for
ourratesand let ustell you about the ser
vice and, accommodations offered the
H CEWTRiL ID
Through jurists Cars via the Illinois
Central frm Pacific Coast to Chicago and
nirfriiinati.i Don't fill tn write tKnhnnt
your'trip.'s we are in position to give you some val-
j uaDjeunTorm3uop;ana assistance. 5.3 19 nines 01 iracK
11 over which' is1 operate sqme of the finest trains in the
world. . Foo particulars regarding freight and passenger
rates call oh or address,
J. C. LINDSEY, f B. H. TRUMBULL,
T.r.iP. A.'M Cam'l Agent
142 Third St.ffjPORTI.AND, ORE.
mmmmmm
1
HiiimiiiiiiiiiiisBa
AT IT
iJlffSSS' Tf
im
and union Pacific
TO
Silt Like,
Denver, Kansas City.
CHICAGO ST. LOUIS
NEW YORK
Ocean steamers between Portland
and San Francisco every livo days.
Low Rates I
Tickets to and from nil parts of
tilts United Stales, Canada and
Europe.
For particulars, cull on or address
H. O. Bowers,
Agent, Maker City, Ore.
M
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