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About The Sumpter miner. (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 1904)
Wednesday, December 14, 1904 THb bUMPTER MINhR ? BUMPER ORE SHIPMENTS FROM THE IMPERIAL MINE 1 ... Rich Cable Cove Producer Breaks All Rec ords Both as to Tonnage l and Value. 5 DuriDg the week eudiug yesterday the Imperial mine made a aeries o' bumper shipments to tbe Sumpter smelter. All previous records were broken, both as to tonnage and value. Ore frdm tbe maiu Imperial shoot, opeued in a winze, and measuring two feet and nine inches in width, was tbe product which resulted in pleasing not only tbe mine manage meut but tbe smelter as well. Gen eral Manager A., 1j. MoBweu, of tbe newly incorporated Imperial Mines company, limitod, of Detroit, to PRODUCTION OF QUICKSILVER California, Texas and Nevada are tbe only states in tbe Uuion that produced quicksilver during tbe year 190?. California mines yielded 30, 526 flasks, worth $1,3:10.910. The production of quicksilver in Texas umountedgto 5,020 flasks, valued at 8211,218. Nevada could claim only 05 flasks as tbe year's output. Tbe total rjruduotion for the three, states, was"35,620 flasks of 70 jv pouuas each, valued at 11,544,9:14. This was an increase in quantity of 132 flasks, and in value of $77,086, as compared with tbe 34,201 flasks, val ued at $1,407,848, which constituted the production of 1002. A notable incident during tbe year was tbe publication by Prof. William 13. Phillips, director of tbe Univer sity of Texas Mineral Survey, of a carefully prepared statement in re gard to considerable extensions of tbe. nrea in Texas where quicksilver is fouud. It is evident that quicksilver tiiiuiug in Texas should inoreaee for several years before reaubing tbe maximum. Tbe average price for quicksilver, por flask, in San Francisco during the year 1003, was $45.2 . During each of the lust ten yenrn tbe amount of quicksilver imported to tbe coun try baa been small. Tbe quantity imported duriug 1003 bad a value of $1,005. Tbe quicksilver exported during 1003 amounted to 17,577 flasks, valued at $710,110, of which 10,722 flasks, worth $440,845 were shipped from tbe port of San Fran cisco Tbe above figures are taken from a brief report on tbe production of quicksilver in 1903, which is em bodied la tbe volume entitled "Min eral Resources of tbe United States, 1903," published by tbe United States Geological Survey. Tbe re port ia also published in pamphlet whose bands tbe Imperial group of mines receutly passed, waB in Sump ter yesterday, checking up with Superintendent J. U. Klroheu, of tbe smelter. It is learned that tbe check given by tbe smelter management: to Mr. MoBwen was tbe largest yet re corded iu tbo history of local ore purchases. To a Miner reporter Mr. McEweti said: "Tbe Imperial never looked better, and the value of recent shipments has been tbe greatest on rooord In Sumptet-'s history." form and may be obtained frcejjof obaige from Ihu director of tbo United States Geological Survey, Washington, D. C PLATINUM IS 4N OREGON PRODUCT The people of tbe United States need to look abroad for none of life's necessities. Luxuries, suoh aB ivory billiard balh, sealskiu sauques, and I spiced., cakes, v wbiob can ouly be acquired through intercourse with distant nations, all merely to tbe gai ety of life,oot to its vigor. There are, however, some valuable natural resources of wbiob our country das only a limited supply just) enough to make all good citizens wish there were more. One of these is plati num. Tbe world's production of that useful metal rauges auually between 160,000 and 170,000 troy ouuces, but tbe production of platinum in tbe TJnltod States in '03 was ouly 1 10 oz., (worth $2,080), aud even that was 16 ouuces moro thau the output of tbo pieviouB year. Russia Jh tho for tunate country which produces about 91) per cqnt of the world's platinum. .The remainder qomes, mainly from Columbia, South America. Duriug tbe year' 1003, tbe center of, interest iu platinum miuiug iu tbe United States shifted from Shasta and Trinity oountios, California, to southern Oregon. There, in tbe neighborhood of Grant's Pass and Kerby, platinum aud iridoslum are found In tbe placer gold. Associated with tbe platinum and gold is another heavy miuerai called jusepbiuite, wbiob ia a natural alloy of iron and niokel. It also baa proven com mercially profitable. Tbe production of 110 ounces ot platinum sand does not include tbe platinum contaiued In tbe copper ores of tbe Rambler mine, Wyoming. It is interesting to note that 6,000 I worth of platinum was obtained, in 1903 in tho form of slimes in tho treatmeut of tbo copper oro aud matte from this regiou. The itnportB of platinum during 1903 show how inadqiiate is our home production. The total valuo of imports amcuutod to 82,055,933, which wore distributed hh follews: Unmaufacturod, H20 pounds (8328, 103); ingots, liars, shoots and wire, 6.308 pouuds (81,591,941); vases, retort, aud other appuratiiH, vessels and parts thoroof for chemical uses, $128,890; articles mauufaatuied of platinum, 86,999. Tho prico of pure platinum in wholesale quantities at New York continued during tbo whnlo of 1903, as duriug tbe last seveu months of 1902, at $19 au ounce. Tbe above figures are taken from a report on tbe production of platinum In 1903, which is included in the Survey's