Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-07-19
THE WOLF CREEK MINES.
woIr CEErE, o.. Jelly Ia.


the soow lay q depth Of from thres 20
hffeeD feet on the mOuDiaius aud 10
the valleys Of Josephine county, crowd
log the miners cot from their claims,
impafisnes was rife, aud there Was con-
siderable talk by the outside world tba,
seemed 70 presage an Outbreak q gold
fever in this eoonty by midsummer.
The scene - changed now. Informa-
ton l. not 30 cheap nov - It Was zen
weeks ago. There il more work and
les tAlk. The crowds Of miners, proc
pectors and sdventarers that were 20
asmerO0s arOuud the suPply station
the principal one Of which b WOaf
Creek for this ooaDtyl duriug the snow
period are now scattered over The
mountains searching fOs TIE giittering
sre o. working their yArious claims &c
oordiDE TO the plans Of Last winter.
The peO7le Of Oregon wont enthuse,
and while The prospects Of this section
ere not creating the excitement nor at
lrHctiDg the capital that similar find
lngs would ia California or Ws4hing-
sOn, yet mining work is being slowly
pushed by an army Of some 800 DeD
EIthin q radius Of eighteen miles Of
Wolf Creek station.
The crush. crush, of the stamp mill
e il pulveriZes the ore is familiar
-O1Bd in this region, and the scenes Of
4e, the picksxe, shovel and sluice
pan, preparing the golden nuggets
for the mint sre re-enActed at the va
rious placer mines.
The placer mines, however, are be
ginning to show signs Of exhaustion, the
Rubie, which is very valuable one
leing the only one near here that IL
paying more than wages, but quartz
mining is only In its infancy.
The mining district that was organ
zed here last winter now has fine two
stamp mills in operation and several
dber claims are prospecting very fine
indeed and viii have mills soon.
The Sarah Bell mine, three. miles
east of here on Coyote creek, Is one Of
the richest that Is now being worked
averaging $50 per ton. One mile east
II the Sarah Bell is the Anna COnda Oh
the same stream which is giving very
satisfactory results. The owners ifthe
star mines, which are located miles
east Of here on Graves creek refused
$500 last spring fDr this property. Two
two-stamp mills are now working these.
The Lewis mines, twenty miles east on
Mount Reuben are being developed by
]. c. Lewis Of Portland. Mr.. Lewis
mas only q twO-stamp mill in his mines
yet, bat Is pushing the work with vigor
aud VIII no doubt have better facilities
soon.
Besides the above named mines that
already have quartz mills in operation
are several claims that assay we'll. some
Of which will be worked very
sOoD. The proprietors Of the Judson
mines on Coyote creek viii put in
= ten-stsmp mill right away
aud the owners of the Molly Hill. a very
rich mine on Mount Reuben oOuten1-
plate putting 10 q mill in the fall. There
are numberless other claims held by
parties unable 10 work them or these
who are waiting to know the effect Of
Mr.. ClevelAnd's congress ca the staple
product OF Josephine county.
Mining 10 this region is moving slow
ly, very slowly. bat steadily on, and
when the financial crisis shall have
passed over, aud more capital and labor
finds It's way into this district, startling
will no doubt follow.
The deepest shaft yet sunk is 10 the
Star mines, 10 feet. So far as has been
investigated by experts, the general
verdict is that no gold mining region
on the coast has better prospects Of ex-
tensive ledgeS All miners alike con
denim the stAmpmills that are being
used. Though those now In operation
are giving very good returns. none OF
none Of them save more than 80 per
cent Of the gold.
The elevation here IL 1900 feet above
sea level and the weather Is perfectly
hne At Wolf creek there are two
stores or supply houses and two hotels.
Those Wishing to take a summers va
cation and investigate the mines will
dnd ample accommodations
WAIFRR LYON.