Wednesday, January 2$ 1905
THE SUMPTER MINER
BAKER
MEN TO
INVEST
A deal for the purchase of the
oleotric light works, sawmill and
water works at Prairie City are
pending betweeu the present owner)
of those enterprises and a syndicate
of Baker City tnsu, at the head of
whom is George F. Wright, the
wealthy farmer of Washington
Gulch, and Dr. Carlton W.
Faull. Justice of the Peace Alf
Currey, of Baker City, is also in
terested in the negotiations. Judge
Currey passed through Sumpter yea
terday morning, en route to Prairie
City, to join Dr. Faull, who has been
in the interior town for the past
week, looking over tbo gruuud.
"The deal is pondiug," said Judgo
Currey to a Minor man, who met him
nt the train yeatorday. "Howovor,
thing 1 bavo not yet crystallized, aud
nntbiuK is in shape for publication,
except the mere announcement that
negotiations are ou. I believe that
the deal will be consummated. The
proposition looks like a good invest
ment, became when a railway strikes
Prairie City, that towu will boom.
The oouutry furrouudlug it is capable
of supporting a town of at leaet the
size of Baker City at the preseut
time, aud there is no reason why such
a city should not be built as the me
tropolis of the interor. Prairie City
is iu my estimation ndmitably situ
ated, iu the heart of u rich mlniug
regiou, as well as on the edge of as
great a stockralslng, wool growing
and general agricultural country as
ever laid out of doors.'
Judge Currey expects to return in
three days,
BENEFIOIENT
INDUSTRY
That industry is most beneficent
which does the greatest good to the
commuuity with the'smallest admix
turo of barm. Measured by this
stnadard, mining ranks very high, if
not of the highest rank, among primary
producers or mauufaoturers. It was
his earliest acquantanoe with the
metals which helped primitive man to
set his foot upon the first ruug to the
ladder of progress. No doubt his dis
covery was mrougu 1111110 unit?
smeltiug accident, which may have
occurred millions of tlm is before it
wa observed aud undjratood, but
tbfiuuo forward the way was com
paratively clear. It meant the search
for the ore, the production of copper
and tin, the blending of the metals
aud the aeoeut to higher planes of
civilization, as these were more widely
utilized iu the service of man. Iu
providing it with metals, tniuiug
bestowed upon mankind, perhaps,
the earliest approach we can con
ceive to au uumixed blessing; it was
the uses which the metals were put
when forged iuto weapons of offence
which introduced the admixture.
What minnig has been done for
bumauity can best be realized by
imagining a w"orld without coal or
iron, or any of their products. It is
not difficult, because it was presented
in the aspect of Australia with a
quite recent memory, aud Is still pre
sented among the South Sea savages.
The domiuant figure in each case is a
barbarian but little, if any, abovo tho
brute lovol, whilo the lordly Euro
pean is but what the motal miner has
made him. Out of the iudustry also
grow tho moro complex feature
which has placed tho old system of
barter on its present basis of ex
ohauge for minted gold and silvor.
Sought at first, without question, for
mere purposes of oriiHmout, tho
beauty and comparative rarity of tho
royal metals soou suggested tho prac
tice which has broadoued down to
the modern method.
Then with the search for these
equivalents of value came in the
phase of "mining wbloh is unique
among industries, in that it stands
free of what the demagogues of I he
day denounce as tbo curse of compe
tition. In the production of the in
dustrial metals tn ire is au elomout of
competition',' beoauBe the product has
to be sold in open market against tho
product of other mines, but in gold
aud silver mining evon this suspicion
of alloy is removed and tho miner
crowds no ouo. This iudustry stimu
lates all others, supports others,
ourichei all others, aud holda out its
arm tu weloomo all others to (ts owu
domsiu.
Tho uew farm aud tho now faotory
means a trespass, though a legitimate
ouo. unou tho markets of tho old
ouos; tho new miuo moans only moro
work, more wages aud more world's
wealth. This the miner distributes
among the othor industries and
earners. He himaolt uroduces nothing
he can eat, wear or uso in auy
manner, except for the one exchange
purpose, aud he is therefore an ideal
customer for the others. It Ib the
miner who opeus uew couutrioa, who
connects them with old oouterB by
linos of steam boats, who lays dowu
railways, builds cities, and sots iu
motion all tho wheels of the in
dustries by whioh they aroj sup
ported. It. has beeu estimated that eaoh
miner working underground fludB
employmeut fur eight men above,
and reflection should, therefore,
'suggests tn the wbolo community
that whatever holpa the miner helps
every bo Jy. The converse just as
strongly holde, that whatever harms
the miner through his. industry
harms every business man, artisan
aud laborer in that state and retards
the progress of the whole country.
Busluess is never bad when mining
is brisk, aud the more prosperous
the minor tho more prosperous is
tho oouutry ho is eugagod iu dovol
epiug. These are facta which should
bo kept very prominontly iu viow
by all the states, especially by tho 10
of such great extent aud vaat re
sources a West Australia Queensland
aud South Australia, aud it may be
taken as certaiu that the measure of
the progress any stato will make will
be the measure of the euaouragmeut
it extends to the mirier, and of the
facilities it offer for tho carrying ou
of this industry. Australian Mining
Standard.
STRANGt TREE IN IDAHO OR
A VIVID LIAR IN CHICAGO
Acoordlug to a recent number of
the Industrial Age, published In
Chicago, one of- the mo it peculiar
treea in the world grows in northern
Idaho. The Age saya.:
"There is iu the wilds of north
western Idaho a speoies of the asacia
tree, which is entitled to bo classed
as one of tbo wonders of plaut life.
