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About The Sumpter miner. (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 7, 1904)
yyipT Wednesday, September 7, 1904 THh bUMPTER MINhR IRRIGATION OF THE WEST Three hundred engineers, sur veyor and helpers in the irrigation reclamation Bervlce are out in the field studying and plauniug for irrigation projects in the great West. iSotne few are superintending the mutual construction of huge dams and canals. Mr. Newell himself, the head of the servioo, ohb just returned to Wsbiugtou from a somewhat ex tensive western trip, lie reports great interest throughout the West in the big works proposed by the government, but souud a note of warning against uumerous schemes and frauds 'which are being foisted upon various localities hb a result of the great interest aroused through national irrigation activities, says a special Washington correspondent of the Chicago Obrouicle. "There are many instances of houest, effective and legitimate ir rigation works," he said, "where the settlers themselves, or their capital to sumo extent, have goue in nud built the works, owning or con trolling them aloug with the re claimed land, but I do not kuow of any of tho big private irrigation 20 homes which are what might bo called legitimate development enter prises. They are expnlited probably more for soiling stock and bonds than for watering land. "It is singular, too, how many meu of ordinary hard business sense will go iuto these wild-cat thiugs. A successful grocer, for instance, who, ono would uaturally think, would Hud out everv detail of a now I. ..,..... ...Ill Ikiiiu lilu iluwltfu f nv I lllltllUUBH, Will UIH1T Uin .MUno Home irrigation stocks or bonds in the must trustful and confiding mauuor paying for an investment regarding which ho knows absolutely nothing, cau find out nothing aud which is as problematical in its re turns as the voriest wild-oat mine. Other poople make porsomil in vestigatiou. They go over tho land to bo roclaimed; they see tho splen did crops growing on other lauds which have been reclaimed aud lmv. ing 'investigated' they confidently iuvest, oveu though a trad or uu, 000 aoros is to be reclaimed with a water supply insufficient for ft. 000 acres. I am mentioning these figures advisedly. Thnro aro instances to day where irrigation shares are beiug Hold for land coutaiuiug absolutely no wator supply at all and which cau uevor bo irrigated, but will always remain a desert. "Tho meanest aud most con temptible class of sales are where the promoters hold out the alluring picture to the poor man of family that bo is, by his small regular con tributions, buying a home for himself a little Dome to wmou ue imu gu in is older age aud by reuson of tho bountiful crops duo to irrigation sup port himself and his family. Thousands of poople in the United States are mukiug such contributions which they might as well throw into a rat hole." Reorganization ot the Le Ro A Rossland, British Columbia, dispatch of late date says that com plete reorganization of Le Roi mine aud smelter management takes effect immediately. Managing Director A. J. McMillan is appointed geneial manager aud J. W. Aitley is general superintendent. They commeuced their duties today. Albert I. Uoodell takes fhe smelter management, com mencing in a week or teu dayB. William S. Hugh, now of Spokane, returns to Kosslaud as office mauager for Lo lol aud James II. Trovarrow, miue foreman for some time past, remains as superintendent. Mr. Mo Millau said today the company's intention is to continue operation at the miue aud smelter, probably with increased activity at an early date. The question of concentration is still open. John II. McKenizo returs shortly to submit a report on concentration expreiments. LOIS OF PROPERTIES READY TO SHIP ORE ' A group of mining men wore in jdulgiug iu some general talk this njorniug iu regard to tho smelter's ore outlook and tho number of prop erties now ready to ship tn the plaut. After a little figuring one said: "There are at loast tweuty miues now within striking distance of Sumpter, which can easily furnish from five to tweuty-flve tons a day to the smelter, aud do it at. a big profit. And the majority of these properties have not so far sent in a pound of ore. I am counting the oues mainly which aro now in a posi tion to ship, and not those which aro furnishing ore. With the activity of tho present smelter management there is no reason why the plat, when it resumes, should not have an abundant supply." HIGH GRADE SULPHIDtS AT THE NORTH POLE EXTENSION A. W. Wilis, ono ol tho owners of tho North Polo Intension company, operating iu the Cracker Crook dis trict, camo in from the property last night with some more samples of the suplhide ore mentioned iu a previous issuo. Tho lower drift is now in I'M feet, and fho pay streak shows about four feet iu width. The vein is some forty feet wide, but the pay ore cliuus to the hanging wall, where drift work is now being prosecuted. In tho upper workings this shoot shows values ranging from 810 to 82f. While no assavs have been made from the lower workiugs, tho indications aro that the ore will run far better. In appearance it is high grade gold sul phides. Investor Well Pleased. F. P. Contor, of Hrooklyu, Now York, accompanied by his wife, re fumed today from a visit to the Hluo Hird and Huokhorn, aud left on tho afternoon train for Portland aud Sail Francisco, beforo returning east. Mr. Center is interested in both tho Blue Hird and the liuckhoru prop erties. lie is also interested iu the Hlack Hutto aud i egrets that ho did not have time to visit it. Hoth Mr. aid Mrs. Center aro delighted with (heir trip through Oregon, aud aro that their stay could not have prolonged. sorry been Off for Tonapah. Thomas Costello, Advauce company, manager of tho left today for Tonopab, Nevada. Mr. Costello will take a survey of that camp and if possible will secure property to operate. WHY TIN MINING WAS A