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VOL. IV.
CRACKER CREEK VEIN
EARTH'S RICHEST VAULT
Another Mine to be Opened up on This Great
Gold Producing Ledge Proven by
2000 Feet of Workings.
Professor Wuldemur l.iudgren, of the
United States Geological Survey, in his
rejort on tliu Gold Belt of the lllue
Mountains of Oregon, linn given the
stamp of otiluial endorsement to the
great mother lode of the Cracker .Creek
district. In thiH report he aaya: "There
v in practically one conthiuoua vein ty
-tean, beginn-ng at the Baisley-Elkhorn
mine and continuing ncroM to Cracker
-creek, and some of the most
important milieu in eastern Oregon are
comprised in it, the North Pole, K. A
K., Columbia, Gnlcondu, Amazon and
Bunker Hill mines. In thin distance of
live miles the vein continues strong and
unbroken The gaugue in
tiarts throughout, containing gold and
sulphurets. The width in from live to
100 feet. It is easily the moot strongly
delinetl ami persistent vein in the Blue
mountuiiiH."
Many pages of the rcKr are devoted
to thin ledge. The subject is treated
from a scientific stand Kint by a man
of long and wide cxuricnco. From
the facts which hu relates, he draws
the conclusion that values continue witli
depth indefinitely, and that this in one
of the great mining districts of the
world.
Professor l.indgreu madu his geologl
eal survey and examinations in the
summer of 11HX). I'p to that time the
only sensationally rich strike that had
ever been made on this vein was in the
(iolconda, and that ore shoot had, ap
parently, been exhausted; so hu re
garded that incident as of no csecinl
importance.
Subsequent development has, how
ever, demonstrated that it was of the
utmost importance; for it lias been
proven that this dcosit had scarcely
been touched, though several hundred
thousand dollars worth of gold was ex
tracted in a few weeks. Headers of Tiik
Minrk will roniemlier that last May this ;
marvelously rich ore shoot was picked
up on the 1M0 foot level. J.arge iuunti
tivs of rock was taken out that assayed
over f50,000, and it was then creditubly
stated that one ton was sacked that
sampled and was sold for about 45,000.
This same chimney has been cut 100
feet deeper, ou the .'100-foot level, about
80 feet removed from the perpendicular.
Tills unusual angle at which it dips
SUMPTER, OREGON,
doubtless accounts for why it was lost
three years ago. Only yesterday, Man
ager Bobbins received a telephone mes
sage from the mine stating that the
men were doubtless then entering the
ame shoot on the 100-foot level, as the
point waa in line with the angle of the
dip. Assaya had. beeu made. whicl re-
tunica v is' J mmvny m me
world lias rarely recorded the existence
of so large and dee) a chimney carrying
such wonderfully high values.
Regarding the Golcoudii's nearest
neighbor on this ledge, the Coliimltia,
no such positive statements as the above
can be made; because the management
does not care to take the public into its
confidence, and General Man. ger lluilliu
handles the delicate problem with such
courteous diplomacy that no one ever
attempts to pry into the jealously
guarded secrets of that mine. This
much, however, can he considered re
liable: About a year ago an eminent
mining engineer came here from South
Africa to examine the Columbia, for
what purpose no one knows. Shortly
afterwards It he owner received u Ixiua
tide offer off.H,000,u00 for the property,
which was turned down without n mo
ment's hesitation.
Adjoining the Columbia is the K.
K., oi which little can he said, except
that f 1,000,000 in gold bus been taken
from the stopes abovu the '.'70 fool level.
The mine was shut down ou account of
legal complications, four or live years
ago and is now full of water. It is re
ported that it will soon bo reoem-d.
Then comes the North Pole, found
ered by mining men eouiieteut to judge
to be the richest mine on earth. He
cently the manager acknowledged to
a newsuier reporter that the output
from the ten-stamp mill some months
exceeds $100,000. Alexander Baring, of
I.ondon, the owner, stated while here
last spring that the ore in sight gave an
intrinsic value to the proxrly of be
tween six and ten millions. Consider
ing that ore bodies can be measured
and their values estimated with ap
proximately aa much aecirracy as corn
in a crib, that was rather an indefinite
statement; but it give some idea of the
mind staggering wealth that is
stored in that now famous mine, un
questionably' Nature's richest treasure
NOVEMBER 12, 190J.
vault yet broken into by man. Within
four mouths last spring and summer I
(1,500,000 worth of oro was stoKd, one-1
th rd of which is retried to lie sacked
and still in the workings.
The l.o Itol mine in llritish Columbia
was given a world wide fame ou account
of the million dollar check winch was
drawn in part payment for the properly.
It is as u eunut stand to a wholesale
grocery compared with either of thciileivu
mentioned four mines. Strattou's hide
IH'iidence, in the Cripple Creek district,
was sold for ten millions and has pro
duced its price. That transaction
made the district and every one con
nected with the sale famous throughout
civilization. And yet, right hero at our
doors there is a mine that exceeds it in
value at the present time and bids fair
to discount it two or three times over.
