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.