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About Jacksonville miner. (Jacksonville, Or.) 1932-1935 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 1932)
T he J acksonville M iner Jackfonvtlle, Oregon, Friday, J anti.try 29, 1932 Voi UMI 1 N umber 5 RAILROAD SURVEY REVEALED » GDI TOR SPEAKING At any rate this depression is worth its weight in humility it has created. And about the only thing that is stuck up any more is ceiling paper, which usually gets a neat trimming in the end Have you heard about the miner who, when his wife pulled a horse hair from his lapel, was accused of being out with some coarse woman? * And it would take this dragline which has been working here for the past week to pull the wool over our eyes for the next four years, you bet. + The weather man’s thoughts must be running to snow Were Awe filling hto shoe* we wouldn't be narrow minded There’d be cold . in ..nd •.‘..urn <hl- nooks now, which ought to please everybody unless they’ve been kidding us. * It develops, from this unemploy ment mining scheme, that it is a wise man who does not approach Medford to obtain a favor from Jacksonville A straight line is still the shortest distance between two points, and in this case might have saved needless fuss and argument. SI LLS HALF INTEREST Neathamer, of the combination of Neathamer and Campbell, who last week were repuired to fill shaft bordering in street right of way, has old his half interest to John Hayenga, who has been helping at limes on this property. Operations were moved to their first hole, well within property lines, and work is going forward as usual. The men had just found encouraging gold when it was discovered they were in what is known as Railroad ave nue, just north of Oregon street. TO INSTALL NEW FLOOR Members of the Jacksonville Odd Fellows, in regular session Satur day night, voted to install a new vertical grain floor in the banquet hall of the local meeting place. It is planned to use the building for entertainment purposes and the improvement will add greatly to the popularity of the large room. Clyde Smith, noble grand, and Sam Reynolds, vice grand, were in charge of the meeting. MIDDLE FORK ROAD MEETS WITH APPROVAL G. C. Southerland is working a Vp quartz claim near Whisky peak known as the Billy Horse mine. Prospects are good and he expects to find a pocket with a few more days labor. There is 16 inches of snow to buck in going to and from work and, with Southerland past 50, plenty of hard work is to be found. Southerland is alone, likes the hills and seems to be quite happy. Relatives from the Rogue valley visit his workings often and take a great interest in his near fortune. Knox McClay, owner of the Mo hawk mine, located 12 miles up the Middle Fork near Sawtooth nuiuntain, is making preparations for early opening. Knox has a ledge proposition assaying $65 per ton, which is not hearsay, as he has the goods to show. He states the Middle Fork road will be of value to him and others in that vicinity. Bill Hitchson has five quartz claims showing rich colors, which may be seen with the naked eye. All residents of this district are in favor of the county road and j^^|here will be a great demand for | trucks to haul out ore. A stat«.* policeman of Salem was in the Applegate country Saturday endeavoring to obtain information regarding C. S. Wood of Wilder- ville who, it is said, is being held in the Josephine county jail on charges of stealing horses in the Giants Pass country and slaughter ing the animals for the purpose of selling the meat to a fox farm. Last May Wood was held at Medford charged with petty lar ceny when he was alleged Ur have stolen seven head of horses from the Little Applegate range, for which he claimed to have had a bill of sale It is this charge of which the officer wished to obtain further knowledge. CITY COUNCIL TO CONDEMN HOLES Although Only Preliminary Work Done Proposed Line Through This City Would Prove Great Boon It has I «eon definitely learned that preliminaries on a state rad road io run through _ Jacksonville to Brookings, on the Oregon coast, have been completed and although progress on the development is at a standstill complete papers and line stakes are in readiness should the plan go on to completion. Gus Michaelsen, surveyor for private interests who have pushed the idea, states that plats and data are ready and await financial assistance from outside sources. He personally went over the ground to be utilized and points out that steepest grade on the line would be 1 per cent, with more than half the distance to the seaport town level roadbed. Steel from Medford, through this city, up Jackson creek and down the Applegate to Selma and thence to Brookings would cover a distance of 130 miles, a logging road to furnish spur line to Grants Pass. Advancement was delayed, it was said, about a year ago because of quarreling and fighting among backers of the line. Some desired the traffic to go to Crescent City while others preferred the Brook ings point. Also complications arose involving one of the chief sponsors and preventing his active partici pation in plans. There is evidence, though, that the project is still un der consideration as Michaelsen is retained by the group. At one time 80 per cent of funds necessary to construct the $4,500,- 000 railroad were pledged but dis agreement and '.ack of cooperation among men encouraging