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About The Sumpter miner. (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905 | View Entire Issue (March 22, 1905)
KUMSV,Wii I I 'A t: rWSSXi fS: j VOL. VI. SUMPTER, OREGON, MARCH 22, H364 NO. ;o SUMPTER BOURNE ROAD Wbeu tbe engineers employed laat summer to re-survey tbe Sumpter Bourue railway submitted to tbe Killen, Warner, Stewart company uu estimate of probable coat, placing tbe figure at a quarter of a million dol lara, Mr. Killen, aomewbat surprised at tbe magnitude of tbe undertaking, inquired: "Isn't it possible some way to out down tbat ettlmnte?" "Certainly, sir," anawertd the oblaf engineer, "I can out It down to any figure you deaire; but this is the only estimate 1 will sign mv name to. ' ' Mr. Killen explained tbat tbe eugJueer bad misunderstood bim; lie imply desired to know if tbe pro jeoted road couldn't possibly be constructed obeaper. "No air," said tbe engineer Tbat (Ultimate, In detail, la uow en route Iruai Chicago to Sumpter, Mr. Killen havlufi wired for it last week. It la expaotad to arrive tomorrow or Friday. The committee, Messrs. Jobua, Glaasou and Fuller, appointed by a citizens meeting Sunday night, will go orer the figures contained In the estimate, verify their accuracy, and will tbcu solicit subscriptions locally to $20,000 worth of bonds, as per tbe terms of the Killen, War ner, Stewart company's offer, as out lined in yesterday's Miner. Gato J. Johns, uhalrmau of tbe committee, in conversation with a Miner reporter last evening, said tbat personally he believed tbe esti mate fairly conservative. He pointed out tbat when tbe original survey for a railway from Sumpter to tbe Cracker Creek district was broached, tbe proposed upper terminal was ac Uauover, five miles up tbe gulob. This route was purely a water grade, and au estimate of its probable coat was placed in one instance as low as 165,000. When, last summer, the K. W. S. company took up tbe proposition of uonnecting Sumpter with tbe upper camps by a rail line, tbey enlarged tbe origuial enterprise to Include Bourne as the upper terminal, with a switchback leading directly to tbe B. &, E. mine, thence over the hill to the basin between the Columbia and Goloonda mines, with switchback spurs lo both of tboso properties, the North Pole mill to be on thu niaiu line from Hanover to Bourue. Tho object whs to build direct to tbe ore bins of the big mines meutlouud aud also to attain such au elevation as to permit of a future extension ou into tbe Silver Cieek aud Cable Cove die triata. I'Jhoso familiar with the Crocker Creek uud Silver Crook water courses realize, no doubt, that a railway direot from Uauover up Sil ver Creek to Cable Cove la impos sible, owing to tbe tremendous differ ence in elevation between tho two poiuts named aud the short dlataune iuterveolug. The changed line, making Bourue tbe virtual terminal, with spurs as aforesaid, necessitated a re-survey of the original Hue above tbe Halfway house, requiring a heavier gradieut and a consequent projection of tbe grade high abovt Powder, passing Halfway on the right side of tbe canyon at a considerable elevation above tbat point, landing in Bourn by au easy gradient, but along a dizzy grade along tha mountain Ida. A continuation of tbe llnerby switchback to tbe E. k ,, thence to tbe Columbia basin, gaius a still greater elevation, so that whou tbe time comes for an extension to Cable Cove, tbe grade, etartiug from a high altitude, swings over Into Sliver Creek, following approximately tbe route of tho present Golaouda wood road, tbenco up the cauyou by easy stages. The originally projected line, with Hanover as the upper terminal, esti mated to cost OH, 000, was to have been five miles long. Tbe newer pro jeot is to be eleven miles long. The origlual line followed Powder river, a natural water grade, with no truss bridges and very few trestles. The 05,000 estimate was for second hand rails of light weight and second hand rolling stock of tbe sort used by tbe Sumpter Valley road, pur obased from discarded Union Pacific equipment. Such ho estimate 105,000 for construction and equip ment was very conservative. The new line, estimated to cost nearly four times as much ai tbe old oue, is, as aforesaid, no longer a water grade route after passing Halfway, at which point it beglus to bug tbe rooky mountain side aud climb toward tbe altltudiuouH termiual at Bourue. Deep rock outs, bigb earthen embankmenta, dizzy trestles, etc., are some of tbe engineering difficulties encountered by tbe new Hue. The increased coat of constructing such a grade over tbe cost of constructing a roadbed along tbe flat bottom of tbe Powder river canyon, aud tbe mure tbau double leught ot tbe grade, accounts for tbe large difference between tbe two estimates. Mine operators in Craker Creek district, nevei looked kindly upon tbe original projeot They calculated thnt. if they were compelled to IihiiI ore from tbolr uiiuea to Hauover, an extra haul of five miles down tbe oasy river rond