It grows to a hoight of about eight
feet, au wbeu full grown closes ita
loaves together Iu coils each day at
sunset aud curls its twigs to tho shape
of pigtails. After tho tree has sottlod
itself thus for a uight's sleep, if
touched, tho whole thing will tluttor
as if agitated nr impatieut at being
disturbed. Tho oftonor the foliage is
molested the more violent bucome
tho shaking of tho branches, aud at
length the tree umits a nauseating
odor whioh, if iuhaled for a few
moments, causes a violent, dizzy
hoadaobe.
"Tho angry treo, as It Ijhb beeu
named, was disoovotod by travelers,
who, upon making camp for tho
night, placed one end of a canvas
coveriug ovor ouo o! the sensitive
branches, using it for a support.
Immediately the treo begau to
sharply jerk ita braches. The motion
ooutiuued, growing moio nervous,
until at laat the sickening odor
which it gave out drove tho tlrod
campers to a moro friendly location.
"Ouo of tho angry trees was dug
up aud thrown to ouo side. Im
mediately upon being removod from
tho ground tho tree opened its
leaves, ita twigs lost their pigtails,
and for Momethlug ovor au hour
aud a half tho outraged branchos
showed choir Indignation by a series
of quakiuga, whioh grow weakor aH
tbo time pasBod, finally cciiBlug
altogether, when the fnllago hung
limp aud whithorod. The next
morning the troo was placed up
right ou tho ground agalu, a llttlo
wator was applied to tbo roots,
aud very soou It resumed ita
normal condition."
$140,000,000 IN
ROLLING STOCK
Tho
tistioa
Hallway Ago publishes sta
of motivo power aud rolling
stock ordored by the railways iu
tho last twolvo months. It has
beeu a matter of common knowledge
that the orders placed fur oars aud
locomotives during the last quarter
of 100-1 were both numerous and
large, but few people realize they
were of such a volumo as to make
the total for the yoar Iu oxaosa of
that for lOO.'l. But the statistics
compiled from official sources by the
Hallway Age show that tbeie were
UlO.fiOO freight oars, 2. 'JIM passen
gers and 2, fill 8 locomtivos of all
kinds ordered during 1004.
These liguroa are derived from re
turns received officially from the
railway companies aud from the
manufacturers of oars aud loco
motives, aud the result la a Hot of
tables showing in detail the number
of each kiud of car aud locomotive
orJered by eaoh railway. A conser
vative estimate places the value of
thia equipment at H0,000,000.
Much of it Is, of course, yet to bo
built, whioh insures active business
for tho equipment builders during
the next six mouths.
During the past year considerable
activity has beeu displayed ou the
Canadiau aide of the border iu prep
aration for extensive car aud loco
motivo building, both as regards
ocntraot work and company shops.
Also, during the last few years, large
increases have beeu made iu railway
shop facilities iu the Unitod States.
The question has beeu laised as to
the effect that tbesejdevelopmeuta
may be expected to havo upon the
busluess of American contract
builders.
I'JxprosslotiB of opinion from tho
loading American builders are to tho
otfect that, .as to the first questiou,
tho worst that can be expected Is tho
loss of a portion of tho Cauadatn
orders that now coiuo to this coun
try, aud theso have constituted but a
trilling percentage of their total
business. Tho work of Canadian
builders will necessarily be largely
coutlued to domestic business, aud
evon at the preseut rapid rato of de
velopment, it Is likely to be some
years beforo Canadian facilities will
bo great enough to supply tho homo
demand.
As to tho Hocoud point, bulldorn
express equally optimistic view's.
With the lucreaso in volumo ot
equipment in service tho necessity
for repair facilities also )r":riinua.
It Is considered unlikely that, ex
cept iu raro instaces, tho increased
shop facilities will be used to a largo
extent in new construction. This
beliof is rendered all tho more prob
able from the generally conceded fact
that contract companies catr build
for about 10 per cent Iosh than rail
road companies can do the work,
provided tho railway com panics'
estimates are based on a correct
cost sheet and do not deceive them
selves as to the cost of the work done
In company shops. '
A single other point Is worthy of
mention, aud It Is one upon which
both the contract builders and tho
railroads are In full agreement. This
la the matter of export huilness.
While no attempt has beeu made
to compile statistics under thia
1 head, it ia apparent from the stato-
merits made by the larger concerns,
builders ot either cars or loco
motives, that the volumo of export
work is constantly growing greater.
With the additional knowledgo
that must bo gained of American
methods and American worirmunsblp
by tho presouce soou In this coun
try of large numbers uf prominent
foroigu railway officials, thia branch
of our national Industries should
receive such au impetus from out
aide ordoM as to afford a substan
tial offset to the lean years, which
may occur periodically iu the homo
demand. Boston Trail script.
Ore Exhibit Assured.
At the adjourned meeting, of the
Sumpter city council tomorrow even
ing, tho matter of a municipal appro
priation for a permanent ore exhibit
hero will be disposed of. The judi
ciary committee of the council, to
which tiiu proposition was referred
last Tuesday evening, has conferred
with City Attorney Kionardh regard
lug the right of the council to make
such an approbation, arid with Secre
tary Tony Mohr, of the .Sumpter
Minors' association, regarding tho
probable cost of fixing up porurtuaiit
quarters and gathering the exhibit.
Charimau Baird, of the judiciary
committee, announces that the plan
will be carriod through.
KSTKAY NOTION.
Taken up, at the ranch of Henry
fanning, near Wuituey, last spring,
two 2-year-old colts, one grey,
bra rid od "O" ou left shoulder, aud
ou i bay brauded s . Owner may
regain property by paying expeuse
of their keeping since the date of
their takiug up.
I1HNKY PANNIINO,
Whitney, Oro.
December 30, 1904.;