FAILURE Cassiterite or black tin was first ideutilied in the Hlack Hills in 1870 as stream tin iu tho gold dust from tho northern Hills. Tho second dis covery was made iu Elk gulch, in the southern Hills, iu April, 1H77. in Juno, 188!), specimens of a dark, heavy miuoral from tho Etta miue proved iu bo cassiterite of ox collotit quality. At the time of the discovery of the cassiterite the Etta was boing explored for mica. This work ceased quicky aud the property in 1884 came into the possession of the .Harney Peak Tin Mining,. Mill iug & Manufacturing company. And to this same Harney Peak Tin company is due the blightiug handicap that for the past ten years has killed tin mining iu tho Hlack Hills aud tho United Statos, for in the Hlack Hills only are there pros poets of tin iu paying quantities. The Harney Peak company evi dently started out with the purpose of legitimately mining aud producing tin. Thoy soon opened up the richest (in ever found in any tin mining district iu the world. Several carloads of tho rich tin rock were shipped to England for treat ment and exhibition. Such rich tin ore had never boon seen there and created a groat furore among the Englishmen aud ownors of the Corn wall tin minos, which had never played out in their production of tin since first discovered by the Phoenicians, as chronicled by Heordotus, 150 years before Christ. The Englishmen had plenty of money for mining investments and particularly for good tin mines, as to tho everlasting permanency of which they kuew from their own Cornwall mines, which had produced fortunes for many generations of owners. They were clamorous for stock iu tlie Hlack Hill tin mines. This opportunity to gather in millions of good lOnglish money by a coloHsal stock -sell lug scheme was too great a temptation for James Wilson, who was the promoter of the company aud the arch conspirator of the whole swindle. Koalizing it would take a number of years to develop tin prospects into mines ami bring Ihoin to their zenith of production, the origuial plan for producing tin was abandoned for ttie more rapid road to fortune, capital izing, printing and selling stock. Accordingly a gigantic corporation, capitalized at 81.r,()()0,000, was nrgaiiit;zd to fake over tho small company aud leave millions of stock for sale. When that was sold bonds for $n,000,000 more were issued for Aalo. Thou another still larger com pauy was organized (o take over tho whole property again and furnish still another lot of extra stock to ho sold. Hy this time clamors by tho stockholders tor tin production com uienced aud the schemers concluded to build a big mill to help tho further sale of stock. In the mean time loud cries of misappropriation of funds were made, aud tho end, for some time in sight, came some weeks after tho completion of the mill. The English stockholders com menced suit agauist the American stockholders to recover the millions alleged to have been receivo from tho sale of stock aud not legitimately put into operations of of the com pany. Mr. Wilson, the promoter of the company, was induced to go to England, where he was arrested, but died boforo his trial was roached. It is alleged that of the whole capi talization of '20,000,000, not over 82,000,000, was spout for the com pany, and of that much went for promotion expenses, wasteful ex travagance, tho purchase of worthless mining claims from insiders at big prices, until over 1,100 such claims woro owuod by tho company, and for useless assossmont holes and dovelop mont of such worthless claims. It has boon claimed and published over the world by unfriendly skeptics that tho short run of tho mill demon strated that there is no pay tin ore in tho Hlack Hills. The facta are that the mill was run by tho buildors aud not by tho company, to see how much tin was in the rook. The monoy had.baii puttupito pay for the mill when completed and wan run by the buildors only, for the purpose of demonstrating that It would treat the stipulated number of tons (2fi0) per day aud save the tin, which It dlii. No smelter was ever oreoted to reduce the motallic tin, the cassiter ite saved by the mill, and ia still stored at the mill, except what was shipped away. It was then apparent no more stock could be sold on ac count of the suit for an accounting aud a receiver, about to be com menced, aud the wholo operation, was shut down and since its prop erties have lieon tied up in litigation for the past ton years. Thus has tho tin production of America been sandbagged and discredited. Within the last year, however, the Uist of tho Harney Peak tin miues have been bought up by other parties and extensive operations already commeuced on the (lortio mine at. Hill City. A fully oquippod mining plant has boon in operation for several months an a modern mill and smelter will soon he erected at tho mine for the production of metallic tin, From the advance shoots of the new book on the Hlack Hills to be issued by tho Hiirlington Hallway. SLIGHT CHANGES IN THE S. V. SCHEDULE Tho Now Sumpter Valley schediifo makes but slight changes from the old (line. The passenger loaves Haker City at 8:15 a. m. as before, arrives in Sumpter at 10:25, aud reaches Tipton at 12 noon. Return ing it leaves Tipton at 1 o'clock, arrives in Sumpter 2:.'lf p. m. and Haker City at I o'clock, ai rives at Sumpter at 10 m. and returning from rives at .'i o'clock, p. m. Tho freight o'clock a. Tipton ar- Chancellor Group. Meiiuo Uuzicker, manager and main owner of the Chancellor group in the Cable Cove district, came iu Inst, night after supplies. Mr. Uuzicker says the mine is looking lino, bettor than ever before, aud he will prosecute work uninterruptedly. Work at Monumental. C. .1. Allen, of Portland, president aud manager of the Mouumoutal company, came in this morning and loft this afternoon for the property. Mr. A I leu has a good force of men engaged iu development work aud the present eud aimed at is to start the mill oporatiug early next year.