Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1886-12-24

OSaSI sOAtS uuIA Iulu StOfuI, bilu Will
his supply Mr.. Phelan manages to /
xoik about two months in the year and c
leep out of debt. The gravel mines of {
Messrs Volk, Merriam, Levens, Tuller {
md others lie further up stream and t
ire detached points and high bars Of
she old Cow creek channel not carried |
away by the denudation of ages. In
the mountains west of the ''bend" of
the creek, near the head of Rifle creek,
is found fine quality of red hematite
iron ore. Passing through the upper
Cow creek valley, We leave the main
creek and follow up /.
sTARvE-oUT CREEK
On this stream considerable gold has
been and is still being taken out
Chas Dweller is working q placer at
the upper end of the creek and showed
us some very fine specimens of heavy
gold taken out last season. A short
distance above this claim is the Green
Mountain Quartz mine, owned by
Messrs Jones, Clarno, Wilson and
others. The main ledge is about six
feet wide, three feet Of it being excel
lent rock. assaying from $40 to $l60
per ton. The gold is associated with
gelena, pyrite and arsenopyrite. About
six feet from the foot wall they have
a stringer of calcite that is about three
inches wide and is nearly half gold, from
which they have already taken out
about 81 5000. The developments on
this mine consist of three tunnels at
different levels, all in good paying rock;
the aggregate length of the tunnels is
about three hundred feet. The vein
has been traced and located for about
five miles but very little work has been
done on any Of the locations, although
some of them possess considerable mer-
it. The Green Mountain ledge crosses
Starve-out creek which was very rich
Immediately below it, and never paid
anything above, the natural conclusion
arrived at is that this ledg furnished
all the gold to at least the upper por'
ton of the creek The first extension
south of the Green Mountain mine, is
owned by Messrs Clarno, Johnston and
Murphy; these parties have contracted
for 100 foot tunnel, sixty feet of
which has already been completed, no
quartz has yet been encountered and it
will probably require a cross cut of
some length before the ledge is found.
All of the creeks and gulches in this
vicinity have more or less gold and very
little prospecting for quartz has ever
been done until lately; but since the
rich strike at the Green Mountain mine,
notices have been posted. on every
quartz boulder within radius of FIVE
miles and many of the locators are
toasting their shins at the fire, waiting
for tue Green Mountain mine to de-
velop something big, expecting such
development will enhance the value of
every boulder in the district. Leaving
this camp, which by the way, differs
from most mining camps as regards
hospitality extended to visitors, we
journey on and in due time arrive at
Canyonville
UP THE SOUTH UMPQUA
More OF less gold is found, but no at
tention has been paid to quartz. On
Elk creek is found manganiferous iron
ore, hematite, chrome and a very good
i quality of Ignite, but no attempt has
been made to determine what quanti-
ties exist. 1t is on the diyide between
the waters of the South Umpqua and
Evans creek that the rich chloride sill
yer ore, heretofore mentioned, is said
to have been found, but the disceverer
is now III the state prison for man.
slaughter, and his statement must be
taken for what it is worth. Coffee
creek has produced considerable
amount of geld as also has Myrtle creek
but no work has ever been done on
quartz. Not being fully conversant
with the different mines on these
streams, we will not attempt a hearsay
description Of them; suffice it TO say
that, gold in paying quantities is still
found on both streams. The Olalla
country has been long and favorably
known but the production of gold from
this district is now at it's minimum, the
placers for the most part being nearly
exhausted. No developments have
ever been made in quartz
THE NORTH UMPQUA
Has never produced any great quantity
of gold, but what it has produced, is of
such nature that the experienced sill
yer prospector would give it more than
a passing notice; it is OH this stream
that electrum, native alloy of gold
and silver has been found, its value be-
ing only SIS per ounce. Experience
has shown that wherever this grade of
gold has been found, intelligent search
has resulted i'll the discovery of very
rich silver ledges. In the mountains
near the head of this river is found a
very fine quality of antimony ore
| (sti5nite) zinc blende being also found.
THE QUICKSILVER MINES
In the neighborhood of Oakland have
produced varying amounts of that met
al from time to time, but are at present
idle; some very rich cinnabar and the
rare mineral metacinnabarite have been
found at these mines, but from some
cause they have not proved profitable.
| THE NICKEL MINES
Are situated on what is known as Piney
or Nickel mountain about three miles
west of Riddle station. The ora at
these mines consists of two varieties,
nonmeite and garnierite, both hydrated
silicates of nickel and magnesia, carry
ing respectively 80 and "a per cent of
nickel oxide; occurring with the nickel
ores, is very good quality Of chronic
iron. The ore iii bulk will average FIVE
per cent of metallic nickel. The de-
yelopments consist Of numerous cuts,
adits, shafts and quarries and ore is
found scattered over an area Of 1000
acres. About 1000 tons of five per