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About The Sumpter miner. (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 7, 1904)
Wednesday, September 7, 1904 THE SUMPTER MINER a ANCIENT ART OF MINING That tbo kuowledgo of mining, uud especially gold milling, dittos baok to h timo "wbou the miud of inan ruuuotb not to the ooutrury" 1b abundantly sbowu by tbo constant mention of tbo subject in tbo most unoieut writings. Among tbo earliest of tbeso is tbe roferouco to Tubal 3aiu, in tbe Old Testameut, wbu is styled "an instructor of every artificer in brass and irou" This was boforo tbo Uibiical deluge, and ovidontly refers to a timo of quite advanced motallurgical skill, for tbey ulteady bad gained tbo know ledge of smelting and of alloys. Alluvial gold miuiug must have been va-jtly earlier tbau tbis. Perhaps equally early are the records of tbe clay tablets fu.ind in Nineveh and Babylon, where the kings of tbe vetry earliest dates were uccustomed to receive tribute of gold and precious stones, etc. That gold was obtained in India from timo immemorial is evidenced by allusiotiH to the metal in tbe Kig Veda, probably mu of the earliest extant writings of mankind. There are references also in the name poem to jewelry and to drinking and other cups of gold and silver. English companies have reopened with great success some of these old Indian minus. In South Africa in Matabeleland. many mines were opened by pre historic races. Some people believe tbeso were tbe mines of Ophir Irom which Solomon aud tbo Queen of Shnbu drew thoir stories of tbo precious metal. Upon this continent, peoples long passed away, aud of whom the present race of Indians has not even a tra dition, mined for copper in the Michigan peninsula, while at coeval dates other mines in Mexico quarried obsidian, which when manufactured into arrow or spear heads, was ex changed for tbo copper of the north, ilow early this tradiug was dono we may perhaps uover know. Examples uoed not be multiplied. Miuiug always has been aud always will bo man's most uecessay occu pation. Without it, bo would have no tools to carrry ou other trades and employments. Without it, man (woman, too) would be hard pressed for artioles of ornament aud osteua tion, aud tbo stimulus which gives activity to acquisition that most ueodful of inciters to ambition would be woefully lacking. Mining has oumo to stay. Mining aud aud Engineering Kovievv. NEW ASSAY OFFICE TO OPEN AT ONCE Charles Khat, the aassayor, who has moved his office from Raknr City to Sumpter, has definitely decided to occupy the former locatiou of Juessen & Clarke, in tbe brick build ing corner Mill and Urauite streets. lie will be open for business in a day or so. Mr. Rant was formerly here in tbe assay bulsness and is well aud favorably known throughout tbe district. He has routed the Urifflu residence on Columbia' srteet and bis family will reaide in Sumpter. MINING PAST AND FUTURE lobn A. Church, ouo of the Hrst n iulng engineers ever graduated from an American institution, has written an extremely interesting article for the Miuiug Magazine, of New Vork, eutitled Mining Past aud Future. Alluding to tbo history of milling in America, Mr. Church says: It is only a quarter of a century since tbe yield of Jiritish copper ores was about nine per emit, aud of foreign ores smelted in Itritish works about ilfteeu per cent. America was then a large contributor to tbe Welsh furnaces; aud long bcfoie our con tinent wrs spanned by railroads, ores, ch icily of copper aud silver, were gathered in desert regions, and after a toilsome wagon haul were taken by tbe most devious waterways, or by a long journey, to a shipping port, aud lauded in Cornwall, after a trip that in some cases covered from six to nine mouths. This was the history of even such a lemarkable mine as the Anaconda, and many of us can remember the ex hibition of industrial courage with which the owners ot that celebiated property proceeded to tbo erection of their own smelters under con ditions of fuel supply aud freight that oie forbidding. This is also the history of Hutto from the earliset days, when the furnaces turned out a product that was hauled by wagon to Ogdeu. It is the history of the Copper Queen, situated fifty miles from a railroad and two thousand miles from a mar ket. The beginnings of the great dis trict at Clifton aud Morenci, Arizona, were made when copper was hauled 000 miles in wagons, aud when nearly a year was needed to get a four-ton locomotive on the ground. The freight alone on coke delivered at (J lobe was 12 a ton. Frequently tbe develop mont of tbo minos has led to the con struction of a railroad, aid the im portance of some of the mines has been a powerful incentive to the buildiug of continental systems. In