the line halted further progress. It was at this time last year that field notes and the preliminary survey were made, even down to estimating probable traffic and determining I Abandoned, water-filled and dangerous mine shafts which dot the town and furnish serious men- : ace to safety and good appearance j are to I m - done away with as re- | suit of action taken at a special meeting of the Jacksonville city council held last Friday. Council members voted to instruct the, marshal to notify all property own- | ere with idle, unprotected holes on their lots to make provision for filling them. If such action is not carried out within reasonable time officials will hire the work done and charge resultant expense to the property. It was pointed out that authority for this action is provided under nuisance control laws, city officials having power to take steps to re move any public menace such as old mines furnish. Council also caused Neathamer and Campbell who, it developed, were mining on . Railroad avenue just north of Ore- I gon street, to stop operations and MASONS GIVEN TROWEL AT SPECIAL MEETING fill their shaft. J. O. Grey and George Porter, A silver trowel, to be retained Medford councilmen, were present until February 10, was presented at the meeting, wishing to get an to Warren lodge No. 10, A. F. and opinion from the local body on the A. M., by Ashland lodge of the Maxwell unemployment relief min order at a special meeting called ing venture. They expressed their for this purpose Tuesday evening city’s willingness to comply with at 8 p. m. The emblem, which has any wish Jacksonville might ex been passed from one lodge to an press in reference to granting min other over the entire country, will ing permission on Medford-owned be given to the Central Point body ! lots. Porter and Grey even went so next month. far as to suggest the city accept Members of the Masonic order a quitclaim deed to the property, automatically releasing the neigh from both Ashland and Medford boring city from any participation were persent for the meeting, i which was followed by supper. in the controversy. Mayor Hartman and various councilmen explained to the repre sentatives that, although the city had no objections to mining, prev ious experience had demonstrated promoters’ promises that holes would be filled were seldom kept. It also was revealed that G. I. Maxwell, proponent of tho plan, had never at any time approached local officials or discussed with them his proposition, preferring to use the Medford council as a wedge into this city No representatives of the unem ployment relief plan were present at the meeting, which was crowded with miners. City council granted fpermission to purchasers of one lot rom Medford to use a dragline shovel for moving dirt after it was stated that ground would be left in better condition after mining, gravel to lie replaced on bedrock. It was suggested that council call another special session to repair the door, which has become so contrary that only ju-jitsu wrestlers, safe crackers and second floor men can get through with less than a pitched battle. The only way one can enter the building quietly is by throwing rocks through a win dow and crawling in. It was added that the city would do well to es tablish a bureau of mines should present difficulties increase. Meet ing was adjourned before a single miner could start sinking shaft in the middle of the hall floor. AGED MINER BURIED BY SIDE OF OLD PAL Arthur B. Hull, 75, who has been working on Forrest creek for a number of years in the Yellow jacket mine, was buried Tuesday, January 26, in Jacksonville ceme tery. Through activity of local friends of this city Mr. Hull’s re mains were placed by the side of his old partner of 50 years ago, Mr. James, who mined with the prospector in Deadwood, N. D., in days gone by. Mr. Hull is survived by a sister. Miss Retta Ann itul! of Luther, Iowa, and a niece of North Bend, Oregon. Conger funeral parlors were in charge. WATER FOR HYDRAULIC Snider and Ross, who have been sampling and testing ground on the Ray Realty company property near here, have been all smiles lately, indicating favorable returns from blasting and placer operations on their 640-acre lease. Their work has been laying foundation for fu ture mining on a large scale, hav ing gone at their work in an or derly and scientific manner. Water is abundant so far this winter, due in part to its intensive and con servative application. Two reser voirs, furnishing a complete cycle for moisture, have been completed and waste is cut to a minimum. availability of right of way. Figures indicated the development would rapidly pay for itself and prove to be one of the greatest boosts the entire southern Oregon-northern California country cou'd receive. Not only, as Michaelsen sug gested, would the line connect with Medford and seaports, but also join, by way of Owen-Oregon and Wey- erhauser logging lines, this district and Klamath Falls. It is not neces sary to describe in minute detail the benefits that would accrue from such a traffic lane, as it is apparent just how much Jacksonville and the surrounding mining territory would be advanced. Stagnation from high freight rates would be relieved and much virgin territory opened. The advantages of such a course to Brookings, in contrast with the later plan of routing the line through Grants Pass and on to Crescent