About a month ago the ore shoot that
carried rock worth 'JOO,000 to the ton
was encountered in the lower levels;
subsequent to Mr. Barring's statement
thai the mine had ore enough in sight
to justify a valuation of six or ten mil
lions, If appanwUyralUWa reports be
true, mai one cnimney la worm mpre
than the Independence.
And now the roerly adjoining the
North Pole is being opened up, and it
is just as certain us anything within the
range of human knowledge can be that
it will prove to be equally us rich. Some
weeks since Tiik Minkh gave an account
of the financial tlghlhulween Alexander
Baring, the great London financier, and
a local syndicate, headed by .1. II. Bob
bins, president of the First Bank of
Suuiitcr, to get iossession of this prop
erty, anil how the latter won the battle
royal.
These iieople, all prominent citizens of
eastern Oicgon, successful business and
mining men, have, organized a company
known as the South Pole Consolidated
GnldMiucs company. ItowuH-ilMtl.II'.'fcct
of this mother lisle, liesidos several par
allel claims, containing ledges of known
worth. This is nearly double thuauioiiiit
of ground owned ou this vein by either
of the other "llig Four" companies, as
they are locally designated.
Ami, although the mere fact that this
company's holdings include such a large
section of this wonderful Cracker Creek
ledge, gives it an intrinsic value, this
fact alone is not relied upon thu skep
tical MiHsottriaii can be shown. There
is already 'J000 feel of workings on the1
proierty, one-half of which are drifts ou
the great vein. This group was located
years ago by different individuals and
has been thoroughly prosiecled. It was
on the Oregon Cliper that the second
find of free gold in thedistrict was made.
The ore was rich and much of it ex
posed. The South Pole company has ouu dis
tinct advantage overall of its neighbors;
in that it owns the apex of this gold
vault mountain, making it possbile to
work the mine by the economical tunnel
method for many years, just across the
divide. The ajsjx is :i200 feet above thu
bottom of the Columbia's shaft, and 1000
feet above its owu lowest ground, ou the
NO. 10.
Itock cieek side, from which point the
working tunnel will eventually hoilriveu.
The Columbia has found its liest ore on
its deepest winkings. The South Pole
lias ore ou the topof its inouiiliiiu which
assays belter than t(k. It needs, there
fore, not to rely ou its excellent neigh
borhood for its reputation, though it
must be acknowledged that it is u satis
factory process to draw comparisons and
formulate analogies.
Included in its holdings is one-half of
the Yankee Jim, oue-iiiarler of the
Villard ami one-half of thu Yankee
Jack, the North Pole owning the other
interests in those claims. Thu end line
of the Villard is only '.'(HI feel from the
t'JlMI,000Hr ton ore shoot in thu North
Pole's. Moruor Less.
The principal workings on this prop
erty are located ou the Cllpcr, Bock
creek side of thu divide. There are two j
tunnels, one in IHIO and thu other 700
feet. By driving thu latter lUX) foul
farther, it will bo under the apex, giv
ing u depth of 550 feet. Both, of these
tunnels are on thejedge, ami, said to.be r
lydonthe vlBu'alHtkl; ..'Tfor
large force of men is not at work- T
straightening them out. In the face of
the upter one a cross cut was recently
run thirty feet, without finding either
wall. Consulting Kiigincor W. W.
Bobbins took samples across 25 feet of
this distance, which assayed ilS. And
good values are found everywhere. Msr
ou, as stated above, thu main working
tunnel will I hi driven Mow these,
which will given vertical depth under
the itH!X of 1000 feet.
ICurly next spring, Morn this work ia
started, electric owcr drills will he in
stalled to drive this tunnel.
Andrew Hansen, who owned two of
these claims, installed a 5stauip mill,
operated a few months in thu year by
snow water power. This will not Imuseil
at all; but a modern 50 or 100-stau.p
mill will lie erected, when development
work reaches a stage justifying such u
move.
The people who are hack of this gi
gantic enterprise don't know how to
make a failure of any undertaking, have
ample capital and can get all they want.
'I'll u South Pole is, therefore, Justus sum
to bo ouu of the world's greatest gold
producing mines, as the sun is to con
tinue rising and setting. There la no
possible escape from this. It is going to
aid materially in making this the most
proliHc gold producing region on the
globe.
Alexander Clothing Company.
The Alexander Clothing company has
oH)iied a clothing store in the Wilson
building, corner of Mill and Granite
stieets, and put in u full line of clothing
and gents' turiiishiug good. 'I his com
pany already owns several other stores
uud, buying in such large quantities,
they ure enabled to sell the latest ami
best goods on the market at the lowest
prices. Wherever thecompauy hasdono
liusiuuss it is known as the one-price
clothing store, and this rule will, be .
strictly adhered to in Sumpter. F. B.
Wallbrunii is the malinger and '.Jack
Kisvel, who is well known In Hoin'pter,
will be clerk. - n
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