view of American interest) in tbo Far East and recent developments in that direction, one statement is rather significant : Wo are already roacbiug nut into other countries that nfford sea trans portation, aud 1 should not be sur prised to seo the day come when cer tain groat mines which I visited in China will be brought into the American market. Mr. Church refers in a graphic maimer to the relation existing be tween recent scientific discoveiies aud tbe industry of mining: Tbe wonderful discoveries in chemistry make it almost certain that the miner of the future will be en gaged in a search for rare elements aud perhaps for some that are still unknowu or not fully appreciated, j The power of electricity has given us the command of elements which could uot bo separated except in minute spooks twenty-five years ago aud it is entirely possible that new alloys with valuablo qualities will exteud tbo field of its usefulness. The minor iu fact has one eye applied to a telescope, looking for uew fields of effoit, and tbe other glued to a microscope, searching for traces of metal, that he may recover from tbe slags and gases of his waeto products. His work is bound closely with the development of tarnsportatiou, aud indeed with every other idustry, so that, men who boast a conservatism that rejects investments in mining look with dismay while their bouds fall in value, because there is a strike among distant mines. SUMPTER IS THE BtST AFTER ALL Harry Hendry x, of tbe tJeisor Hondryx Investment company, re turned today from a business trip to Portland. Mr. Hondryx comes back with renewed faitli in the Sumpter district. The first two options taken by the firm on southern Oregon properties have been relinquished, on account of tbe fact that, the mines after due examination did not prove satisfactory. Mr. Hondryx says: "The Sumpter dhtrlct, otters greater inducements, iu my opinion, to ward mining than any other portion 1 of the slate. After considerable experience iu the way of examining properties we are willing to stick by this camp unless something better olfors than we have yet seen." Mr. Hondryx says ho expects big bunch of people hero during tbe month of September. THEY OAML. THEY SAW AND THEY WERE CONVINCED Henry Peck and James Curry, of j Wisconsin, made a trip to tbo Stan dard with Dr. C. P. Itiloy aud re 1 turned this afternoon iu time for I the Wisconsin gentlemen to catch the train. Tliey go to Portland to look around awhile aud from there back IIDIIII). 'IH..... ......... ..I.1.......1 ...l I. tl... U.... j. 1 in,) mini iiiiiimjii Willi inn ..iiiiii- dard. They went, over the whole works aud were satisfied that it was a big thing. It was a sort of cold blooded deal with them. They didn't take a great deal of stock In what they had heard, but came to see with their own eyes. They saw, and were not averse when they left to saying that they wore intensely in forested. The things they saw out there gold, cobalt, and copper were of a convincing nature. CYANIDE PLANT FOR 1HE ALAMO I. P. McCuigun, manager of the Alamo, returned today from a trip to Spokane, where he conferred with his associates, aud went on through to the property. It has been decided, Mr. Mc (iiiigan says, to put on a good de velopment crew aud start up the mill in a short time. This will prob ably take place within the next two weeks. In addition, Mr. Mctiuigau sayF, it has boon definitely decided to install a thirty ton cyanide plant, Work on this is also to be started at an early day. The mill will need some little remodelling aud adjust ment, aud it is figured that the cyanide plant is all that is needed further to effect a high per cent of Having. . Fine printing at tbe Miner oliicM. waffls t Only transcontinental line uiiBoiug uiiuuuy uiruuKii Salt Lake City Leadville Colorado Springs and Denver Three splendidly equipped tra iib daily TO AM. POINTS KAST. Through Sleeping aud Dining Cars and free Reclining Chair Cars. Tbe most Magnificent scenery in America by daylight. Stop overs allowed on all classes of tickets. For cheapest rates and descriptive literature, address W. G. MoBRIDE, - Gininl Igint RIO GRANDE LINES POHTLAND OaCQON flty4l (HP Shout Line and union Pacific TO Salt Lake, Denver, Kansas City. CHICAGO ST. LOUIS NEI YORK Ocean steamers between Portland and San Francisco every fivo days. L-ow Ratet I Tickets to ami from all part of the United States, Canada and Europe Through Pullman Standard and Tourist Sleeping Cam daily to Omaha, Chicago, Spokane; Tourmt Sleeping car daily to Kansas City ; through Pullman tourist sleeping cam (per sonally conducted) weekly to Chi caK, Hainan City; reclining chair cars (soatM free) to the Eait daily. For particular!!, call ou or add H ,0. Bowaw, Agent, Baker City, Or. m i'i 1