fortbeooming volume "Min eral Resources of tbe United States, 1003." INTERESTING MINING TAX GASES IN COURT A perplexing problem iu to bo de cided by tho District court at Cripple Creek, Involving tho continuance or dismissal of the temporary injunction whioh has beou Hocured by somo 200 miuiug uompaniot onoiating iu tho district, to proveut tho aalo of tholr properties for nou-payment of taxes. Tho validity of tho judgments sc oured for tbe non-paymeut of taxeH has already been passed upon by the Supreme court of the state and tba suits wore thrown out of court for want of jurisdiction. Tbe taxes iu dispute are those that were levied for tbe years 1000 and 1001 by tbe assessor of Toller county. iu many cases tho taxes were more thau 100 times as groat for 1900, under that assessment, aB tbey weio tor 1899. It ia alleged that noil produuiug ground was assessed at from $100 to $1,500 per acre, while produclug properties wero valued at from $25 to $200 por acre. A fow of the companies which woro origin ally interested in the matter paid tbe tax, but by far tbe greater uumber have uot, and a majority of those are still uuable to raise the inouey and are without any relief whatever. Tbe matter wa orlgually. brought to tho attention of Judge Seeds iu tbe disrtict court of Cripple Citek. tbe petitiou beiug iu behalf of the com panies and protostiug agaiust the taxes of 1900 aud 190). .Judgo SeedH decided against the companies. The cas) went to tho Supremo court aud was dismissed for want of juris diction. Auother case, baHed on tho assess ment for 1902 aud almost identical in its Icgtl propositions, was taken before J udgo Lewis in tbe District court aud was decided in favor of the compaules. This, in turn, ia beiug appealed to the Suprome court by the county, but it is bolioved will bo thrrwn out for waut of jurisdiction, as tbe case of tbe compauies was. THEY DIG FOR WOOD AND CLIMB FOR WATER In tbo semi-arid regions of north ern Mexico and southwestern United States, a place where it is said tbey "dig for wood and climb fur water,,' tbe uatives resort to oortaiu divina tions to looate water, wbiob remind us not a little of tho days when the only miuiug engineer who. told bis soorota for pay was ouo who carried a divining rod or a forked twig in stead of, as now, a colege diploma. A Mexican authority assorts that these tosts "are oven moro certain thau tho witch hazel switch." Tho following are somo of tho tests: Whero it is supHoctod that water may bo found iu a well of reasonable depth, extend a sheep's polt with the wool up. In tho middle placo a fresh egg. Cover by au oarthon jar glazed iusido when tho earth is po feotly dry aud the day warm, cloar and without wind. At sunriio on tho next day, lift the jar, aud If tbe egg and tbe wool nr it aro covered with dew, water will be fouud at a slight depth. If the egg ia dry ,ami tho wool damp, water will be found at a greater depth, but if there is no dew either on tbe egg or on tbe wool' there Is uo water to be found in that vicinity. Another roceipe in: (Jrlnd sixty grains of quick lime and mix it with au equal qunatity of paris green and sulphur. Put the mitxure in a new jar with twenty grams of un washed wool. Tho mouth of the jar should be sealed with au earthenware stoppor of tho samo material as the jar itseir. Thou weigh It and when tho atmusphoro is porfeotly dry, bury it about oigbt inohoH below the Hur face or tho ground and cover it up, boating down tho earth. Dig up the jar twenty-tour hours afterward and woigh it. If tho wioght has in creased in tho meantime, wator may be fouud by digging, but if it welghH less thoro Is uo wator in tbe vicinity. All of which ia very Importaut if true. Miniug World. ' THE VINSON MUMMY. Word comes from llaker City that W. L. Vinson and aiHoclatoH are pressing tho preliminary work for the construction of tho railroad from that city to Eagle valley. A number of eastern capitalsts are interested in thiB road. They aro experienced railroad mon couuoatod with tbe Now York Central railroad. They have gone over the proposed route, and are satisfied that the looal traffic which the road will get from Eagle and Pine valleys will make It a pay ing investment, not countlug tbe luoroase iu business which will naturally follow by reason of the rapid development of tbe country with tbe ocmpet4fjn of tbe road,. , One of tbe most importaut features uonuooted with tba building of thin rda'd will he oponlug to tbe world the famous Cornucopia mining district, which has lain dormant for the pHst fifteen years for want of railroad transportation. Tho promoters of this now road hope to be able to begin construction, work within tho next sixty days. A largo portion of the gradiug can be done this winter, as It is through a section of country where cold weather will not be a hiuderanco to tho work. Consulting Engineer II. II. Nichol son, of the Killon, Warner, Stewart company, accompanied by Superin tendent Tom Moffat, drove out to the Oregon Monarch mine, near Oranite today, aud will return tomorrow. ProfoHsor Nicholson will measure up ooutraot work and arrange for further work on the loug crosscut tunnel, started when J. II. Robbius was gen eral manager of tho inlno. Tbo iiiuck Jack, an adjoiuiug ml no, another Killen, Warner, Stewart promotion, where steady developmout with flattering result is Iu progross, will also be visited.