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.