City, would be less grades, shorter hauls, new territory and one of the best deepwater ports on the coast. Brookings, according to Mr. Michaelsen, already has a deepwater harbor, needing only wharves and one breakwater, whereas the California city is troubled with drifting sands, jag ged rocks and no practical course for a deep channel—heavy draft ships being unable to float in the shallow waters. Brookings, on the other hand, is above origin of dan gerous sand, movement being from below that point toward Crescent City harbor. And one of the great est obstacles to be reckoned with is the fact that a line to California would necessitate creation of an interstate railroad, while Brook ings, being in Oregon, would avoid this. (Continued on page four) COLD PRODUCTION DOUBLES AS BEDROCK APPROACHED Beginning at about a 14-foot depth, gold has been appearing in increasing amounts as bedrock is approached in the shaft being sunk by Perry and Wheeler just east of Daisy creek on California avenue. Solid foundation and bottom gravel will be encountered at about 22 feet, indicating rather good pay and spurring the two downward. Tuesday the men were getting yellow gold from an 18-foot level, proportions about doubling with each day’s progress, having begun operations a week before on their latest hole. Wheeler, who was han dling the bottom the other day, de clared one almost had to be a sponge to keep the shaft clear. Pump on the job has been earning its lodging bringing up what has been, they say, gone down. TO USE THREE GIANTS ON APPLEGATE PLACER As soon as the water supply thaws operations will begin at the Sineda placer mine on Little Ap plegate, according to Nels Dunn who, with D. L. Jones, is interested in the mine. Three giants will be working, two for “driving in” and the third for piling tailings. Preparations for mining have been underway since fall, Mr. Dunn said, and now that there is sufficient water the work is being held up merely by the freezing weather. The Sineda mine was widely known a few years ago as the Fed eral mine, operated by A. E. Kirk land. Kinney and Rhoten, digging around from one water sump to another on Kinney’s property near the house, stuck their picks not in a gold mine but an underground i reservoir made up of some seven old drifts and two or three subter ranean rooms filled to the topmost crevice with water. The two re ceived a bath several days before the scheduled time as the wall of their newest hole gave way under the tremendous pressure from nearby caverns. Kinney stated that when they attempted to pump water from their workings they had to drain the entire watershed of this town ship. After what seemed endless days of hoisting moisture they cleaned out what appeared to be recent workings but in reality more than 10 years old. Tunnels were in perfect condition, having no cave ins or slides. All seven drifts were connected by immense rooms and probably will furnish the boys plenty of room for expansion. They also added that pay dirt on their property was found about three feet above bedrock, whereas indications in the first workings they uncovered pointed to chief activity on bedrock itself. Miners who had tunneled this location years ago evidently overlooked gold in topsoil, for which Kinney and Rhoten are duly appreciative, inas much as they are without virgin territory to an annoying extent. Buried Here—Wes Pitchford, who died in Ashland, was buried in Jacksonville cemetery Thursday at 2 p. m. Mr. Pitchford was a mem ber of Yacolt, Wash., lodge of Odd Fellows. SCHOOL BOYS MAKE 25-MILE SHOW -JAUNT ■ — » PAST NOBLE GRANDERS A week-end skiing party in the HOLD REGULAR MEETING Applegate mountains, which event brought to a close a glorious week Tuesday afternoon of this week of freedom from semester exami- the Past Noble Gr;rd club of the naiiuns, will long be remembered Jacksonville Rebekah order held by Lee Port Jr., of Applegate, and its regular monthly meeting at the Benjamin Goldie of Ashland, both home of Mrs. George Wendt, en seniors of Ashland high. joying games and refreshments. The boys made a 25-mile trip to Besides the hostess, 12 guests were the head of Dutch creek in the present, who were Mrs. Ida Wilson, M s. E. S. Sevenance, Mrs. John Blue Ledge vicinity, where the Norris, Mrs. Hattie Hogan, Mrs. snow reached a depth of from one Alice Ulrich, Mrs. Harry Miller, to 10 feet. They experienced the Mrs. Jake Schaeffer, Mrs. Alfred thrill of staying in Kelly's cabin, Norris, Mrs. Arthur Lewis, Mrs. which was snow-bound, and on the roof of which they could easily Taylor and Mrs. Peter Fick. walk from the snowy level. The Next meeting, to be held Febru boys, who had on this trip their ary 23, will gather at the Odd Fel first experience with skiis, were lows hall here. accompanied by Ranger Lee Port, Ervin Lewis and Jake Knutzen of Applegate, who journeyed into the WILL BURY ALEX SPARROW IN JACKSONVILLE CEMETERY mountains to obtain bedding and other equipment left at the cabin County Judge Alex Sparrow, who by i forest service trail crew ear died Sunday in Klamath Falls as lier in the year. The men experienced something result of injuries sustained in a fall while in performance of duties, of pioneer days when they were will be buried today, January 29, obliged to take a board from the in Jacksonville cemetery at 2:30 cabin floor with which to make a sled to carry the bedding. o’clock.