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About The Sumpter miner. (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1903)
VOL. IV. PLATINUM DISCOVERED AT THE STANDARD. This Rare Metal Thought To Exist In Com mercial Quantities In The Ruby Vein Of This Property, Platinum in commercial quantities has been discovered in the Uuby vein of the Standard mine. Dr. Ed W. Mueller, general manager of the prop erty, is authority for this statement. He Ih not prepared, however, to give out the detlnlto platinum values ou countered, nut states Unit tills rare motal ho Is fat 1 8 lied beyond any question exists in paylug iiinountH. In uddltiou to the discovery reported by Dr. Mueller, platinum Iiiih been found iu tho speiss from the mnel ter formerly operated ut the Stand ard. The existence of platinum in com mercial quantities) at tho Standard will greatly add to tho value of thin mine which Iiiih already been demon ut rated to produce high grade gold, cobalt and copper ores. It will give tho Sumpter district an output of the only precious metal which Ih really of Industrial use. The com mercial value of platinum is about 91!) an ounce, or practically the same as gold. While gold, and silver also, are used mainly for decorative purposes and as mediums of ex change, platinum Ih almost indis pensable in many branches of in dustry. It is one of the noble metals chemically, but its appearance Ih not such as to make it sought for pur poses of ornamentation. It is heavier thau gold, having a specific gravity of 21. ."i while that of gold is between 18 ami 1!). The expansive proper ties of platinum are practically the same as glass which makes It possible to imbed it in glass without any SMELTER NOW RECEIVING QRE. Several Mines Shipping Sid ing To Be Put In Soon. Joseph Hartou, general freight aud passenger agent of the Sumpter Valley railroad, while in tho city SUMPTER, OREGON, JULY i, 190 j. danger of cracking, thus making it of vast importance commercially iu electricity. It Ih also of importance iu industrial chemistry iu the con struction of stills, Iu telegraphy, othor electrical appliances, and In various Holds of Industry. Tho motal, howovor, in very rare, tho chief supply at present coming from tho Ural mountains. It was discovered by tho Spaniards in South Aiuorlca early in tho sixteenth cen tury, and called "platinadel Pluto," or tho little silver fiom the Itiver Pluto. It was thought by them to bo 11 form of silver. The Urals furnish about 8,800 pounds yearly, while to the rest of tho world is accredited less than a thousand. Thero are numerous Instances of small amounts of platinum having been found iu tho placers throughout tho Sumpter district, but it was never thought to exist iu paying quantites until tho recent discovery made at the Standard. It is possible that uome of tho other rarer metals as palladium, rhodium, osmium, iridium and ruthenium, belonging to the platinum group and with which the latter Ih invariably associated will also bo brought to light. Itecout assays at the Standard have shown exceptionally high values In gold, silver and copper. Out of twelve assays made last week, the lowest was 828.80 and the highest 32D8.40, making an average of over $00, not counting tho cobalt or platinum. These it Ih estimated would run tho average to over 6100. yesterday, assured the management of the Sumpter smelter that work on tho siding is to bo started at once aud pushed rapidly to completion. The smelter is already receiving ore and concentrates from tho Mammoth, liald Mountain, Morning and Staudard. With the completion of the Hiding thus providing rail trans portation facilities, a means will bo offered for rapidly Increasng tho ore receipts. Dr. E. W. Muellor, man agor of tho smelting company iu unable to name a date at which the smelter will blow in, since this depends largely on tho amount of ore shipments, but states that operations will be started at tho soonest possible moment. The com pany has been ready to receive ore for some time, but the matter has been held back on account of bad roads, and lack of rail faoilities. It is now up to mine operators to encourage tho industry and expedite matters by getting iu readiness to ship as soon as possible. Gold Bug Slock At tho solicitation or Van Vleet A- Wright, tlscal agents for the Cold Hug, the directors of the com. puny have agreed to allow them to honor all orders for (Sold Hug stock at ten cents a share post marked up to iluly in. The stock will advance on this date. QUICK WORK AT HIGHLAND Management Considering Ad visability Of Shipping Ore Soon. Word was received from the laud mine yesterday to the that the high grade ore body High eirect which was recently encountered was In creasing In width, and was at that time over four feet wide. This shoot has been driven about lift y feet and the indications are that as mine depth Is attained higher values may bo expected. Tho ore Ih a beautiful sulphide carrying some silver and is said by competent Judges to lie mi ideal con cent rating me. The opinion of sev eral local mining operators Is that it will reach a depth beyond which any modern appliances will ever bo able to handle it. A number of eastern gentlemen visited the mine this week ami are said to have assured the management of Hilllcioiit funds to thoroughly develop the property. Owing to tho fact that a large amount of ore is already on the dump, ready for shipment, the management is con sidering the advisability of com mencing to ship it to tho smelter. If this Is done It will beat all nc ords of Kasteru Oregon for quick aud elfectivo development work, as the property has been under 'the present management but a short time. The splondld progress of tho work speaks woll for the management, and if indications count for anything tho Highland will surely ho added to the already loug list of producers in Hastem Oregon. NO. 4J BLACK BUTTE CHANGES HANDS. EASTERN CAPITALISTS TAKE OVER THE PROPERTY. Dial Negotiated bv O. C. Wright, of Sumpter, and Ed C. Allen, of Port land Thlily Claims Involved Cath Trantaclion New People to Start Improvement at Once. O. t Wright, picsldcnt of tho Kino lllid, and Kd C. Allen, of Portland, represent lug eastern capital have just completed a deal for tho acquisition of the holdings of tho Hlack lluttii Mining company. These include thirty quartz and placer claims, or 008 acres of ground, nlno miles from Dixie llutte in tho Fox Valley, (J rant county. It una a cash transaction, mid the deeds have already passed, but tho people In teicsled decline to mention the amount Involved. The Hlack llutte Ih mi old property, having been worked for the last twenty years, during which time it Ih estimated that over 1200,000 lu bullion lias been taken out fiom tho qiiaitaud placer workings. Although the pincers have been worked con tinuously for twenty years, It Ih staled that operating two giants they are good for thirty years more. Tho property Iiiih ii mill unit with a daily capacity of thirty-live tons, but this has not been run for tho last mivoii years. The placers, however, were upended this season anil have just been closed down on account ol the lack of water. Mr. Allen will have superin tendence, and the new people will woik the propeity on an ex tensive scale. A hoist with a capacity of TiOO feel depth is to bo installed as soon as pnstihlc, ami sinking begun on tho Hlack llutte pioper. It Is the purpoi-e to block out the oie and start the mill at an enarly date. The company will also begin at once tinning llclshaw Cieek Into the placer ict-crvolrH which will lusiiio an abundance of water for an entire season, This' woik will bo completed at a cost of $2,000. The new people have outlined a policy for exteiisivo ImpioveiiieutH and developments and will carry it into executou at once. Smtltcr Open to Vitltor the Fourth The management of the smelter will throw the plant open to visitors on, tho Fourth. Those who have never been through the smelter will have uu opportunity of doing so, ami will be shown around the varioiiH parts of the Institution.