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.