to Sumpter would cut but little figure. Tho new rond, how ever, ruunlugaa it. will, totbo chutes of their ore hi us, appoula to them ai posaesaing uuuiermiH attractions. Tho existing price of freighting ore from Cracker Creek to Sumpter ap proximates 92.50 par ton. Supplies hauled iti coat an equal auui. The promoters of tbe Sumptor-Bourue railway obligate themselves to estab lish a frelgt rate higher in no in stance than 91 per tou. Tho road will tbereforo save, on evory ton of ore shipped out, aud every ton of supplies shipped in, the appreciable sum of oue dollar aud a half. It la this phaBO of tbe matter whloh ap peals to Cracker Creek mine owners The E. & E. ships au average of ten tons per day of ore aud concen trates to tbe Sumpter smelter. Under existing conditions, this costs the Bourn Gold Miutug oompany 125 per day, 9750 per mouth, or 90000 par year With a railway, tbe figures would be 910 per day, 9300 per month, or 93000 per year, effect lug a saving of 915 per day, 9450 per mouth, or 95400 per year. Other Cracker Creek mines are uot such heavy ehlppera aa tbe E. & E., but their saving would bo lu equal ratio. It is, of course, true tbat thin tremendous saving lu freight charges would lu a large meaauro be sub tracted from local circulation scores ot teamatera operating between Sumptr aud Granner Creek would be deprived of au occupation. But this evil would be mere tbau counter-balanced by the faut that the railway would cause the devel opment of Innumerable small uew shlppplng mines, au Increased out put from the larger ouea, and the oooaequeut employment of more meu, which would mesu a larger payroll, tbe purchase of more mer chandise from Sumpter stores, aud, therefore, more money in local circulation. It is tbe aim of tbe railroad committee to secure the larger part of subscriptions to tbe 920, 000 worth of bouds from the miue operators ou tbe mother lode. If tbe building of tbe railway will in a saving tu tbe E. A E. of per year, tbat company could afford to douate 95000 toward tbe enterprise, lu this case, however, It Is uot a duuatiou. The bonds draw aix per oeut, aud are redeem able after five years, with guaranteed payment wlthlu tweuty years. It is couceeded that within two years al most tbe bouds will be at par, aud at all times tbey will be negotiable sot ouritlea. Aa a gilt-edged iudustria investment these securities are pos sessed of attractions. Locally, of course, merohauts and business men will reap an inestimable result 95400 easily a railway. Theso honeflta nro of too obvious a nature to need commout, Upou receipt of the' onglnoor'a do tal led intimate tho cummltteo will licpln Ita campaign for subscriptions. benefit from tbe construction of such Hubert 10. Strahoru'e offer to Hub scribe for 1000 worth of hotidH In the Sumpter-Bonrno railway enter prise caused a local mining mnu to say last evening: "This man Strahorn is, In my bumblo oatimatlou, possessed of pretty nearly every oue ot thoae char acteristics which make a good cltl zon. Without blare of trumpet), with no calcium lights aud with no press agent, he has quietly done as much to build up the city of Stimptor aa auy man ou earth. He has providod this to'wu with a mclern and up-to-date water works aud electric light system, and la always lu tbe front rank of progressive, public-spirited citizens. He aubtcrlbad 9100 to help the Sumpter Ore Exhibit association and uow comas forward with m 91000 usorlptlnn to the railway projeot. If all thla doesnt' spell good goods, I duQ't know what daa." "I'll just raise II. E. Strahorn 9250," said Seymour II. Bell to tt Miner representative today, in speak ing of Mr. Straboru's public spirited liberality In offering to subscribe for 91,000 of tbe Sumpter-Bourne rail road bouds. "I waut to see that road built myself, " he continued, "and am prepared to take aud pay for 91250 of Its bands. It la what Sumpter needs to save Itself from dry rot snd It behooves us all to get in aud drill." A mining mail, In speaking to the writer regarding thh proposi tion a few days since, said that although faota given in 'these col umns some days eluoe regard ins) the money which the shipping lalae will save on transportation charges Is a very oouvluciug argument to Induce the ml use to subnorlbe fur stock; a very much stronger oue could be formulated if correct statis tics as to the amount of money spent for timbers, and especially lagging, could be secured and tbe vast sums saved by shipping lu timbers aud slab wood, with reasonable freight ratea prevailing. Slan wood is all right for lagging aud can be bought here lu Sumpter for a small fraction of what It coats to get It out lu the hills. This would be a great benefit to tbe smaller mines, those tbat are ibelug developed aud have no sawmill, aa well aa tbe more extensively operated ml ties. Build that road, aud build It 1005. Grand spring miliiuery opening at Hotel Sumpter on April 3 aud 1, by Mrs. E. L. Sullivan, of Baker City, who will display the latest modes lu feminlue adornment. K w u 1 1 1 H